Some of you guys are probably thinking 'What the hell is there to see in Eastern Europe? Why not just see Western Europe?' But actually there's quite a shitload to see (pardon the french). Now, I can't really say too much about Bratislava (Slovakia) because I only spent a day in the city and even then, there wasn't really that much going for the place, except that it was really cheap. I think the place got knocked about heaps during the war or something.
Prague (or Praha, as the Czechs call it) on the other hand survived the wars pretty much unscathed and you can really see it in the city's architecture and sheer wealth. It's like landing in a Disney film, with all the medieval castles and towers everywhere you turn. I could've spent a couple more days there but the effects of the bed bugs lured me to leave in a bit of a rush. Funnily enough, nobody else I knew got them!
I say nobody else because I ran into a group of travellers from the States, Sweden and Brazil who were studying in Vienna (on a weekend break to Prague), and we all joined up for the weekend (crazy bunch of people! good for a laugh with!). We also found the place where they filmed Mission Impossible which was cool (took a few piccies of course. But really, Prague is really really nice, cheap and friendly. Can't beat it.
- The Czech language has a serious shortage of vowels. For example: the phrase 'strc prst skrz krk' means 'to stick your finger through your neck.'
- 'Grog' can be found on Czech menus. It's a warm drink consisting of water, sugar, rum and some tea.
- Carp is a delicacy
- An Easter tradition is for men to walk around and whip the back of womens' legs with a handful of dried reeds. In return, the women hand the men a coloured easter egg.
- Absint is the world's most potent spirit, at 70% alc. vol.
- The world's largest castle is in Prague.
- Czech folk drink more alcohol per capita than any other country in the world.
- There are sooooo many friggin tourists in Prague that you can get by with not knowing any Czech.
- (Michael, Mark, Sandy, Emma, and Felipe)
I wish you guys the best of luck in the future and thanks heaps for the time we had in Prague, wouldn't have been the same without you guys. And remember..."Poor You!"
Colin Schmolin :-)
