One of the best things about the Czech Republic, especially in Prague, is the architecture. Unlike the other cities we've visited in Central Europe, Prague has been able to maintain over 1,000 years of architecture. This city was spared from the bombs of the wars and has styles of Baroque, Gothic, Renaissance, and Medieval periods all mixed and mingling together.
We spent the day roaming the streets including the areas of Old Town, New Town, and Jewish Town (originality may not be the speciality). Within the fortified walls of the Prague Castle we enjoyed the castle itself, Golden Lane which had a musuem of Renaissance armor and swords plus I got to shoot a crossbow, and the St. Vitus Cathedral which has the most spectacular display of stained glass windows of differnt style (yes there are different styles, they're not all made the same). We also crossed the famous St. Charles Bridge, viewed the Astronomical Clock, went to the Mucha museum, and we were going to see the wax statue of the baby Jesus or Sweet Baby Jesus as I refer to him (thank you Will Ferrell and 'Talladega Nights' movie) but we ran short on time.
During our sightseeing we were joined by our new hostel roomie Jaime. The three of us were all on a budget but decided to venture out one evening and enjoy the nightlife of Prague. Perhaps it was because we were trying to avoid the tourist megacenters or it's because it was a Wednesday night but either way it differed from my expectations. I imagined dancing and music all night long or a secret hole-in-the-wall bar with enchanting and seedy characters to talk with.
We began by turning off the main road (a good start) then we entered a stairwell that went down a couple of flights (even better) and to our surprise at the bottom, upon entering the bar was a bowling lane! One lane and one ball (no shoes, probably a good thing!) to entertain yourself with. We inquired about it but the bartender said it would only be open for another 15 minutes (the bar still had a few hours). It wasn't even cosmic bowling (you know with black lights, neon balls, and cheesy music). Plus it was a little pricey and I'm not even sure it was electronic. You probably would have to have a minimum of 2 players: one to roll the ball down and the other to reset the pins and return the ball! Instead we opted to have a few beers. Did I mention we were the ONLY people in the bar? Just us and the barman. Fortunately we had great company and laughed the night away.
Following Prague, Mandy and I headed south into Bohemia country and spent a few days resting in the quaint town Cesky Krumlov. Not only s it picturesque but it has a very chilled and relaxing atmosphere. We stayed at the Hostel Merlin which is in the heart of town and along the Vltava River. The best part of our days were spent floating along the river for free! The hostel has free inner tubes which you can use to relax and make your way downstream. We called it "The Two Beer Float". You see, the Vltava River nearly completely encompasses the city so you put in one spot, float downstream for a bit and when you see the GIANT EXIT sign you jump out, cross the street and put yourself back in the river where you'll float to your starting point. By the time this is completed you should be able to finish two beers, hence the name. The best part of the float is that they have mini concrete waterfalls to adjust for flooding and so they have implemented concrete funnels for boats and floaters to go through and not injure themselves on the waterfall. How exciting it was to maintain balance on an inner tube with a beer in each hand! Even more exciting was the double inner tube! Unfortunately there's a limited number of floats and since there were 4 of us (plus two Aussie girls in our room) we rotated pairs on the giant inner tube. The trip made for lots of laughter and relaxation so if you ever have the opportunity to unwind 'Czech' out the Two Beer Float!
