The Missions
I successfully made my way to Hostel Elf. Got a bed for 320Kc, and then got 5% off for having a student card. Woo! After dropping off my pack, I sat down on the common area couches to figure out what I was doing. There were lots of Aussies here, too. Before leaving Ceský Krumlov, an Aussie couple that had already been through Prague gave me a map, detailing a bar where I needed to go if I needed to pick up anything. Before long, it became apparent that a mission was in order.
Clara (American), Adam (Scottish), and I headed out, with our authentic Scotch plaid fabric for team headbands, and I got my first views of Prague. The destination was found, and turns out they were having a party. It was the bar’s birthday or something, so we were greeted with free shots and free Czech food. We talked with MC Dirty, a 50-something white Czech guy with a large beard who was quite a character. He claimed to be an MC for reggae, dancehall, drum n’ bass, and the like. Who knows if he was for real, but it didn’t really matter. He was good fun, and was given a team headband that he proudly wore. After completing the mission and drinking some more beers, we headed back to the hostel and met up with some more people wanting to go out, so back out to the bars we went.
Breakfast is included in the price of the hostel bed, so I made sure to stock up in the morning. There’s no limit as to how much, so I grabbed an extra sandwhich for lunch later. They also serve free coffee and tea all day, and have free internet. I headed out to see some of Prague in the day, and went towards the castle via the Old Town Square with the Astronomical Clock and Charles Bridge, Karlu*v most.
After climbing the stairs to the castle, I ran into Mary (Clara’s friend, also an American), and an Israeli guy from the hostel, whose name I forgot. They were waiting for Clara to get back from the WC, and then we all took a walk around some more. Prague is a beautifully picturesque city. I was surprised that a lot of the architecture is similar to the Dutch, in the way that many buildings are about 4 or 5 floors high, very close together, and have a similar arch at the top.
Grabbed some street food along Wenceslas Square, Czech sausages with mustard, and eventually headed back in the direction of our hostel, which was right next to Park Vítkov, containing the statue of Jan Žižkov atop a horse. Apparently the largest horse monument in Europe. The park is actually up a hill, with the train tracks running along the side below. Not knowing exactly how to enter the park, it became evident that another mission was in order. From the street, there was a wall next to the hill, above which were the train tracks. Naturally, I climbed the wall. Some minor bruises and cuts were obtained, but it was for the good of the cause. I saw a couple foot holes and a drain pipe… that’s all I needed, so I scaled it. The others weren’t so keen on that, so I ran down the tracks to find another way in for them. At the next street was an entrance to a backyard, and an easier access over the wall, so after confirming with the owner outside that it was ok, they went through and up. Now that we were all on the tracks, there was another side of a hill to actually reach the park area. Operation Mountain Goat was in full affect as we manage our way up the incline through the brush.
The views from the park are nice, enabling you to see out over most of Prague. In addition to the giant horse, there’s also a very communist building… very grey and boxy with few windows. Clara and Mary were on their way home from just leaving the Peace Corps, where they were stationed in Moldova for 2 years. There are still many soviet and communist monuments in place there, and the realization of how typically communist the building was humored them.
Spent the evening hanging out in the hostel lounge, which was PACKED. ‘Twas quite a party that evening. It helps that they serve 0,5L beers for only 20Kc… cheap even by Czech standards… Hostel Elf is a good choice if you’re in Prague. Talked with lots of travellers, and had several beers and nourishment procured from the first mission. And, coincidentally, a couple Aussies and Canadian girl that had been travelling together that I had met in C(eský Krumlov showed up that evening. They must have taken the same advice as I had about where to go in Prague.
Tags: architecture, Czech Republic, Europe, photos, Pictures, Prague, Travel
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