A Few Days in Prague!

I took a night bus from Krakow to Prague a few days into my Spring Break.  Thankfully the bus was fairly nice and was kept at a decent temperature.  Unfortunately, I didn't really sleep because I couldn't get very comfortable.  Normally I'm able to fall asleep on night buses, but for some reason sleep was not on my side this trip.  So I arrived to Prague a little groggy at 7am.  I walked to my hostel which turned out to be the best hostel I've ever stayed at!  The rooms were big and the beds were comfy.  They offered free dinner every night and also had activities you could join in on during the day.  Since I was tired and the upper respiratory infection I got over the break was just starting to rear its ugly head, I decided, rather than wonder around by myself,  I would go on a day trip to Kutna Hora, which has a nice cathedral and a church decorated with human bones.  The Sedlec Ossuary is a small Roman Catholic chapel, located beneath a cemetery It's estimated to contain the skeletons of between 40,000 and 70,000 people!  It was really odd seeing human skulls and bones artistically arranged, especially since it was in a church! Then we went to the cathedral.  I opted not to go in since there was an entrance fee and honestly at this point I do not really care about cathedrals anymore (I know that's kind of awful, but a girl can only handle so many cathedrals!).  Apparently I started a trend because only a few people went in, the rest of us just relaxed and took photos as we waited.


Then we went to a nice Czech restaurant.  I got chicken and some dumplings to try some typical Czech food.  Everything was delicious, including my Pilsner!  After a very satisfying meal, we headed back to the train station for our return journey to Prague.  The train cars had compartments so it made me feel like I was in a Harry Potter movie! Once we reached the hostel, I was exhausted so I decided to try and write a few blog posts I needed to do and then head to bed.  I only finished one before I decided to call it a night!

The next day I woke up feeling like death.  I was coughing and had a lot of congestion.  So I went down to the front desk and asked them where the nearest pharmacy was, and thankfully it was right around the corner!  I also asked how to ask for cold medicine and the guy said, "Mmm, I'm not sure, maybe just cough a lot and hope they get the clue!"   However, I didn't have any problems because the pharmacist spoke enough English to understand and help me! I bought the medicine and headed to a cafe to get some breakfast, well it was really lunch since it was around noon.  I knew that I wouldn't be able to force myself to do much on my own, so I decide to join the hostel and go to the John Lennon Wall.  Once a normal wall, since the 1980s it has been filled with John Lennon-inspired graffiti and pieces of lyrics from Beatles songs.  It was a symbol/ protest against the communist regime of the time.  Today it still has a focus on peace and love, but it's also a huge collage of paint on top of paint.  I was able to spray paint my nickname into the wall, so that was quite fun!  After those shenanigans we headed to a pub where you pour your own beer right at your table and then compete with other tables, seeing who is drinking the most.  It was fun talking with the other people at my hostel.  Several Australians were there and there was also an auxiliar from Madrid at my table too!  After a couple of pints, we walked back to the hostel and ate dinner.  I promptly then went to my bed because I was exhausted and my coughing and congestion were not treating me well.


My last day in Prague I went on a free walking tour with a girl from my hostel.  It was a fantastic way to learn about the history of the city.  And it didn't hurt that our guide was amazing!  He even brought little speakers so he could play sound effects and music!  On the tour we saw the famous Astrological Clock as well as a few synagogues and a statue dedicated to Kafka.  Prague is home to the oldest synagogue in Europe, and for an odd reason.  Basically Hitler loved Prague and wanted to use the Jewish district as a museum for the extinct race once he had exterminated all the Jews.  So while the reasons behind the survival of the Jewish quarter are atrocious, it is one of the few cities that preserved Jewish buildings.  After the tour I went back to the hostel and watched a movie since I still had some time before my bus to Berlin.  I really enjoyed Prague and I wish I could have seen more.  Unfortunately my body had other plans.  But Prague was one of my top destinations, so I'm glad I finally made it!