Prague

My unintentional creeper shot.  Sorry for stealing your moment, random Czech couple!

 



It would have been pretty cool to take that hot air balloon, especially at sunrise or sunset!

I was a bit unsure about going to Prague.  I was a bit concerned about how easy it would be to get around, as I speak no Czech (though I learned one word while I was there, which I'll show you guys at the end of the post).  Turns out that there was no need to worry.  I got around just fine and was able to communicate with the locals, even the ones that spoke poor English.

A fine example of Cubism.  Apparently this style of architecture can only be found in Prague.



This is...  uhhh...  known as...  pink Egyptian.  Probably also only found in Prague (I hope, lol)

Statue in honour of Franz Kafka.

That guy's job sucks...



What I did:

• September 1, 2012 - Train from Vienna to Prague, ate dinner, and went to bed.
• September 2, 2012 - Walking tour of Prague, explored the city a bit more on my own.
• September 3, 2012 - Jewish Quarter, the Old Town, Prague Castle, Museum of Communism.
• September 4, 2012 - Departed for Pisa.

This thing was creepy as hell, especially when you're walking by it at night.



This is a mummified hand hanging from inside a church.  Our guide told us the whole story, but the gist of it is "Don't try to steal from the church."  LOL



Highlights:

• History - There is so much history in the Czech Republic.  They are right in the centre of Europe, so they've been a part of so many empires (and at the head of the Holy Roman Empire for a while) throughout the ages.  The Reformation of the Catholic Church, WWII, and the Cold War have all left their mark too.
• Drinking - This is the booze capital of the world.  The per capita consumption of both beer and alcohol is higher in the Czech Republic than anywhere else, and they proudly (?) declare this to any and all visitors.  Personally, I thought the beer in Germany was better, but I suppose sometimes quantity matters more than quality?



I really felt like eating a burger.  This turned out to be the best burger I had in Europe!  Also...  the first...  hahaha

This food stall may have ripped me off, but their food was still pretty good!

Lowlights:

• I know there are a few bad apples in every basket, but I suppose I encountered more dishonest people in Prague than I have in any of the other cities that I have visited during the course of my travels here in Europe.  A few restaurants, bakeries, and food stalls tried to cheat me (they succeeded more often than not I think) by "miscalculating" my bill or charging me a ridiculous mandatory service charge that was NOT standard practice, based on what I'd heard from others or seen at other restaurants in the area (19%).  If it only happened once or twice, I could believe that it was an accident, but based on how many times this type of thing did occur, it makes me suspect that I was getting taken advantage of.





Verdict:  I know a lot of people highly recommend Prague and the Czech Republic, but I guess it's just not my cup of tea.  I have visited so many amazing places in Europe and had such great times in all of them.  If I could have planned this trip again, I probably would have skipped Prague and spent these three days somewhere else.  Still, this was a cool experience!

Absinth with the wormwood still in the bottle, in case you didn't believe it was legit.  They also carried mj vodka (no, not Michael Jackson or mah jong).

My name means "push" in Czech!  This does NOT give you an excuse to push me and say, "He was asking for it."  :P

I found a BC Lions fan in Prague!  Reminded me a bit of home :)