Sunday - Travel Day 1

Europe » Czech Republic
February 19th 2006

Published: March 4th 2006

So, today we woke up early and were able to shower and had breakfast. Again we had bread, butter, jam, coffee and kakao. It was actually pretty filling. We packed up our things, checked out and were on our way to Prague! We got on the tube to go to the Train station and bought our tickets. It was a bit difficult because the ticket lady did not have very good English and my German is barely comprehensible!!! But we got tickets to Prague. And a direct ticket at that. Again it was confusing, because the tickets do not have seat assignments on them, for there really are not seat assignments unless you make a reservation. So, we were a little confused at how that could be, but whatever. Also we got on the train about thirty minutes before it left and nobody else was on it, so Jacqueline was freaking out a bit, because she didn't want to get on the wrong train. I wasn't too worried about it, cuz i just wanted to take a nap. It was a nice ride. I drifted in and out of sleep so that was nice too. However, whenever we came to the country border, border patrol guards came on first from Austria and checked our passports. Not too shabby, but the girl across the aisle from me, didn't have hers. She was trying to explain to them that she was going to Hamburg, Germany to see the Ambassador!!! Geez, at least i wasn't her. Later the Czech guards came aboard, no big deal for me...but that other girl sure had to answer a lot of questions! Then, right before we got to Prague the train people walked around asking for our tickets so we could get them punched. And that other girl across the aisle, literally took 20 minutes going through everything she had to get her ticket out and she finally found it...it was in her pocket!!! Boy did she have a mess to clean up though. On the train though, I could tell that I was in the Czech Republic because the scenery drastically changed. The houses and towns all looked really rundown and not very well kept. There was graffity everywhere I looked. And everything looked dirty. It was really an eye-opening experience. Once we got to Prague we had to change out money. The Czech Republic is not on the Euro, but rahter on the Czech Khroner. it is about 23 khroner to 1 US dollar!!! However, after we changed out money, we had to get on the underground. The tube system in Prague is very very new! But they only have about four lines. It was difficult because the machines don't take any cash, only coins and all we had were cash. It took us a good half hour but we got it...eventually. We then took went to get on the tube. When we were looking at the sign it said our stop was on the train that would stop at Platform2. SO we went to platform two. When we got on the train and got to the next stop, we realized the train was going the wrong way. So, we got off and decided to switch directions on the same line. Well, no train came going the other way on the opposite platform. So, we went back to the platform we were oringally on and got on and this time, it went the direction we needed to go. It was really eery and felt like we were in the twilight zone of tube stations!!! We actually got to the stop we need. Then we got out of the tube station and we didn't know what way to go to find out hostel because the direction made it sound like it was on the same block as the tube station...so we walked around the block...no such luck. We stopped some police officers, but they didn't speak english, however, they actually helped...they pointed, literally pointed, out the way we were suppose to go and luckily after about 15 minutes of walking around the same area, we found out hostel. The hostel was surprisingly nice and new and modern. We were in dorm style room and shared it with about 12 other chicas. But the first night we were there there probably only about 8 people in total in the room. We were really bored and didn't want to stray to far from our hostel, so we asked for an internet cafe and the check-in guy gave us directions to it. He spoke English very well. So, we were on our way to find the internet cafe. On the way there we saw a market, more like the Black market!! HAHAHA!! For there were all these stands with things like shoes, purses and clothing. And they looked liked knock offs... then, we came to a booth by a lady who was the ideal of what i pictured people in prague to be...starving artists! Prague, after all, is the center of Bohemia...you know the Bohemian Revolution, the insurgence of artists trying to make it...(don't get it, watch Moulin Rouge). She didn't speak much english, but she tried and we tried to communicate back with her and then she gave us her card in case we ever wanted to order something online from her, i suppose...i really don't know why she did, but it was a nice gesture. We walked down to the internet cafe and it was not too far from our hostel which was nice. And the people there spoke English very well. They also had special computers that had "english" keyboards on them!! That was probably the highlight. After we were done checking out e-mail, we were really hungry, but we didn't know where to get food that we could easily order...Then we saw what globalization is all about: McDonald's!!! It was relieft to see such a hideous sight, but whatever, it was the closest thing we had to home or the west, besides the internet cafe. And i think this probably has to be the best story of the entire trip.
So, we walked into McDonald's. All the meals are mixed up, so I was looking for the chicken mcnuggets meal. It was number six. So, i said to Jacqueline, do I say six in English or do i hold up my fingers? And if i hold up my figers do I use five and one or three and three? She told me to say it and use five and one fingers. I go up to the counter and tell him that I want a number SIX (holding up my fingers) and a coke. He asks me what size and I say whatever size the meal comes with. He gives me a blank stare, so i just say medium. He repeats medium coke. I say yes...he tells me my balance and then I tell him i want sweet and sour sauce as well. he tells me it is more, And i give him an Oh! Ok, that is weird sort of look and he is just like but i can just give you one and he is looking even more confused. So, Jacqueline puts her order in at the same time and hers was a ton cheaper than mine and I was SO confused. But at that same time a lady came over and sat a tray of six medium cokes down on the counter...We each grabbed one thinking this was something special they did in the Czech Republic. But low and behold that was my order. They kid thought I ordered SIX MEDIUM COKES, not a NUMBER Six and a Coke!!! It was so funny!!!
After that we went back to our hostel and went to watch the hockey game, as they were broadcasting it live from the Olympics. I also tried Budweiser there. Not the stuff from the US, but rather the Czech kind and it was surprisingly a lot better than the US Stuff...but oh well. After the game was over and the Hostel bar was closed, we went up stairs and went to bed! As we had had a busy day of traveling and the next day would be busy with touring...

Sunday - Travel Day 1

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