The first thing I remember encountering in Prague was these guys, who were cracking enormous whips in the oldest square in the historic district of the city. I'm not sure if it was for what they considered entertainment or if they were attempting to scare people (it didn't not work).
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Staroměstské náměstí, Prague
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According to my notebook, I met several people on the train there who warrant mentioning. One was an older man on his way to Cham, where he directs a choir of senior citizens. He was eager to tell me about them and to learn about what I was up to. We spoke generally about history, and I remember he opined that the US's propensity for bombing other countries stems from the its relative youth and resulting "freedom" from history. On my final train into Prague I met a guy named Marc who was a student in Prague preparing for exams. He drew me a map and recommended that I check out a favorite bar of his. The bar was more or less a living room, dark and with makeshift furniture. I drank a few pints while I took the scene in and decided to leave once three of the four couples at the adjacent tables were making out (the fourth appeared to be a guy roughly my age with his mother).
I spent the morning of my full day there walking to and taking in the DOX contemporary art centre. It was a long walk, and I listened to some podcasts from home on the way. After so long traveling alone in countries whose languages I do not know it was nice to hear familiar voices and jokes. Later on I splurged for a McDonald's cheeseburger for more familiarity. The galleries were interesting; the exhibit that stands out to me now presented works from recent Master's graduates from area art schools, one that they considered a failure and a later edition that they found more successful. The works were provided without explanation, leaving the viewer to determine which was which.
That night I went to a bar that had been described in a New York Times article by a local as "offbeat" because I was curious to get a bit further off the tourist track of the old city. I went in to a small living room-cum-bike repair shop, and the eyes of all 6 people already there were on me immediately. Nobody told me to leave, but nobody tried to hide their confusion (annoyance?) at how and why I had ended up there. I drank my beer and walked home.
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| Night Gym |
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| Duky Douky |
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| Graffiti, Prague |
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| No Idea What This Was |
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Grand Hotel Europa, Prague
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