Praha - A must see!

Wow...what a great trip I just had. I really enjoyed my time in Praha and am so glad that I was able to expierence this beautiful city. This post will probably be long b/c I want to journal my trip for myself. So, sorry about that. Feel free to just look at the pictures! So, Prag is 2 1/2 hours by train from Dresden. I left Tuesday morning on the 9:08 train, and incidentally, this will be the same train that I take to go to Budapest in a couple of weeks. So, I had a reserved seat and it was in a compartment with 6 seats. There was only one other lady with me in there and when I saw that I thought this was going to be a really long trip! However, the most incredible thing happend...I was able to have a real conversation with this lady, Monika, for the entire 2.5 hours all in German! She spoke no English at all. I could not believe it. It was a really great and much needed experience for me b/c it showed me that I really am learning the language. Of course I did not understand everything and often either she or I would have to resort to charades to get a point across. But for the most part, I understood and could speak back to her. The conversation was much more than just the normal chit chat, so it really extended my vocabulary. We spoke about her family and the funeral she would be attending in Budapest. We talked about life with the DDR. We even talked about the earthquake in Japan and discussed if it was sent by God to humble the people. So, it was not your typical German 101 discussion, but it was wonderful. The best part is that the Church came up and she was very interested. She had actually been to the Church 1 time before for a brief visit. We spoke a little about the Church and then moved on. However, later she came back to it and I could share some of our beliefs with her. I also asked if she had received a Book of Mormon. She had not, so I offered her mine. It was my personal copy, but I was happy to share it with her. She gratefully accepted it. I also told her about an openhouse the Church is doing in April and she said that she would attend...and that I better be there too. So, it was really really great! It just never ceases to amaze me how the Lord puts us in situations to share the Gospel with those he has prepared. I realised this even more on y trip home because on the train I was in a large open car with 75+ seats. No one sat by me and even if they had, it was so noisy (Spaniards were on the train :) )that we probably could not have talked much anyways. So, I was very grateful for the expierence to both speak German and share the Gospel. I just kept thinking about D&C 100:4 as well as the verse that says He will give us what we need to say in the time that we need it. I feel this is true with my German because I was speaking well beyond what I had before. But by speaking with Monika, I was able to build a friendly relationship and thus share the Gospel! So, I got to Prag about 12-13:00 and checked my bag at the train station, got money and bought a tram ticket. My first stop was the Castle. It sits up on the hill opposite the river from the main section of Prag. I spent most of the remainder of the day here. I went through the different sites at the Castle including St. Vitus' Cathedral. It was really expensive, but I just kept thinking about how we never went into Westminster Cathedral in London, but paid for everything esle. So, I bit the bullet and did it...and I am glad that I did. To get around you just walk and walk and walk. It is great though. You can see so many things this way. Up on the hill is a section called Loreto with Churches and a Monastery. I walked around these and then down the Royal Route to the lower section where St. Nicolas Cathedral is at. Prag is so exciting b/c there are so many 'secret' passages through the cobblestone streets. It is fun to just take one and see where it takes you! You also have to learn to poke your head into all of the courtyards because usually this is where the entrances are to different buildings and churches, which you would miss just walking along the street. I finally made it down the hill and found a nice park along the river front to sit and watch the boats go by and enjoy the view...yes, Heather...the VIEW! Around 5PM I went back to the train station, got my bags and then went to check-in to my hotel. After checking-in, I left again to go see some of the sights at night. It is really neat to see them all lit up. I finally returned to my hotel around 9PM. I must say though, today was a William day and everyone else should be glad they were not with me. I did not eat anything that day until 9:30 when I could buy some chips from the hotel lobby. It was a go-go day and lots and lots of walking! But it was wonderful and of course, I really enjoyed it. My hotel was a little scary but I survived. I think my main souvenier from Prag will be lung cancer! I could never escape the smoke and it crept into my room as well from the other guests. I woke up Tuesday night just really sick b/c of it! How can people do that...?? So, Wednesday was another great day of being on the move! I got up early, enjoyed a quick breakfast at the hotel and then was off again. Today was saved to go to the Old Town section where Tyn Church, the Astronomical Clock and Powder Tower are located. It was a lot of fun to see these landmark sites of Prag. Again, you would just walk around and get lost! I also visited the Estates Theater where Mozat premiered Don Giovanni (This is a big deal) and Wenceslas Square where the Velvet Revolution began. So much hostory at every turn. I continued to get lost during the day and saw many sights that were fasciating, but not even listed in my guide book. I guess that is the fun of exploring. Hami and Noah...this was adventure and beyond to the max! Some interesting non-traditional Prag sites today were: 1. An escort by secret police. It was cool to see the car motorcade arrive and then to watch the attention to people drew. I do not know who it was, but you could pick her out because everyone else was in dark suits and she was in red and white. Literally a bulls eye! But as she would stop, it was cool to see the agents form their barrier around her and how they operated. It was like strait out of a movie. 2. I went to the American Embassy because I wanted to see if it is the same in the movie. (I will have to watch the movie again to tell.) But, I figured something was up with the US because there were several Embassies nearby and others that I saw during the day and they drew no special attention. But the American Embassy had police guards stopping traffic and doing vehicle bomb checks. So, that was a little interesting. And I saw someone leave from the Embassy in a Cadillac, but this Cadi is not one that just any old person could drive. It had the bullet proof glass and all. Pretty cool. 3. The artisits that play around the city, espcially on the Charles Bridge were really good. There was one violinist that was quite impressive. As I sat earlier by the bridge for the hour I could hear him play and I really enjoyed it. 4. There are marianet (puppets) shops everywhere! I guess this was a big Bohemian thing. Some were quite intricate and very expensive! 5. All in all, I found the Czech people to be very friendly and courteous (except for when they drove.) But on the street cars and in the metro I was surprised at how friendly they were. 6. I loved riding the Metro...it rbought back great memories of London! 7. I debated if I should write this one. But if I see one more naked woman...! I thought it was bad in Germany, but the Czech Republic is much worse!! Around 4PM I went to the store and bought some bread, cheese and meat so that I could eat dinner. I only had $50 to spend and most of that went to transportation and entrance fees. So, eating was not that pleasant of expeirence, but I made it and would much rather spend the money on seeing the town. I rested for about an hour and then left again...

I went out this night specifically to get pictures of Prag at night. I sat fro about an hour in my spot on the river and enjoyed the sunset and then once it got dark...I was off. The city really is magical at night with the cobblestone streats, the secret alleys, the gas lanterns and the historical structures. It was fun to experience this. I enjoyed taking pictures and again, walked everywhere. I mean everywhere! I wanted pictures of everything at night, so I set foot to get it done. It only took about 2 hours, which wasn't that bad. But when you start at the Castle on the hill and look down to where you need to go it looks a little daunting. But it was really enjoyable.

Thursday morning I got up early and set out again. Although today my feet and legs really hurt. I wish I knew exactly how far I had walked...but it was far! This morning I went out to where Dvorak is buried. It was so beautiful. First, it was off the beaten track, so there were no crowds of people around. Second, the view from the park of Prag was astonishing. It was just absolutely gorgeous! I really enjoyed walking arounf this part of the town and going out on the rocky ledges to overlook the city. I think this part is a well-kept secret that people need to see. It was really wonderful!

I journeyed back around 12:30 and arrived in Dresden at 15:00. It is ironic On the way back, I kept thinking how happy I was to return to Germany wher I could talk to the people. I know very little German, but I know even less Czech! Coming to Dresden really did feel like returning home. Home...at least for now.

All in all, it was an awesome trip and I am so glad that I was able to experience it! Prag is a must see for every European traveler. I guess it was just so unique from the other parts of Europe that I had seen. It was so much fun to explore and experience. Now I really look forward to Budapest!