Let The Fun Begin!

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August 2, 2005 - August 4, 2005

So much for sleeping on the flight over to Prague! As soon as I sat in my seat I knew I wasn't getting a minute of sleep as I had hoped to achieve. Surrounded by new born babies and sugar overdosed kids, the flight seemed to crawl by. At the very least, I had numerous fantasies of the days ahead to distract me from the airline daycare going on around me.

Arriving at Prague airport, I met up with Keith at the baggage claim. After hitting the ATM to get some local currency, we grabbed a cab to our hotel. We stayed at Hotel Salvator. The staff was very friendly, the rooms modestly priced, and the location only a few blocks from all the action. Keith made the alarming claim that our room had the second best toilet he’s ever used, a compliment I didn’t choose to share with the hotel staff (for those who are wondering, numero uno resides in the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas. It’s quite a story comparable to Moses parting The Red Sea). Back to the hotel….the only negative comment I can make about the hotel was the lack of air conditioning. Somehow I have a feeling that’s my American roots spoiling my expectations.

Despite the lack of sleep, we were extremely anxious to adventure out. Heading out on foot towards Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square (Vaclavske Namesti), we were both very impressed by our first visual impressions of Prague. Being my first trip to Europe, I found the architecture to be the most alluring. For days, all Keith would say with each turn of a new street corner was “Awesome!”. Keith was very quick to point out the abundance of beautiful women crossing our path along the way. I had to agree with him immediately. A single man’s promise land! Perhaps one of many reasons for why Prague is a popular location spot for English stag parties, or so we were told.

Over the next couple days we took in several sights and plenty of late night bar hopping. I really enjoyed the walk over the Charles Bridge on our way to Prague Castle. With plenty of street merchants, local musicians, and walking tour groups, the energy level on Charles Bridge was stimulating. The Saint Vitus Cathedral in Prague Castle was very impressive. I particularly enjoyed the stained glass window created by artist Alfonse Mucha. Aside from the cathedral, the rest of the Prague Castle area had very little flare for me outside of soaking up the surrounding culture. As for the Astronomical Clock, it became a bit of a joke for Keith and I as the top of the hour closed in. If you were in the Old Town Square vicinity, you could pretty much guarantee some tourist would go running by hoping to catch the top of the hour at the clock. To me, all the hype and build up simply didn’t measure up. Just spending time in Old Town Square, people watching, talking to various locals, and simply relaxing is probably what I’ll remember most about Prague. The biggest compliment I can give Prague is to say that I can see myself happily living here.

It's off to Krakow for the next step in this adventure. An overnight train ride with a ton of sketchy people. This promises to be unforgettable.

Quote of the trip... While looking for local advice on hot night spots and needing directions to a few, Keith approached a young, attractive woman at Tretter’s to ask her for some help. After a brief introduction and a few smiles, Keith proceeded to ask for directions to another club we wanted to visit. In a think accent and as impolitely as you can possibly imagine, she simply said…

“Talk to taxi!”

There was no confusing that message. Keith had just been DCed in Prague! It became a regular repeated quote between us throughout our trip whenever we needed directions. Adding a swear word for emphasis, really seemed to polish it off for our own touch of fun.

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Photos

Old Town Square
A great place to relax and take it all in.

Prague Castle
A view of Prague Castle from Charles Bridge

Alfonse Mucha Stained Glass
Modern stained glass in Saint Vitus Cathedral

Astronomical Clock
Need I say more?

Týn Church
As seen from Old Town Square

Hotel Salvator
Inside Hotel Salvator