Prague!! --Day 3 of the Mongol Rally – July 25, 2011
We slept well at the Hotel Avion. The hotel was very nice and well worth the 39 EUR we paid. We both had long relaxing showers and generally enjoyed having a bathroom and a bed! It was also very easy to get to at midnight, when we finally reached Prague.
Not only was it a nice hotel but also it had PARKING!!! The BBB JUST fit in the underground garage but it was great to have it hidden away and well worth the additional 150 Czech crowns ($10).
Breakfast was included in the price… basic buffet but good food. Note: they have salad for breakfast in the Czech Republic (no salad dressing though…)
We bought tram tickets from reception (the reception lady was intimidating in a very post-communist type of way… if you know what I mean…). We walked the 2 blocks to grab the #26 tram into the city centre. Trams are everywhere and they are upgrading the tracks and it is very efficient.
Got off tram and walked alongside the Vltava river and then walked up… and I mean UP… to the castle which is on a very steep hill. Of course we had to buy a lemon slush to temper our exhaustion and thirst. It was very tasty! The castle has beautiful architecture and a fabulous cathedral (lots of flying buttresses and lots of cool little doors which Andrea had to take photos of).
We walked down through the Mala Strana to the Charles Bridge and mingled with the other throngs of tourists on the gothic masterpiece of a bridge. Every once and a while it is good to be a tourist and that is what we were in Prague.
Continued walking through the old town and just missed the hourly display at the astronomical clock. Very hungry from our day of walking, we had pizza and salad (with large beer!) for lunch then caught a tram back to hotel.
What we haven’t mentioned yet is that the day was the most beautiful day of the trip so far. Blue skies, white puffy clouds, warm temperatures and cool breezes made the day the most perfect day for walking around this beautiful city. We were SO lucky and could not have asked for better weather.
When we got back to the hotel we asked advice (from the scary receptionist lady) on directions and cheap gas and then headed out back out to the ring road and started off in the direction of Brno (pronounced *Bruno*).
Discussed pros and cons of Czech Out Party and decided that the cost of gas and time to backtrack to the party (about 2 hours driving each way so four hours lost plus about $100 in gas) was not worth it. However we would much rather have that time on the back end in Mongolia. However we are sad about the potential lost camaraderie. Sorry guys... see you in Mongolia!
Drove about 40 miles out of Prague and then took a minor road off the highway and ducked into the woods where we wild camped. We actually camped right next to a wheat field with a very nice view of a rural Czech valley.
Andrea made a fabulous dinner of mushroom risotto on the camping stove and then we got an early night. We both had trouble getting to sleep as we are not used to all the sounds of wild camping yet.
Can't wait for tomorrow... We drive through Slovakia and Hungary!
As always... Viva Mongolia!
We slept well at the Hotel Avion. The hotel was very nice and well worth the 39 EUR we paid. We both had long relaxing showers and generally enjoyed having a bathroom and a bed! It was also very easy to get to at midnight, when we finally reached Prague.
Not only was it a nice hotel but also it had PARKING!!! The BBB JUST fit in the underground garage but it was great to have it hidden away and well worth the additional 150 Czech crowns ($10).
Breakfast was included in the price… basic buffet but good food. Note: they have salad for breakfast in the Czech Republic (no salad dressing though…)
We bought tram tickets from reception (the reception lady was intimidating in a very post-communist type of way… if you know what I mean…). We walked the 2 blocks to grab the #26 tram into the city centre. Trams are everywhere and they are upgrading the tracks and it is very efficient.
Got off tram and walked alongside the Vltava river and then walked up… and I mean UP… to the castle which is on a very steep hill. Of course we had to buy a lemon slush to temper our exhaustion and thirst. It was very tasty! The castle has beautiful architecture and a fabulous cathedral (lots of flying buttresses and lots of cool little doors which Andrea had to take photos of).
We walked down through the Mala Strana to the Charles Bridge and mingled with the other throngs of tourists on the gothic masterpiece of a bridge. Every once and a while it is good to be a tourist and that is what we were in Prague.
Continued walking through the old town and just missed the hourly display at the astronomical clock. Very hungry from our day of walking, we had pizza and salad (with large beer!) for lunch then caught a tram back to hotel.
What we haven’t mentioned yet is that the day was the most beautiful day of the trip so far. Blue skies, white puffy clouds, warm temperatures and cool breezes made the day the most perfect day for walking around this beautiful city. We were SO lucky and could not have asked for better weather.
When we got back to the hotel we asked advice (from the scary receptionist lady) on directions and cheap gas and then headed out back out to the ring road and started off in the direction of Brno (pronounced *Bruno*).
Discussed pros and cons of Czech Out Party and decided that the cost of gas and time to backtrack to the party (about 2 hours driving each way so four hours lost plus about $100 in gas) was not worth it. However we would much rather have that time on the back end in Mongolia. However we are sad about the potential lost camaraderie. Sorry guys... see you in Mongolia!
Drove about 40 miles out of Prague and then took a minor road off the highway and ducked into the woods where we wild camped. We actually camped right next to a wheat field with a very nice view of a rural Czech valley.
Andrea made a fabulous dinner of mushroom risotto on the camping stove and then we got an early night. We both had trouble getting to sleep as we are not used to all the sounds of wild camping yet.
Can't wait for tomorrow... We drive through Slovakia and Hungary!
As always... Viva Mongolia!