Prague. Just the thought of it brings a smile to my face. The mood and mystery of the city suit me. From walking along the Charles Bridge to winding through the streets of Mala Strana; from hiking up to the castle to reverently meandering through the Old Jewish Cemetery or simply enjoying the magical skyline from my favorite spot, Vyshrad, I love it. My joy is only heightened by dear Czech friends I've met along the way, people who have delighted me since the first time I laid eyes on them. And to think I almost didn't go because so many people, who were worried that I was traveling alone with no hotel reservations or tour guide, advised me to stay in Western Europe. I'm so glad I found the courage to follow my heart and let Prague cast its spell on me.
However, the spell was NOT cast immediately. My first view of Prague was not pretty. Everything was gray and even though it was summer the weather was cold and rainy. When I first stepped off that night train from Munich my sleepy eyes were accosted by graffiti and construction zones. There were crowds of people visiting the numerous sex shops. And there I stood a naive little Christian girl from Texas.....I'm sure you can imagine the look on my face and the size of my eyes as I took everything in. I was definitely not in Kansas anymore!
Since I was alone and slightly terrified I tagged along with the girls who had shared my night train. After a lot of walking we eventually managed to find a youth hostel in a seedy residential district. I was not thrilled to learn that the rooms were co-ed but what was I going to do, walk all the way back to the train station and camp out with the prostitutes??? No, that was definitely not an option so I stayed and tried to pretend that I wasn't such a naive little Christian girl! This is when some Pivo would have come in handy but I was still a BSF leader so it was out of the question for me......
But alas the hostel kicked me out of the room until later on in the evening so I was forced to explore the city. And that is when the magic happened. I'm sure it won't come as a surprise to anyone who knows me but I got horribly lost, even with a map. I was constantly asking for directions and almost finding the right place before getting distracted by a tall spire or a Kolache shop and losing my way again. But I slowly fell in love with the charms of the city as I wandered around lost. It felt like I was walking in a fairy tale, although it was laced with reality and came to a screeching halt when I stumbled (literally) on the 9th century cobblestone right in front of........Kmart, complete with Little Caesar's Pizza inside. Call me a snob but the home of the blue light special should never grace a city like Prague! Seriously.
After running in horror from Kmart and spending many more hours wandering I eventually needed to purchase additional subway tickets so I could continue my adventure, but I could find no one to help me decipher that strange language of consonants. And this was a young country whose democratic identity was still emerging from the veil of communism, so trust me when I tell you that it was long before the words "customer service" had ever been uttered within its borders! Finally after watching me stare at the strange ticket machine for too long a stranger had mercy on me and helped me purchase a 24-hour metro ticket, or so I thought....but as the next day unfolded I discovered that there was a HUGE difference between a 24-hour ticket and an ALL DAY ticket.
I was so naive. My only subway experience had been in Munich a few days earlier, when I ended up 17 miles outside of the city because I couldn't read the subway map. Yeah, I was pretty unprepared for the Subway KGB, those stealthy undercover agents who prey on tourists and make a killing in "fines" and scare the you-know-what out of people who can't figure out how to purchase the correct ticket! When someone with a strange accent flashes a badge at you in a foreign country, the normal reaction is PANIC, and I'm proud to say that I reacted VERY normally and panicked on cue. Turns out that I possessed a DAY ticket, which meant it was only good for the date of purchase, which just so happened to be the day before...... I realized all of this within about 2 seconds as I was being yelled at and my passport was being scrutinized. That little mistake cost me over $20 which probably went straight into the agent's pocket, but it kept me from achieving "permanent resident" status in the Czech prison system so I was more than happy to pay it. Perhaps I'm exaggerating, but at the time I was scared to death and certain that I would never see America again. Of course after forking over my food budget for 2 days I proceeded to find a semi-private spot and have an emotional meltdown. Some nice European had pity on me and provided a tissue so I could mop my face. After putting myself back together again I squared my shoulders and marched off to explore the city that had captured my imagination, there was no way I would let fear keep me from experiencing as much of Prague as possible.
So now each time I return to my favorite city I make sure to purchase the correct subway ticket. But as scared as I was I wouldn't trade my first trip for anything, it was worth every second and every tear and that $20 fine! Prague. Just the thought of it brings a smile to my face.
