Here I am in the Czech Republic! So far, the countryside and the cities have been the most beautiful that I've seen - not that there's anything wrong with the rest of te European countries that I've travelled through, but I really have been blown away by the Czech Republic. It is definitely the most different country I've been to on this trip so far; the Eastern influence is evident, the prices are lower, and the people (in Prague at least) are, well, not as friendly.
Our journey started early on July 31 when we caught a train from Munich to Prague. We were all ready for a good sleep during the six-hour train ride, but alas, we were awakened by a rowdy bachelor party in the next compartment over. It was nine in the morning, and they were all completely plastered. It was almost impressive. We heard German drinking songs floating through the walls, accompanied by the occasional "Ja baby!"
Did I mention that the guest of honour was sporting a full-size, arseless pink bunny costume? As he turned around, we were given a full-on view of his tight, black man thong. His men-in-waiting wore matching shirts, which read "Hey bunnies, watch out for the wasted pink one! It's his last day of freedom!" They were also wearing lederhosen. They asked us if we could help them out, by cutting the tags out of our underwear (for reasons unknown). We politely declined, and carried on our train ride. Gotta love Germany.
Before arriving in Prague,
I had been told many, many times that it was the most beautiful city I would ever see. Obviously, my expectations were pretty high. Well, let me tell you first hand that it is the most gorgeous city I have seen so far! Each building has a slightly different archetectural pattern and colour. They all compliment each other perfectly. The cobblestone streets lead to a cute little square in the Old Town, which is surrounded by restaurants, shops and churches. I must admit, I'm feeling a little churched out, but they were still stunning buildings.We stayed at the Czech Inn (very witty). Although it's actually a hostel, it looks like a hotel. It's very clean, the staff are knowledgeable, and it's actually pretty decently priced for what it is.
The Prague Castle is a must. Although it is nowhere near as elegant on the inside as the Schloss Schonbrunn, it has a very cool surrounding courtyard to wander, and the terraces all offer million-dollar views. You can see the town, the hills and the river from different angles.
We also walked across the famous Charles Bridge (several times). It offers even more amazing photo opportunities.
Another must-see is the Jewish Quarter, part of which was walled off in the 11th century. In this part of town there are synagogues galore, a small market, and shops which sell Jewish memorabilia (like yarmulkes, mezuzahs and mogen Davids). I may be biased, but I thought it was pretty cool. Up till that point, I had hardly seen any evidence that Jewish people even existed in Europe. It was a neat contrast.
My friends may have gotten sick of me going on and on about how amazing I thought Prague was, but I couldn't help it! I was overwhelmed by its beauty!
Kutna Hora, a small town just over an hour out of Prague, is an excellent daytrip to take. Although there aren't zillions of tourist attractions, it's a cute little town, and it's interesting to see a more tradtional Czech town. The main reason we went, however, was to see the bone cathedral.
There are quite a few cathedrals in Kutna Hora, but as I already mentioned, I'm feeling the symptoms of ABC (Another Bloody Church) syndrome, so I decided to just stick to the bone cathedral, as it was highly recommended - and really, how often do you walk into a church decorated with human bones?
It's very cheap to enter the bone cathedral. It's pretty small, but by no means is it an in-and-out tourist destination. There are chandeliers, crests, wall decorations, and even huge piles of human bones (the extras?) Outside, there is a large cemetary. I learned that the people buried there were the wealthy citizens. However, during the plague, people were dropping like flies. There were more bodies than the town knew what to do with, and thus, the bones of Kutna Hora's Average Joes were used to adorn the inside of the church! It was easily one of the most bizarre things I've ever seen, but it was very interesting to learn the background information, and when you think about it, it was actually kind of resourceful...
Since Shayla and I were heading to Cesky Krumlov after Prague, and Steph and Julie were on to Berlin, we all decided to go out for dinner. Was it ever worth it! The main dishes were all amazing, the side dishes were mouth-watering, and the dessert was phenomenal! The Klub Architektu restaurant is located in a 15th century cellar with a very cool, relaxed vibe. There were plenty of veggie options, and it was actually reasonably priced - considering all the food we got. The hot chocolate was probably the best I've ever had! After eating bread, peanut butter, and canned food for weeks, it was one of the best dinner experiences I've had in a long, long time. I strongly suggest it!
Overall, Prague is definitely one of my favorite places so far. It's gorgeous, and it lacks that intimidating big-city feel.
Cesky Krumlov, a town south of Prague, is the perfect place to come for R&R. It has tiny, cobblestone streets (which can be terrifying
when cars come out of nowhere and try to drive through the people). There are cute little shops, restaurants and hotels, and the river runs right smack in the middle of town. A pub crawl (rafting down the river and stopping at different bars) is offered for 250 KC, but because it's been cold and rainy for the last couple of days, we decided to give it a pass.
The Hostel 99 (where we're staying) is a quaint little place in the middle of town. It's clean, the staff is friendly, it's decently priced, and well equipped with internet, a kitchen and a DVD collection. Albeit some, er, eccentric roommates, it's been a good place.
Tomorrow we're on to Olomouc, and from there Budapest. I'm looking forward to seeing some of Eastern Europe that I wasn't expecting to!
Questions? Comments? Criticisms? I'd love to hear them all!
the-wanderingjew@hotmail.com
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