DAY 43
Sunday JUNE 12 2005
So I have traveled all night on a 14 hour bus ride from Paris to Prague. Normally enforced inactivity would drive crazy, but the Czech Republic has such beautiful country side that I wasn't frustrated at all. As a matter of fact the bus ride went by so quickly. The vibrant green rolling fields were straight from Little house on the Prairie and the beauty of it took me by surprise. The empty green country side was soothing to my eyes and soul after the people infested cities of Amsterdam and Paris. Even the air was soothing, filled as it was, with the smell of pine sap. How utterly relaxing. It really helped that the bus was comfortable and roomy and played Beatles music most of the night.
I made it to the Prague all right. I said my good byes to the university teacher, Blanca. She gave me lots of helpful advice. I then went to a cash machine to withdraw Czech currency. I didn't know what to withdraw so I took the least amount which happened to be 500KN. That translates to 17 euros. Mmm...
My thinking on this is that I only wanted that much money for the following reasons:
Rick Steves warns to be wary of cab drivers. His exact words are "The train station cabbies are a gang of no-neck mafia thugs who will wait all day to charge an arriving tourist five times the regular rate. A taxi should get you to your hotel for around 120 - 150 kc." He goes on to recommend AAA taxi service.
I have researched this and came to the same conclusion. In my researches one person said that after the taxi and him came to agreement about payment, when they arrived at the destination, the cabbie started yelling at them for more money and trying different intimidation tactics. I knew that if I only withdrew 500kc the cabbie couldn't get any more out of me by any means whatsoever, as that is all I have.
So I went to the taxi stand and choose the only AAA cab I saw. I leaned in the window and we negotiated the payment of 100kc. Cool! I paid in advance, so there would be no hassles, and he gave me my change. I hopped in and we were off to the first hotel listed in my tour packet. I then counted my change and noticed he short changed me 100kc! He also had no neck. :-)
Now 100kc is only about three euros, but it is the principal of the thing, he said one price and took another. Next time I will pay with exact change. I debated what to do. While debating in my head as to what to do I made a big show of counting the Czech currency over and over.
I waited till we got to my hotel and asked him for the rest of the change. He coughed it up and I felt very proud of myself for learning Czech currency and handling this in a smart manner. It pays to be well informed.
I will be able to check into my room at 2pm it is now 10 am. So I dropped off my luggage and found the nearest internet cafe that would let me use the LAN cable. Cool! Only one block away from my hotel is a great internet cafe that serves up really good coffee.
So to all and sundry, I am now in Czechoslovakia, my tour starts at 5pm, I am not even tired and it is a beautiful, blue, sunny day outside. I do believe I will go for a stroll on the streets of Prague and enjoy the discovery of a new (to me) city.
Eat your heart out, Anchorage! :-)
MANY HOURS LATER...
I eventually met the tour group and we all went out for dinner. We have the cutest little blonde elfin woman of a tour guide. At any rate I took some pictures along the way and got way behind the tour group. That's ok, I figured, I have a map, I know whereabouts they are going.
At any rate I picked up my speed of walking and walked right past the whole tour group and the tour leader and was crossing Charles Bridge when finally it percolated to the fore front of my brain that I just by passed my tour leader. I have been traveling alone a long time! I will need some readjustment time.
So I held up and waited for them to catch up. Now isn't that a hoot! I may grumble about my lousy health, but at that moment it became crystal clear to me just how much improvement there has been in that area! :-)
When my tour leader finally caught up to me she said "So you have been in Prague many days?" I answered "No, this is my first few hours." I think I surprised her. Then another thing became crystal clear in that moment. I have really gotten comfortable with hitting a new city. When did that subtle distinction take place? I wonder. Give me a map, a comfortable place to stay, and a good restaurant and I am set. Wow!
After dinner we all kind of went our separate ways back to the hotel. I thoroughly enjoyed getting lost on purpose just so I know I could find my way back. Silly, but fun!
Czechoslovakia has lovely green rolling hills, beautiful country side and Prague, well Prague is a barrage on the senses. The beauty, the ancient history, it was all quite lovely to ramble through till after dark. There were even musicians playing a Beatles song called Love, love, love while I was walking through the streets.
When I think of Paris it inspires in my mind the allure of mystery and beauty, the appeal of a far away places that thrill the mind and lure the soul. I never thought that Czechoslovakia would inspire those same feelings in me, but it does. Wow!