Day 33, Paris, France to Prague, Czech Republic (deja vu once more)

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Day 33: Tuesday, December 29th, 2009
Paris, France to Prague, Czech Republic

Four hours later, we get the wake up call. We head downstairs, settle up the bill, and walk around the corner to the shuttle pick up. The bus shows up a couple of minutes later and even though our plane (Smart Wings airline) leaves from Terminal 3, the shuttle only drops off at Terminal 1 and 2 so we'll have to get off at Terminal 1 and take an airport shuttle to 3. About 45 minutes later, we are dropped off at Terminal 1. We head inside, ask someone where we can get the shuttle, and he points to outside and a sign that indicates we should head that way to the Terminal 3 shuttle. So, we head back outside where it is raining (it was a covered walk, then a tunnel, then another covered walk) and 10 minutes later we are at the shuttle stop. We hop on and a few minutes later hop off at Terminal 3.

We head inside (looks like a warehouse) and wait in line for about 30 minutes and finally get to the front. We check our bags, and head over to the very long security line. I don't know if it's normally this backed up or if extra security has been added since the whole Amsterdam/Detroit flight, but it takes about 30 minutes to get thru that line too. Glad we gave ourselves enough time.

While waiting, I'm looking at all the signs they have posted around and I'm confused by a few. One sign shows pictures of items you can't carry on the plane and along with the expected gun, rifle, switchblade and combustible items is a picture of a pick axe (or ice axe, not sure) and dynamite. They didn't show a sword, so I'm guessing the ninja burglars that were haunting the room above us last night can pass thru with no problem. Another sign is on a gate that is set aside for specific people only: Blind, in a wheelchair, or someone who is half black and half white. I'm just guessing on that last picture, it just showed half of a black face and half of a white face. So, if you're of mixed heritage AND have a sword- you are so golden!

And, of course, the flying Gods always know who to pick on. Poor Susan always does carry on when she travels, she never checks her bags. For this trip, she decided to bring a big bag and so she had to check it. On her Portland to Heathrow flight, her bag was late getting to her. And now, security doesn't like something in her carry on so she is pulled aside and has to have her bag manually searched. They always seem to do this to the one who is already having a bad flying experience. As they pull her aside, I become the supportive friend that I am and tell her "this is where our friendship ends, I don't know you" and move away. Five minutes later, she's cleared and we head to our gate. We're sitting there, waiting for the call to board when it dawns on me that as we look out the windows, we don't see planes, we see busses. That's right, we get to take a bus out to the tarmac to our plane. The Charles de Gaulle airport has my vote for worst airport I have ever been in. Ri-friggin-diculous.

We get on board and we're sitting in the exit row, so we get extra leg room. Susan is by the window/door and I'm in the middle with some random guy on the aisle. The flight attendant comes over and glances at Susan but then talks to me, "Do you speak English?" and after I say "Yes" she proceeds to tell me how to open the door. 😊 Guess she thought Susan couldn't handle the stress. We take off and one good thing about sleeping very little the night before (or morning of I should say) is that we both sleep all the way thru to Prague.

We get to the Airport Prague-Ruzyne International and head over to baggage claim and get our bags. Nice and easy- well done Prague! We head past the empty customs and see a driver holding up a sign with my name. This is the best- I totally want to travel from airports this way from now on, plan ahead! Since my bag is strapped to me like a turtle's shell, he takes Susan's bags and takes us to the curb where his car is. We hop in and head to Prague. Along the way, I ask him how to say "hello"(Ahoj, sounds like "Ahoy") and "thank you"(Děkuji, sounds like "Dayquil" without the "L") in Czech because I was never able to catch on to the Czech language when I was in Prague last week (sounds so weird to type that.) Later on, I learn how to say "check please" (I'm guessing at the spelling, can't find it on Google, but it was Ouchet, sounded like "oo-chet") so I consider myself fluent now.

We get to our hotel, actually botel, the Botel Albatros. It's a cute, small cruise boat that when it's not out cruising the canals/rivers, it docks and becomes a hotel. We're quite early (about 11am) but the very nice lady working the desk (who has the personality to work as a warden) hands over the key. I, on the other hand, am amused that the first time I said "Ahoj" (which is pronounced like "ahoy") is on a boat. Our room is small, as is the bathroom- a typical cabin on a boat. Our view is nice, we're on the side facing the water, not the dock, and we see ducks and swans swim by our window. We dump our bags and hit the town.

We grab some lunch (ironically enough at a Chez Marcel, a french restaurant where we learn how to say "check please") and walk towards Old Town Square and take another (for me) gander at the Astronomical Clock. We then meander on over to the Charles Bridge and wander around below the castle for a while. I tell Susan that there's no way I'm going up the Rocky Balboa stairs so we save the Castle for tomorrow. We decide to head back to the hotel and relax before dinner. Susan ends up not wanting dinner so I head upstairs to the restaurant where a waiter, when he's not reading his magazine, slowly takes and brings my order. I head back to the room and we continue our tradition of CNN and add in a mix of MTV. We know how to party hardy.

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Comments

[Chris]

You became a Czech Pirate/Hotel Manager?
Now's your chance to un-steal a brick!