writebrained, rightbrained

Prague

We took our first night train to arrive in Prague in the morning.  The European overnight trains are quite an experience.  When we got onto the train, the seats had already been converted into three beds.  Manuel promised us that our first train would be our most luxurious, and our traveling companion concurred, with a sink, running water, nightlights and a small closet inside our compartment.  The beauty of the night train is that you don’t need to book a hotel and that you arrive in your next destination the next morning, ostensibly ready to go.  The downside is that the compartments can be very small, especially for the top bunk, which doesn’t comfortably fit anyone over 5’4”.  You may end up crammed in there with someone you don’t know and the tight quarters are not very comfortable for someone who is claustrophobic.

Prague is a picturesque city with gorgeous architecture and we enjoyed the young, modern feel.  We spent a lot of time near the river, one afternoon exploring the touristy castle area, and two evenings in the crowded main square watching the World Cup games on a big screen.  We had an additional day in Prague, but I spent much of it sorting out an annoying Bank of America issue and trying to get my debit card replaced.

Prague was lovely, but not notable.  My favorite evenings were the ones we spent watching the World Cup.  We had been warned against tourist traps like the black light theaters and the 20% surcharge on restaurants near the city center.  It was fun to meet two lovely Indian girls from San Diego, who we took to a nightclub with us that night.  The club had five floors with different types of music, including “Oldies”, “Radio Hits”, and “Black Music,” which we thought was hilarious and un-PC, all at once.   Another evening, Ghabby and I tried to find more authentic Praguian experience, but ended up in Tretters New York Bar and a Hawaiian tiki bar, with “Ain’t Nothing But a Hound Dog” playing at the former and Vanilla Ice playing at the latter.  Incidentally, everywhere we’ve been on this trip, we’ve primarily heard American music playing, including a live rendition of “Achey Breaky Heart” in the town square of a tiny village in the Tatras and “Filthy Gorgeous” by the Scissor Sisters in a restaurant nearby. 

A final experience which I loved in Prague was a concert we attended in the Church of St Nicolas, close to the Charles Bridge.  I’m normally not a huge classical music fan, but the church was stunning and the music (Vivaldi’s Four Seasons) was absolutely heavenly.