Prague
So what's a Slovak doing traveling to Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic? Well it's much closer to Munich than Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. Plus it's an absolutely beautiful city. The Nazis wanted to keep it as a model city for some reason so it was spared bombing during World War II. Arriving in the city by train, you see newer apartment buildings built during the Communist era that look like glorified storage sheds. Then you reach the older part of the city, with cobblestone streets and a variety of architecture, and the scenery changes drastically. Prague has become a popular tourist destination after the fall of Communism. In many senses it is a tourist trap. Visiting Prague means having people shoving pamphlets advertising classical music concerts at you all day long. There's a few cheesy t-shirt shops, but there's also several shops selling marionettes, crystal and those eggs.
Two guidebooks warned about rip offs in Prague but I still got taken once. Amy and I arrived and went to an ATM machine to get Czech crowns. I did a quick estimation and thought we were withdrawing the equivalent of $50. Amy then did the correct calculation and figured out it was only $5. I had a $1.50 service charge to withdraw this $5, by the way. We figured out our mistake before we left the ATM machine and withdrew more money.
We walked across the St. Charles Bridge (setting for the "Mission Impossible" movie with Tom Cruise, as Amy pointed out) and by the time we reached a small cafe on the other side the walking and jet lag left me exhausted. I collapsed into the cafe chair, the fatigue making me an obvious mark. Amy and I decided to get strawberry milkshakes. I paid for them with the small bill I mistakenly withdrew from the ATM. The milkshakes (about 8 ounces each) should have come to slightly more than a buck. The clerk gave me one paper bill and a bunch of coins in change. Those who have traveled to foreign countries before probably understand the phenomena of getting foreign money for the first time and trying to figure out its value. It took me a while to do the math, but I eventually figured out we were charged about three times what we should have been charged. That took away some of my enthusiasm for Prague, but I still enjoyed the trip. We visited the Prague castle the next day and when we walked past the cafe I decided to take a picture of it and put them on my web page. FEEL MY WRATH, EVIL CAFE!
But again I want to emphasize that Prague is a charming city. There's a wonderful area of little shops where you can disappear for hours. Prague invented pilsner beer and the food was also good. One restaurant had a ham that was so good I thought about going back and ordering it again. And there's so much beauty in the city.
Amy had visited Prague twice before but had never been to a classical music performance in Smetana Hall. The travel guides noted the city has incredibly talented musicians. We considered going. Tickets for the cheap seats were $16 each. But the jet lag was affecting me, so we stayed at the hotel and watched "Shrek" on pay TV.
I guess I shouldn't skip over an anecdote from the first dinner in Prague. We picked out a restaurant and the waiter showed us to our seat. He extended his hand and I, thinking it was a sign of one culture making friends with another, reached out my right hand and shook it. Nope, he was just asking for my coat. Amy chuckled about that for the rest of the trip. If she gets too many jollies out of it, though, check back to this page and I'll have a link to some of the photos where she's got goofy expressions on her face.
The second night there Amy and I were looking for a place to eat when we came across the Reno Cafe. We decided to eat there. Turns out the owner had lived in the United States, according to our waiter. When it came time to think of a name for the cafe he was opening in Prague, he wanted something to associate with America but didn't want to use Las Vegas because that name was so exploited. So he used Reno because of its association with Las Vegas.
Click on the thumbnail versions to see the larger photos.
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