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Published: June 16th 2009
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Prague is one of the most enchanting cities I have come across. The buildings are so incredibly stunning that one is left slack jawed and staring. Needless to say it is not difficult to spot a tourist when wandering the streets.
I arrived here two nights ago with my two new friends Bekah and Cassandra whom I met in Amsterdam and affectionately call “The Mississippis”. Our friend Time, whom we met in Berlin also came to Prague via motorcycle and we all met up and spent a great two days together.
For the most part travelers that have come together to roam together are never strangers. There is no transitional period of “getting to know you” because the moment you begin to speak to one another is the moment you have become friends. The reason behind this is a sort of global community that has developed and the like mindedness that many travelers seem to have.
When you arrive in a new country, alone, to a hostel you have never seen, you immediately reach out those around you. We forget how social we really are as creatures and we also forget how much we love to hear stories. The whole premise
of talking to a fellow traveler (other than the obvious which is to make sure they are not a lunatic and going to steal your stuff) is to hear who they are and where they have been. You share stories whether it be of how you started traveling or of where you have been and where you are going next. Everyone has a story no matter the length of stay. You could be staying for a week or you could be staying for a month but it matters not, you will always connect with other travelers along the way.
That is the beauty of back packing, camping, hiking, spending nights in cheap hostels, drinking bottles of wine on canals, wandering parks with beers in pockets, and sharing drinks at bars and pubs: you take along people you’ve never known before and you turn them into family over night. This is what happened with the four of us. Tim, Bekah, Cassandra and I all became a traveling family. No matter that it was only a few days, we stuck together, helped each other out, bought each other rounds, and made plans together. It was a great experience and I am sad
to see them go. My little tribe left this morning and here I am in Prague looking ahead to see what my next stop will be. Where will I go? Who will I meet? Where will I stay? How much will it cost? What will happen when I arrive? The questions are numbering in hundreds but one thing never worries me: I will never be truly alone even though I am traveling by myself. There is a friend and stranger around the corner that is happy to help and tell a story.
So what did we do in Prague together? The girls and I arrived via train to a nice hostel in a rather shady area. But despite the ceasing inquiries of the local bum we managed fine and only stayed there one night. Time met us at our hostel with a new friend in tow named James, from England. We were all relieved to see one another and gladly made our way to the tram to head toward the city center to find a good time.
What we found was a stunning nightscape that I have only read about in tales of mystery and intrigue. The winding alleys of
smoothed cobblestones were lined with beautifully decorated buildings. The facades were sometimes covered in images depicting battles or legends, or statues of forlorn gargoyles guarded the walls. There were gothic churches rising out of pedestrian squares, baring the weight of peoples prayers and hopes for centuries under pointed roofs covered in intricate stone work. I kept sighing in awe and must have seemed rather daft to any passer-byes. We wandered around and grabbed a quick bite from a street vendor and decided to find a place to have a drink. We wound up in a smoky underground filled with drunk idiots, hazing air, flashing pin point laser lights, and repetitive music. It was certainly a typical European discotech but not my favorite place. We soon left and wandered around the city looking for a place to find a drink. By the time that we decided to go in somewhere I was exhausted and returned to the hostel for a few hours rest before having to get up and change hostels.
The next day was filled with sights, sounds, smells, and songs! We wandered for hours and hours only stopping to have a traditional Czech meal and beer. We saw a
Dali and Art Nouveau exhibition, we saw a plethora of cathedrals and churches, and then we made our way to the cross the bridge up to the castle for a spectacular view.
Throughout the day we were hunting for good gelato and shade to eat it in. Unlike Berlin, Prague was sunny, clear and hot. We found our much coveted gelato and then headed off to rent a paddle boat on the river. We took important supplies with us such as sangria, baguettes, cheese, gherkins, salami, and (as Cassandra said) “wieners”. We paddled around the river for the better part of an hour sipping the Sangria, munching on snacks and generally goofing off and breaking into song. Yes, we were a group of singers. We lacked a radio or DJ and would often start to sing our favorite hits. This was cause for great hilarity.
After we road around on the paddle boat we made our way tiredly back to our hostels for rest and a plant to meet an hour later to find a pub. After we were refreshed and ready Tim managed to add to our entourage and we traveled into the city center with four new people
in tow.
After a long walk we managed to find a pub and sat down to knock back a few beers. The evening ended with a stroll through the town center followed by much needed sleep.
I have one more day left in Prague and will be spending it roaming the city alone, enjoying a glass of wine, and watching the clouds move across the crystal blue sky. The sun is not to harsh and a cool breeze helps keep the heat at bay. Tomorrow I head to Scotland and look forward to a new place.
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Shin
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Did you not go to the BIG cathedral that took them 7 centuries to build? You can walk through the "Spanish" garden ALL the way up the hill. dreamy x