This trip started early as we got to our hostel at 9:00 AM when check-in was at 3:00 PM. The hostel was so accommodating that they allowed us to drop off all of luggage, gave us breakfast, and wifi. Reception even recommended a Free Walking Tour to pass the time that started at 11:00 and went until 2:00. We took her up on that offer and went on the tour. This decision turned out to be a great one as we got acquainted with the city from our very first moments in the city. We toured the historical center of the city, saw the Prague Castle, and met the old Jewish section. Our tour guide even told us the story about the golem created to protect the Jews but ultimately caused too much destruction and they had to destroy it. We saw the synagogue where Rabbi Loew created and destroyed this clay monster. I loved the story so much that I bought myself a little golem of my own.
After the tour we got typical Prague goulash with a pretzel. We also wanted to try our palette with Prague beer as it is very well known. We ordered the pilsner but got confused with our units and order 1 Liter each. We were shocked to see how big the liter mugs were and even more surprised that it cost around $5. Why's that? Well, the Czech Koruna is pretty weak right now and $1 is 24 czech koruna. We were so happy! This city was the complete opposite of Geneva.
The next day, we decided to check out the Jewish museums, which is a string of synagogues and museums all under the same ticket. It was a very emotional journey as the main reason that these buildings and artifacts were spared during the German occupation of the Czech Republic was because Hitler wanted to save this city as a tourist attraction for people who wanted to see an extinct religion. Thankfully, it is used as a museum, but for a persevering religion with a rich history. Doing these museums took up the entire day. At night, we met a Mexican and a Venezuelan and went out with them. I was so excited to use Spanish again. Not having constant conversations in Spanish is definitely going to give me culture shock when I get back home.
The next couple of days were filled with sightseeing. We walked around the main plaza that had my favorite attraction: the astronomical clock. This enormous clock tells momre than the time; it tells you the position of the sun, the phase of the moon, and even the astrological sign of the moment all based on complicated math problems from 1410. Yeah, it made us feel pretty stupid too. I was so torn because I wanted the clock to be my souvenir, but after hearing the story of the golem, I changed my mind.
We also climbed up to Prague castle, the largest palace in Europe today. We got another ticket that allowed us to go into many places including the lavish cathedral in the center and the palace itself. We even entered a small street that resembled diagon alley and is where many famous Czechs lived. Unfortunately, good weather didn't accompany us and we got a little wet.
After 4 days in Prague, when we had to leave, I decided that I could've studied abroad there, but it wouldn't be a city that I'd live in. This little city is very touristic and caters to the tourists so much so that it was impossible to find a typical Czech experience. I don't think we met even one Czech. It was still a beautiful city though that I could have walked around for many more days. Next off to Berlin!
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