Back for leg two

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The Czechs are a funny lot. It is as if the person that they spoke to just before you really pissed them off and so they decide to bite off your head for asking simple questions like directions. What is really surprising is that they can be sweet as honey just afterwards. I find that piling on heavy sarcasm just adds to the culture clash, but it is great fun.

(3rd Nov)
I am staying at a hostel in the party end of Prague and it shows. Life couldnt get any different here to Iran . It has a great bar downstairs, I popped down for a quiet drink with my book last night as I hadn't yet met anyone. Didn't read a page. Everyone had a story of a very heavy sesh the night before. It is a drinker's paradise, especially at 50p for a pint! When I remember what happened last night, I will let you know.

So why no blog for so long? Well, flew back to Blighty, ready to throw all of the Australia plans in the bin and try to make it work with my ex-girlfriend. I thought I had it in the bag (heck, it worked for Michael Corleone in Godfather 1). The fact that you are reading this shows that it actually went tits up.

I am back on plan A which is to travel over land and sea to Australia from Britain. So, I got a bus from London to Prague (a killer) and am getting visas here for Russia and China. The rest of the plan is relatively straightforward except for the very last bit, which is to get some sort of sea going vessel from Indonesia to Australia. It doesn't look far on the map and some Oz people with yachts do it, but the guy from Bali Marina told me that I have about 1 in 100 chance of getting a lift. As they say in Australia: bugger.

(5th Nov)
Now in Cesky Krumlov - medieval town, medieval Czech food (and Chinese) and of course more pilsner lager.

As I have to wait around the area for Chinese and Russian visas (sampled the legendary Russian hospitality at the embassy the other day), going to simply pop over to Budapest for a couple of days (as one does!). Then I will head back to Prague to get ratted/visas and then Poland here we come....

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Photos

This clock is a Goth
The clock on the old town hall, Prague. Every hour, the astronomical sign changes, a parade of saints come out, the skeleton rings the bell and the crowd begins to disperse.

Bush Won!
Prague is full of 'Mercans. However, I couldn't find a single one who admitted to voting for Bush. The beers in The Blind Eye were free as a commiseration.

Posing with the strip club touts
Prague is a classy joint

Cesky Krumlov
The round tower and crucifix on the Lazebnicky bridge. It is as if bits of the church are scattered around town.