Prague

This past weekend I had my first European experience outside of Vienna. Saturday morning we traveled for four hours by bus to Prague, the capital of the Czech Repulic. I stepped out of the bus and found myself looking at the river which runs through the city's center and staring at some of the most beautiful architecture I have ever seen. We had six hours of freetime to spend in Prague, but first we went to find some lunch. Before we could eat, however, we had to stop at an ATM to get some Czech crowns.
I thought the Euro was confusing, but that was before I met the Czech crown. Good grief. Seventeen crowns to the dollar and twenty-five to the Euro... needless to say, I really had no idea how much I was spending at all, a fact made most apparent when we figured out that we had spent twenty bucks on a hamburger at lunch. The Bulgarian man whom I bought some souveneirs from gave us a good deal on what we bought, and expressed sympathy when we sadly related our lunch story. He informed us that just such purchases as the one we ignorantly made are what keeps the Czech economy in business.
Prague was crowded- very crowded. Apparently, it is one of the top tourist spots in Central Europe, a fact I did not know until we arrived. I learned one very important lesson last weekend: I learned that I really need to do my research before I land in a city, so that I will know where I am headed exactly and what I can do when I get there. Because none of us had done any research at all, we ended up staying in the tourist district and visiting dozens of tourist shops. I don't believe we used our time well. We did run into a random rave in the middle of the street, however, which was unusual and well worth watching.
Czech culture, or at least what little I observed of it, is much louder and more informal than Austrian culture. The buildings and city streets look much like Wien, but with an eastern flair. The people seem to be more prone to rowdy celebration and spontaneity than the proper Austrians. We saw people marching down the street loudly singing folk songs, people dancing and drinking beer, and people laughing and talking in large groups. I have not seen any of those scenarios played out in Vienna. It is true that some of the people I was observing were probably tourists, but the culture allows for more of that kind of thing regardless.
Sunday we took a walking tour of the city, and I fell in love with Prague for the first time. Prague is called "The City of A Hundred Spires" because of its many cathedrals and churches which fill the landscape with spires and domes. Our guide said Prague is much like Paris in that regard. I realized on Sunday that despite the tourism and crowds, Prague is a stunning city and there is none like it anywhere in the world. After our historical tour, I explored the city with several girls and we found a great chicken kebab place and a great little bakery with wonderful desserts. Lesson number two learned: get out of the main tourist areas of any city. The other areas are much better:)
Prague was an incredible experience, but I found myself wanting to go "home" to Vienna. I also realized how much I appreciate what I have in Vienna and what a great place it is for students to live. I think part of me will always consider Vienna my second home. I am looking forward to planning my own weekend trips and seeing where the next few weeks will take me... Prague definitely whetted my appetite for more travel!