Czech Republic

Yes, I am still alive, there is a picture to prove it. There is no reason why I shouldn't be I suppose, but it seems like I haven't been at a computer -- and hence had any communication -- for a while. The trek from the Eternal city to the heart of Bohemia has come and gone. I had heard many times how beautiful and amazing Prague is and in my opinion, the claims are true.

The city itself is very large, however, the central area is pedestrian friendly which is very appealing. Another observation is the fact that there are lots of places to get a good view and panorama in different parts of the city, you don't feel trapped in the tall buildings as you might in other large cities. In addition, Prague is relatively cheap, compared to eastern european countries, as the Czech Republic is not in the European Union, yet. The underlying meaning of this is that we were able to eat out and get a feel for Bohemian food. I can't tell you what it was that I ate, other than it was really tasty and included a variety of potato pancakes that were amazing. Another result of the rather cheap prices in Prague is that it is a weekend retreat for other Europeans, the symptom of this being we found accomidation during the week easy to find -- on the weekend we had to move to another hostel. This turned out to be a great move, the hostel we stayed in just opened and we were the first to stay in the room which was very clean.

There are lots of great sites in Prague, places to hike, and like I mentioned good view points. The dominating features of the City are the Castle, containing St. Vitus Cathedral, and the Vltava River with the Charles Bridge. Both of these features can be seen throughout the central part of town.

An interesting part of the long Prague history lies within the Jewish ghetto, especially interesting after visiting Israel. The Jews have had a difficult time around the world, and were forced into a ghetto in Prague as well. Relics of the Jewish population still remain -- the most appaling is the cemetary where, within the tiny quarter, graves were laid upon graves. Old headstones rise as soil erodes to meet newer ones (see below).

Well, check Prague off the list. It has secured a position within the top 5 places of this adventure.

Charles bridge, the polorizing filter in full effect

Tyn Church in the Old Town square

Prague Castle

St. Vitus Cathedral

Statues in the Castle, interesting I thought

Jewish graves, piled upon each other

The Classic view of Prague