Praha

When I was you younger, I use to watch my brothers play Tomb Raider and when it came to choosing a bunch of countries that would be exciting to visit, Prague and Istanbul appeared on the list purely because of Lara Croft. I think I had high hopes for Prague as I'd heard many good things about the country, but I think it was a little underwhelming. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with the city. It's beautiful and picturesque and when it snows it fills the city with this amazing white glow. But let's rewind and start at my first roadblock. 

We arrived at about 11pm and had no intentions of walking to our hostel, so we decided to catch a taxi. We had no Czech money and when we asked the driver if he took euro, his response was 'it's illegal, but yes'. Doesn't that just fill your heart with confidence? Rather than risk it, we decided to withdraw money from an ATM. We withdrew the lowest amount possible and made it to the hostel safely, only to realise that I had actually withdrawn $385AUD, which I had not intended to do. Not only did I withdraw far too much, but the exchange rate for the currency was also atrocious and I ended up losing €30. The taxi ride was also much steeper than the usual price, according the the hostel. So that is how my arrival into Prague started, not exactly the perfect travel experience. 

Over the next few days we visited various monuments around the city. Pertrin tower is a replica of the Eifel tower in Paris and sits on top a hill. We walked through a snow covered park and although it was exhausting, it was so beautiful. You could see the city as we climbed through the bare branches of the trees. A lot of the houses have red roofs and the snow covering it was such a nice touch. It fit the perfect image of what I had always envisioned European houses to look like. We had to climb the stairs all the way to the top, and I complained thoroughly, however I do love how at the top of the tower you aren't enclosed in glass. You can stand on the surrounding balcony and feel the cold air as you try not to freeze your hands. It makes the experience and the city more alive. 

We visited the castle the next day which was a nice activity. I like being honest with every activity I come across, so I'm not going to pretend like this was the most amazing castle I've ever seen. You almost didn't even notice it's a castle, it just seems like a collection of large buildings. There was a cathedral in the very middle which looks like every other European cathedral. I think at this point in my journey, a lot of the European monuments were beginning to blur together which is a little disappointing, but an inevitable part of traveling to so many countries situated in the same area. However, we did make it in time for the changing of the guards which was cool to watch. They were all in sync and in perfect time with each other. I will also give the castle one other thing, the view was fantastic. A lot of my European trip has been climbing to the highest point of a city and looking at the beautiful world beneath us. The snow made everything look like it was photoshopped onto a postcard and I loved it. 

Charles bridge is also worth crossing. It's supposedly one of the oldest bridges in Europe and there are no cars so you can walk across it without worries. There are statues along both sides and people selling art the entire way down. I think it's one of the better sights in Prague, and it's so easy to access. Just something simple and beautiful that gives you a good view of the river. 

I've saved the best for last, because although Prague happened to be a little underwhelming, I had one of my favourite moments of my entire life in this city. It's the kind of thing I pull out when I get asked the question 'what is your favourite memory'. In the old town square you can buy a ticket to the top of a clock tower and you can get to the top and have a perfect city view that's close enough for you to see the details but high enough to appreciate even the smallest buildings. Again, you're not enclosed in glass and you can walk around the balcony circling the tower. It's actually a beautiful view, but that's not the real reason why it was magical. As we did our second round on the balcony, we started hearing music. At first I thought it was just someone playing something off their phone, but it was a busker down below with nothing but his guitar and his voice. He was singing popular American songs like 'I'm yours' and 'pumped up kicks' but his voice was like a dream. His music floated up to the tower and that right there, with the snow filled Prague laid out before me and this incredible human singing songs I was familiar with, that was magic. That is what life and travel and exploration is about. That perfect moment in time where there was beauty and talent and awe all on a tower on cold winters day in Prague. That's a memory I'll keep forever. 

It went a little downhill from there. I've decided I don't want to go into details, but let me just say a very drunk guy got brought back to the hostel early. He puked next to my bed. No one else was in my room so I had the lovely task of calling reception to clean it up and also had to get moved rooms because the stench was horrendous. On the bright side, thanks a million to the guys at Madhouse. Reception was so nice and helpful and he offered me another room immediately and got me a key so I was free to come and go. Those guys are absolute gems so I do recommend them if you're ever in Prague, but maybe not so much if you're looking for a quiet night in. They are a party hostel, after all. 

Despite the few uphill battles I had in Prague, it was still a wonderful city. It's beautiful and charming in its own right, and I guess after having a packed, adventure filled experience in Budapest as well as a few frustrating details, it had a lot to live up to. Even so, I've taken away some beautiful memories and a real appreciation for the snow covered, magical city. I'll be back one day. Until then,

Amy