Prague!

WOW!!! PRAGU!!! What an incredibly beautiful city, it took my breath way.  The architecture reminded me of the architecture in Milan with its intricate mouldings – bug not as ornate – on the buildings, though the buildings in Prague are colourful and extremely gothic yet has a warm cozy feeling to it with café’s and pubs every five feet as you walk through the cobble stone streets.  Or as Ricky calls it the cobble stone jungle, which is what it was when we got lost.

We took a cab to the apartment and walked into what we thought was the place.  This little dog comes bolting around the corner yapping at us, almost biting our ankles. A woman walks aroind the corner smoking a cigarette just looking at us.  Then we were like shit, we just walked into someones apartment, great; but it wasn’t, it was a restaurant. She said the address was next door.  We couldn’t get in and there was no code – as the email stated- to get us in.  We stood there for about five minutes and then Ricky went across the street to this little café which is where we met Peter.  Peter runs the café and was closing but opened for us, called us a cab and told us where we needed to go as Ricky realized he had two address for the place.  Peter told us of all the hotspots to go, we said thank you and hoppedmin the cab.

This address was a no go as well.  We were in like this courtyard area with shops but no apartments.  We leave and start wandering the streets, the only building with the correct address was the courtyard but there was nothing there and no doors with a code panel.   Ricky asked two guys in the courtyard  about the address and they said we were there but there were no apartments. 

We started to panic a little at this point.  “Ricky mate, did you talk to them on the phone or did you just do it by email?” “Just by email.” The one guy we had met opened up his salon –in the courtyard – and used his phone to call the number Ricky had but it was no use.  He then offered us weed which we politely said no to, thanked him and headed  around the corner as the GPS had a mark there.  Still no luck.  We walked into a pub we found and asked the girl in there to help us.  She called the number but it said it wasn’t working.  When Ricky showed her the address she said “oh I know where that is” and mid shift leaves the restaurant.  Again, no luck.  At this point we realized that this place did not exist, that we had been scammed.  We were so tired, hungry, thirsty and frustrated we decided to have s drink and some dinner.  Just as we were about to sit get a table this lady runs up to Ricky and asks are you Australian, are you Ricky?  It was the landlord.  The first place was the right place, she had seen us and wasn’t sure it was us and then tracked us down!  Thank god! She said she didn’t know why we were sent two address’. However she told us we had to find our own way back.  We ate, had a couple drinks, hopped in yet another cab and made our way back to the first place.

Three hours all this took us, backpacks and all, lost in the cobblestone jungle.  We were so relieved to get to the apartment but that only lasted until we got into the door of the apartment.

Ricky thought he had booked a two bedroom with 5 beds.  This was a one bedroom withs massive bed and a living/kitchen area that was barely big enough to swing a cat around with a futon and a twble with three chairs.  The bedroom was massive, it was bigger than the rest of the apartment put together and the bed could sleep 4 people and there was no washing machine and was not central like it had said.  This did not go over too well.  Ricky got online and went to check out what it had ssid but he couldn’t find it.  He was super annoyed.  We came to the conclusion that he had clicked the wrong link when booking – he had had a few drinks when he booked it.  It would have to do, it was nice to be out of a hostel for a few nights either way.

So now with all the apartment mumbo jumbo settled we decided to hit the streets, we were inrague and it is known for its party and club scene.  We showered.  We didn’t make it past the shower, we were so tired.  We had a crazy few nights in Berlin, a five our bus ride, were lost for three hours…this night wqs not happening.  Sleepy time…thank god, my cold that had started on Kings Day in Amsterdam was just getting worse and was so thankful for a quiet night.

We slept on the next day which was great and actually felt like a human for once waking up. What w great feeling, I had almost forgotten what it felt like.

We decided to go sightseeing.  Prague castle was on the list.  So off we went – in the wrong direction, I told them but they did t believe me – through the beautiful cobble stone streets lined by the colourful gothic architecture.  Man it is so beautiful, probably one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen.  Maybe that’s because I did t know what to expect.  I knew nothing about Prague, I barely knew where on the map it was.  Ben said it was a great city and since this trip has been extremely random I thought why not and definitely have no regrets.

One of my aims while going the wrong way –the guys still in denial- was a pharmacy however that was quickly pushed to the side when Dylan found a sign for a KFC.  He has been living in Sweden and they don’t hwve it there, its bis favourite fast food so our first part of signtseeing was hunting down a KFC that was 1000m ahead.  Dylan was happy and would now allow us to go the right way to the castle. 

I got us on the right bus but when we got off the guys are like go this way.  “I don’t think this is the right way.” “Emz just follow the crowd.”. we ended up in a line up that wasn’t moving very fast.  I went and found directions and went back to the boys and said “ will you guys please start to trust me when I say we are going in the wrong direction?”. They just looked at me, shook their heads and we went the right way to the castle.

The castle is huge and absolutely beautiful.  We walked around for a few hours looking at the dungeons, castle rooms, replicas of crowns and clothing, walked through the old town market, took pictures from an amazing lookout of Prague and enjoyed a beer.

We headed back around 530, grabbed some food at the Irish pub at the end of our street, went and bought some wine and got ready for our first night out in Prague.

What a night it was. We went to this rock bar that was im a basement, the music was pumping and so were we.  We drank so much.  Every time I ordered a drink, the bartender –female- was buying me shots, the guys were like what?  I think they wanted the shots, but didn’t complain when I showed up with a cocktail that was pretty much pure alcohol. 

One point in the night Ricky told me we were heading to another club so we headed towards the dsnce floor to look for Dylan.  Ok so this isn’t stuff I usually blog about but it kind of explains how I ended up bymyself and …well anyways…as we were waiting/looking for Dylan this guy comes out of nowhere and next thing you know I am kissing him on the dsnce floor.  So random right, however I had to make sure I didn’t lose Ricky so I kept making sure he was there, which he was, but the third time I checked he was gone.  Shit.  Then Mr. Random basically asked me if I wanted to do “it” right there on the dance floor “umm ya not really.” “Ok” he said and walked away. Yup completely ditched by everyone.  I started running around the club to fond the guys but it was no good they had left without me.

I was pretty drunk at this point and don’t know how I managed to walk to an ATM and get ccash out for a cab – they don’t accept cards- remember our address and get myself into the apartment, but I did.  The boys still weren’t back so I decided to check my email.  For those of you whondon’t know I was waiting to hear back from a job I applied to after graduation, I had a skype interview with them while I was in Berlin.  Its part of the reason I haven’t flown back to BC as I was waiting to know what I was doing.  Well,  I GOT A JOB AS A TEACHER IN PERU!!! I HAVE TO BE THERE FOR THE END OF THE MONTH!  I got the email when I got back to the apartment.  I was so happy but had no one to celebrate with, the boys rocked up like over an hour later, but did not hesitate to celebrate till about 7am.

The next day we slept in and were quite hungover,  they seemed to be getting worse as the days went on.  Grease was what we needed so we headed to the end of our street to the Irish pub for an English Breakfast and some hair of the dog.  Hair of the dog ended up with us having a $140 worth of it, well Dylan and I anyways.  Ricky went and got his hair cut and did some laundry in the sink as Laundromats in Prague are almost non existent.  By the time Ricky rejoined us we were in higher spirits lol.  It was almost 7 at this point so we left and went to buy some wine and Ricky went and bought two pizzas so we could eat and head out for another night on the town.

We went to James Dean, another club/bar in a basement, everything done up 60’s style including the music, who would’ve thought the oldies could be so much fun.  I was having a blast kind of in my own world.  I even convinced a young British lad to do his tequila suicide style.

The place got slam packed, pretty much shoulder to shoulder. Dylan does not like crowds so I took him outside for a breather.  He didn’t want to go home so we went to another place but that was busy as well so we took a cab back to the apartment and finished the wine and pizza.

Two hours later, Ricky rocks up completely smashed with KFC –which made a happy Dylan- and ready to get crazy.  Things got crazy alright.  Ricky thought it was a good idea to throw the chairs out tne window…smash.  I don’t know why, but he did.  He did however go down tomtne street snd pick jp all the broken bits which to me was the funniest part.  Then he would repeat the whole thing all over again with another chair, throw it out the window, go down and clean it up.  It was all fun and games until the neighbours woke up.  I thoughtthey were having a morning smoke so I waved.  They just gave me a death stare.  Then I saw a cop car pull up, to cops got out and walked over to the neighbors window, looked up and started talking to them.  SHIT!!! "Guys, they called the cops on us!!!". As fast as they could the boys lifted the futon and started putting the chair pieces under the futon, and we shut the lights off.  I peeked out the window.  The cops looked up and called out.  We all hopped into bed and didn't say a word.  The sun was up, it was time for sleep anyways.

The next morning we pretty much through our stuff in our bags and got out as fast as we could. Ricky left before we did as he was heading to the airport so it was a quick hug and kiss goodbye and he was gone.  Dylan and I hopped in a cab and went back to the bar from the previous night as I had left my wallet there and they had found it and then we went to check me in to a hostel.

It was a sad day for me.  I got really depressed.   The past three weeks had been so incredible, with incredible people and now I was alone.  What goes up must come down and I was definitely down.  I usually don't get emotional with people I meet traveling, I know how it works, but for some reason the friends I made and traveled with the last three weeks have been like no others I have met and I was really sad it had ended.  I spent the next two days in my hostel room, depressed and sick as a dog.   Not being with the boys as sad as I was, was a good thing, my immune system completely shut down on me.  My cold that had been brewing over the weeks was at full strength, stuffed sinuses, a bad cough and a leaky swollen eye...sexy huh.  Lol I slept for two days, but I still felt like I was getting worse not better, I still hadn't been to a pharmacy.  I finally got to one at the train station when I was with Kieran (from Kelowna he went mini golfing with us in Berlin).  He was in Prague as well and he checked into the hostel for a night so we could hang out.

Now, guess where I am...lol no not a bus, a train.  15 hours to Florence.   Im meeting up with Ben for one last hurrah.  I'm super stoked.

                                                                                                       -My Beautiful Life-