Czech Republic day 3- Did Disney buy Prague too, isnt Time Square enough

I managed to get out before noon today and one of my roommate checked out eariler than expeceted. He met a local girl and he will be staying with her for free, lucky Champ.

I decided to stay on the left bank today and not going to downtown- oldtown area. I have heard great things about a castle and palace near by so I took the street car there and I didnt know what I would expect to find.

What came in front of me is this wonderful brige leads to a me a medieval gate and tall tower very much like what you will find in story books. Once inside the gate is a beautiful medieval town with everything intact and orginal. the streets snake through the hill above. Its very different than the oldtown in Budapest or Bratislava. This is pure medieval and very gothic. The town doesnt seem to be affected by wars and is well kept. Tourist everywhere but it is so beautiful the pouring rain didnt affect much. My shoes are soked and the little umbralla didnt sheild me from the wind or the rain. the buildings are beautiful and much taller than ones in Budapests oldtown and totally differnt in style. I wonder why its in such perstine condition.

The city has great tourist singnage and all sites are marked at major intersections. I feel as if the people at Disneyland is also running this city. Every attraction has the same entrance price of 70 Czech Crowns, student is 50. I climbed the towngate tower and it was 159 steps before i reached the top with amazing city views.

I also went on a replica of the Eiffel tower built on a hill via a wonderful funicular ride. I went up to the observation deck and it was 296 steps up. The information stated the observation deck is about the same high as the orginal because the hills boosted its high.

Than it was the hall of mirrors.... who came up with this idea.... it was something from a amusement park. The space looked great and was fun but than when I started to feel the material of the interior and realized its all molded plastic. I felt tricked by this beautiful gotic interior and this is no different than Disneyland. It was a guilty pleasure because I hated that its fake but really enjoyed the experience. After it was the useless technology museum from the 1940s interesting.... and again every place is 50 crowns for this very faux student.

I came to think of Budapest and how different it feels here and there. I dont know if people in Budapest apperciate their city and great romantic architecure style and heritage.

If the city is not apperciated by people for its beauty is it still bautiful?

Czech Republic day 2- a good life

You know life is good when you are able to go out until 4am, sleep at 6am and get up at 2pm.
Its hard to get on a reasonable schedule when there are just so much to do and see. I took a long shower in the nice bathroom at the hostel and soon after it was already much later in the afternoon and no one was even around to see me naked in the room.

I decided to go back to the oldtown area and explore a bit more. The district is much larger than the one in Bratislava and its actually massive. the retail market is thriving and is one of the best shopping places I have been other than Taipei. Goods are much more reasonable then Budapest but still a bit more than the US especially imported goods from the States. It seems like I just have been walking from hours and hours from one side of the city to another

Slovakia day 4 and Czech Republic day 1- lets see how lost I can get...

pic1: lost

pic 2: in Prague now and again

pic: first building in prague
pic3: oldtown gate tower

I got up early today and got ready for the ř hour train ride to Prague. The train ride was uneventful and it was a Hungarian liner and of course they are cheap so the air condtion is only turned on once every 20 mins and lordy, it was HOT, somewhere around 80 to 90 degrees inthe train. Its not like most of the buildings in Budapest this machine has air condition but thez just dont want to turn it on because it cost money.

Today is one of those dazs no matter what you do and the decisions you make will be wrong. I missed the train stop in Prague and wouldnt get off the train for one hour because thats how its planned. I spent 2 additional hours to get to Prauge and when I fianlly arrived it was another shocker.. maybe not as much as I did for Bratislava because I think am getting used to the idea of Eastern European cities.

The train station was rundown and the area around rundown and its much worse than south centeral LA. Empty fields, dirty, grafftied and post war soviet buildings. Its not grand like Budapest and I made my way to the hostel. Sir. Tobys and it was lovely and very much like a boarding school in the turn of the century. Wonderfully restored with antique doors, high ceilings, big windows and spotless tiled bath room in black and white tiles. They even have a movie room, internet, island kitchen and wonderful eating area. Although the receptionist is a bit coocoo.. I think the hostel is rubbing off on hom a bit too much he is ultra friendly and a bit Nazi like but he said he is just being motherly. lol

I went out to the town and the city is a bit better than Bratislava but still kinda bleak and graz. I was told to go to the oldtown area there where everyone goes, tourist or not. Its their oldtown and like Bratislava is the old city behind the old city wall and gates... but before I even see this I was got lost again and this time i lost 1hour by getting on the streetcar going the wrong direction.

Finally I arrived within the old city wall and its what you expected... a grand virsion of San Fraciscos Union square plus Rodeo Drive, plus Third street in Santa Monica. Its old and its beautifullz restored and its shopping heaven. I think this is why Amercians love the most a faux sense of the ancient culture. I feel the as Prague is two different countries seprated by the patcialy standing old city walls. This is the same with Bratislava but Bratislava does seem more American in apperance and Prague doesnt.

Its beautiful with larger squares and public gatering places and wider streets than Vienna. Its a gaint shopping mall like the Grove in Los Angeles. The streets are newly laid with tummbled marble tiles and the area is extensive. This is where tourist and locals come to hangout and shop and unlike Bratislavas oldtown its exculsive for tourists.

The rain started to fall and I tried to find shulter and my trip back to the hotel took about 45 mins and two night bus. I uploaded new photos for all of you and went to bed at five am.

Slovakia day 3- redemption

oh Lordy.... I was out till 330am and today I didnt get up until 1pm I dont know how I slept though all the noise the Austrian boys made. They are so inconsiderate!!! I have seen most of the city and was not impressed because it's too much like America and felt the Solvakians have lost their sense of identity thorugh their massive westernization (minus the old town district).

I took one of the afternoon buses to castle Devin just 20 mins outside of the city and within 10 mins the urban presence is long gone. The trees, river, adorable houses, and the hills are beautiful and very different than Hungary. The Hungarian nature landscape is flatwith grassland but the Solvakian lanscape is dramtic and wonderful.

I arrived at the hill top castle and it was built in the 13 century but with much longer human history in the area and the castle had been attacted numerous time but only Neopolian
managed to destoryed it. the castle only reminds in parts and it's built into the hill and I am sure it was once amazing. The views of the surrounding valleys, rivers, and the mountains are simply breathtaking. Slovakia had redeem herself.

Solvakia day 2- When You are on a Ham holiday, Steal!

pic: ceiling of the bath room in hostel
pic: a typical building in Bratislava

I finally got some badly needed sleep after being up for about 40 hours. of course it was a rude awakening in the morning... what else can I expect from this hostel.

One of my roommates (of 10 roommates) went to the bathroom in the morning and when he came back his bag was taken; gone!!!! He didn't take more than 5 mins and a thief had taken it. I stronly suspected it's an inside job one of us did it and I thinkI know who was responsible. I suspect it's the Algerian man; he was alone like me and told me he is on a Ham Holiday. It didn't resgister my mind when he told me he was on a Ham hoilday, I thought it's like an urban myth but people actually do that.

I went back to oldtown and ventured a bit more beccause it's safe and clean there. It's fun to see European cities before it's taken over by Starbucks. I did eventually go out the safe zone and saw the real city and can't believe how Americanized Bratislava is. Not only every fast food place is here, the invastment banks are also here, and many people speak English. This is very unlike Budapest, Hungary. Bratislava is like major u.s. cities before the major urban gentrfication since the late 1990. It's also a bit different than Budapest, people are less hungry for money, the restrooms are free so the street doesn't smell like piss and it's a bit cleaner than Budapest but a bit more seedy. People and stores here also don't try to over charge you because you are a tourist and it's kinda nice not be on the guard.

In the evening I went out to the same bar again and unlike last night with only 2 customers, today it was actually respectfully busy. I had a good converstaion with a Sovakian man and before I knew it it's 330am.

Day 44 Budapest - Day 1 Solvakia :wonderful highlights you can create your own experience by useing my keywords

pic: looking out at the hostel entrance: actual hostel is not as bad but not good!
pic: tourist and oldtown

I left Budapest in the morning and it was sad o say goodbye because it felt like leaving home. Bratislava is about the same distance as Vienna from Budapest and Bratislava is only 30 miles or less from Vienna so The city markets itself as the TwinCity of Vienna. I havent heard of it but it's always the evil twin that wants all the attention.

The arrival was a bit of a shock because the trainstaion and the surrounding is a bit rundown and I got on the street car and went to the hostel. Another huge shock, the hostel is really scary and run down but it's completely full. It's hidden behind a busy street and in the back of the courtyard; the buildings around are in various stages of deconstruction by nature. The room smells bad and the bathroom is moldy and has holes on the ceiling.

For the most part the city both modern and traditional unlike Budapest's city center. The building styles here are not as grand or ornate and much lower in high. I got a sense of how rich and the wealth Hungarians must have been at one point in history. The main street is a bit rundown and seem seedy. There are very little cars around and some streets are closed off to cars and only for street cars. At 5 pm there is no rush hour traffic just people walking, I wonder if North Korea is like this. I have necer been in Vietnam but this is what I have pictured it would be.

Old town is the center of the city is also the tourist center. Most buildings in this historic part of the city have been renovated and streets and alleys are florished with sidewalk cafes, restaurants, retail stores. It's a huge area with many hidden gems in every curved alley ways and public plazas. It was a total different experience from the outside and it's packed with tourist; I wonder if locals ever come. It's the size of maybe 10 Old Town Pasadena.

I also saw many locals are Asian and China seem to have a big presences here. Poster of the Sumemr Game everywhere and Chinese Restaurant on every 3-4 blocks. I ventured over to the Danube and in Bratislava it's just anotehr river and the romance does not exist. The riverbank is lined with modern mid rises and modern bridges and this could have been anywhere America.

Day 43- July 7th: It's time to go home: When .....

last pic: cave confession room in another corner cave

you start running into people you know on the street or/and when you know the city's mass transit system better than the locals!!!!

Today is my last day in Budapest before leaving for Bratislava, Prague and Vienna. I am excited and sad but I still have a few things I wanted to do before wrapping up my time here. Andreas and I went to an upscale outlet store (just one store) in the middle of nowhere and the prices are still very expensive and no small sizes so I didn't buy anything.

We than went to Gellert hills and it was more like a mountain..... high and a very hard to climb up. It was a lot of hard work but the pay off is just beautiful and the best views of the city is here even better than the palace. I really loved it and there is also an old military base the Russians and other militaries had used since the 1500's. The beautiful statue of liberty (of course its the Hungarian version) holding a giant feather is also on top.

We than visited the cave church because he haven't seen it and it was my second time but for me it was as much fun as the first time. We rushed back to the Pest side and went to the Central market and I got some food items to take home after I am finished with my travels. We rushed back to meet Beata for a short meeting before going to our goodbye dinner! It was delicious and the storm decented on us and once again I had to run back to the hotel....

My Hungarian friends also wanted to see me before I leave and once again we ran over to the meeting place and ran ran ran all night.. ..I hope there will be less running tomorrow and I am a bit scared of going to Bratislava.... the movie Hostel really scared me.

not sure if I will have time or the opportunity to write when traveling but will try...