First Impressions of Prague, Czech Republic

November 13, 2019

I arrived in Prague at 9:30pm – later than I like to travel, but the airfare was only $50 to travel at night.  My backpack is 70 liters and has to be checked because of size and weight.  That can be a bit risky, but so far, it has always arrived safely.  I asked for directions to the bus and was met with an icy stare and a grunt from the attendant at the information center.  Aren’t they supposed to be welcoming and helpful? Apparently he didn’t speak English.  I moved on through the international gate and found that all bus information was in Czech and I was unable to determine which line to take.  Okay – back up plan.  A taxi.  Amazingly, the lady booking the taxi’s was apparently related to the information guy because she was just as rude and irritated.  She charged me $37 for a taxi across town – almost as much as my airfare.  And to think, I had heard that the cost of living in Prague was so low! 

My taxi driver was delightful and was born in Cuba, although he lived in Prague most of his life.   We were able to communicate in Spanish and it turned out to be a beautiful drive in at night from the airport which is about 25 minutes outside of town.  The city was all lit up.  Lights on every building.  Lights along the streets, lights on the bridges.  This was not for the holidays but the norm for Prague.  The castle complex, I would soon learn,  is the largest in the world.  It stretches for many blocks and the walls are all lit up as well as the cathedral that stands in the center of the complex.  There were people everywhere.  All walking – strolling along the river, tourists taking photos, sweethearts walking hand in hand – the streets were filled.  Everything was open – the shops and bars, the souvenir shops – it was a very busy city for after 10:30pm.

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My hostel was located on a main street, not far from the river.  It was warm and the reception was open 24 hours, so things were busy inside the hostel as well.  My room was located on the 6th floor, and when I walked in, the curtains were open and I was greeted with a magnificent panoramic view of the river, overlooking the city and the amazing castle complex.  The hostel served a large breakfast every morning for $5.  It included, eggs, sausage, salami, pancakes, toast, cheese, orange juice. coffee, tea.  

I took a free tour of the city, hosted by Katie.  She was from Ireland and spoke English.  She had been traveling and living in Prague for many years.  She had pink hair and was funny and enthusiastic.  As I began to get my bearings, I discovered that although Prague looked very large, it was actually quite compact and I could reach everywhere on foot.  There was so much to see! It is called the city of a thousand towers.

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Right away it was obvious that the Czech have a very bizarre sense of humor.  It is evident in all of their artwork, statues and sculptures.  Like many of the cities that were restrained by communism, the people had to find an outlet for their frustration, often making fun of politicians and laws.  They accomplished it through their art. Here are some examples, although there are many more.  Many others are risqué and I can’t imagine seeing much of this work in Louisville, Kentucky.

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I made a new friend, Alisha from Canada.  We hiked up the very steep hill to the tower.  It is like a mini-Eifeill Tower.  Actually, the whole city is like a mini-Paris.  No offense to my Parisian friends, but Prague is a very romantic setting with lots of history and beauty with a river that carries many gondolas, and boats all through the night.  

There was a small fee to climb the tower, but it was so worth it.  What a view! It was very cold and windy at the top, but it provided an overview of the river and city.  It turns out that Alisha was much younger than me and had just returned from summiting Mt. Kilimanjaro! Even though she outpaced me (and wasn’t even breathing hard), I was able to keep up as we climbed every hill and through every park Prague had to offer.  There is a large metronome that stands in the place of where a giant statue of Stalin once stood.  It was obliterated with dynamite when communism fell. 

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I walked over 30,000 steps my first day in Prague.  It is definitely a photographer’s paradise.  I would be blessed in the days ahead with lots of sunshine which is rare on these Winter days and many new friends to meet and places to explore.

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