Made our way to Prague without too many difficulties … unofficially the last new city of our two month travel bonanza. By now, we’re getting a little jaded, and feel like we’ve seen enough to know when we’re getting screwed. So, here’s a bit of our Prague welcome.
Our three hour bus ride dropped us off at a metro station on the edges of town. Most metro systems are fairly easy and straightforward. The one in Prague relies on tourists guessing how many zones they will be crossing (?) and buying the right ticket. No humans present to help with the choice. They also have an extra charge for baggage, animals, etc. Another real beauty is that the machines only accept change, and there are no change machines around. No change … what to do. Fortunately they charge you to go to the bathroom, so I was able to break a bill by breaking the seal. Convenience.
Onto the hostel, we got off at our metro stop, and walked about. Very shady looking area, with lots of people lurking around. How safe is the place? Even during the daytime, the hostel keeper places a large metal bar over the door and personally greets all comers to decide whether or not to open the door. Great. The very dodgy hostel had promised (via their website) that they accepted credit cards … from earlier parts of the trip, you may remember that we’ve been trying to pay for things with our credit cards. Conveniently, their machine was broken, so I had to go back into the dodgy metro station and withdraw a big wad of Czech Crowns. The guy also assured us that we would have a private bathroom … all we had to do was walk down the hallway from our door, and lock the door once we were in the bathroom. Very private. Nothing to be concerned about.
Tired and hungry, we decided it was time to rely on our guide book to find some good eats. We followed their advice and headed to the main tourist area … we should have known better. The restaurant had a warning sign, advising to watch our goods because the had been having a problem with theft. This reasonably expensive, somewhat classy place also charged their clientele to use the bathroom. Like many other places we’ve eaten at, they also charged you for bread … their form of a cover charge … and then whisk it away at their first chance, likely to charge another table for the same thing!
Oh well … fortunately things have picked up a little since our first few hours, though, all in all, I think that we’re ready to hit the road/skies home, and just enjoy a bit of peace and quiet back in the first world. Tired of travel, and tired of crappy weather, we’re ready to come home. One more full day in Prague, a few in Edinburgh with my brother, and then back in Canada for the weekend. See you all soon!