August 15
Looking down on Old Town Square
* Today we left to go to Prague for a few days. Staring out the window, I could immediately tell when we had crossed the border to the Czech Republic. I’m not sure whether the unkempt appearance of the landscapes are due to the fact that it’s a former Soviet country and has more financial issues compared to Western Europe, or whether it’s due to the fact that the Czech Republic is not a member of the European Union yet, thus appearing a little differently because it’s a bit of an outsider. I suppose it has to do with both, but I just thought it was interesting to see such a vast difference in the train stations alone from Austria to the Czech Republic.
* The short ride on the Metro from the train station to our hostel was probably the most crowded underground experience since being here. Maybe I’ve just avoided missing rush hour in Vienna but I found that interesting. Also, I’ve noticed that there is a larger crowd of younger people than in Vienna, which makes sense since Prague has been getting a lot of attention lately in terms of the nightlife. Also, Vienna is slower-paced and I think it just gravitates an older crowd due to the heavy presence of the arts and all of the history.
* I have to say that our hostel is pretty cool. Staying in a former convent/prison cells/interrogation rooms was better than staying somewhere that didn’t have any history or stories to it. It was slightly creepy walking down the long, dark hallways that creaked along the way, but it was painted very colorfully (to distract you from the fact that people were imprisoned here!). Knowing that Vaclav Havel, the leader of the 1989 Velvet Revolution, stayed here definitely added some character to the place and the historical content made it easier to imagine the city during Communist times.
* Our local tour guide, Radka, began our first portion of touring the city. We mainly saw the area around the hostel and Old Town Square, which was bustling with people, especially around the Astronomical clock that has a 20 second routine every hour. Death rings the bell as three other archetypes (Vanity, Greed, and Pagan Invasion) shake their heads in refusal to death.
* As Radka mentioned to us, Prague is a safe city and she expressed to us that the biggest crime problems revolve around pick-pockets. A few of us walked around late at night and I never once felt unsafe, which is so different from any big city back home. Even Vienna and other European cities are generally safe; the most crime done is with property, unlike the States where it’s rape, theft, and murder.
posted by lauREN @ 9/11/2006
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