Bohemia

I had booked my tickets to Prague, after sending in my Emergency Temporary passport to the Embassy to get a new one just in time for my departure...When it comes to passports, however, nothing is ever easy. The U.S. Embassy is a hard ass bitch. I feel like I can say this after all the stress it has caused me, so yeah it's been you are bitch.
After numerous pleading emails, passport photographs taken, trips to the post office, and dollars spent, the day before my intended, but seemingly hopeless departure into Prague, a miracle happened.
And all of a sudden, I was on a train to Paris after my Communication class to the airport, with my new passport in hand (with the most hideous picture inside). After few hours waiting amidst a crowd of hormonal loud Italian teenagers for my Easy Jet flight, soon I was landing in Prague, completely unsure of what I was to do when I got there.

My friend/ex fellow barista, Will had fortunately gotten my last minute facebook message and was there as soon as I walked out of the baggage claim.
First thing was the ATM. I had a choice of 100-2000 crowns. My friends had told me how they had somehow blown through 200 euros in two days, but they didn't know where it went. Czech currency is so confusing. Supposedly it's $1=17 crowns, and initially I thought wow, are dollar is worth so much! But...17 crowns is a soda if you're lucky...and prices are wracked up high in all the touristy areas, although they seem like a good deal.

Second thing was a Pilsner for the road. Oh Pilsner. I heard such good things about Czech beer...But what? Pilsner, really? I'd say it might be the European equivalent of a Bud Light. Every bar we went to, every restaurant, "what do you have on tap?" Oh,right, Pilsner...again. The best bar we went to had only like 3 bars on tap, one of course being Pilsner, the other being some other crappy beer that tasted just like Pilsner, and Guinness.

Third thing was bar hopping. We didn't stray too far from our hostel the first night, Adam and Eve Hostel near Petrin Hill, but what I found was that our area was actually the cheapest with the coolest bars. Shadow Bar is an ultimate Bohemian cozy bar, with really cheap drinks and cocktails, strange twisted art on the walls, and tons of students. One bar down we discovered that marijuana is legal in Prague when a Rastafarian dude lit up in the middle of the bar. Another bar a few blocks down was one of the many underground, cave-like bars that I learned from the Communist Museum, used to hold anti communist underground music and student gatherings. Here we learned that the Czech are even worse dancers than the French. However they are like 10x more entertaining and fun. One guy was even doing jumping jacks at one time to techno song all about Obama.

In the morning we headed out into the Old City to meet up with our free English walking tour guide. From my past experiences,a walking tour sounded lame, but it was free, so we were like what the hell. Our guide was a local Czech graphic designer, student of film, who was unbelievably hilarious, informative, and the best storyteller I've ever heard. She led us on what was perhaps a 3-4 hour tour through the old city, the jewish quarter, and Prague Castle, stopping at all the great sights to tell the oh so many Czech legends, and morbid bloody stories.

In this Cathedral, there is a legend about a thief who tried to steal something from the lap of a statue of Mary by the alter. And as legend goes as he was picking this up the statue's hand grabbed the thief's hand and the thief was unable to get out of her grip. When the Church bishops and such arrived and saw him, they decided to chop off his hand and hang it in the Cathedral. Till this day the shriveled hand hangs by the Cathedral doors, as a warning to any thinking of wronging the church.

Our trip coincided with Prague's Easter festivities, which made Prague even more colorful! Vendors sold sausages, hot wine, pilsner, goulash, fried cheese, potato dishes, crepes, candied nuts, and all kinds of sweet things. Musicians filled every street and played on a large stage in Old City every night and markets were held daily selling marionettes, painted eggs, and all kinds of "I heart Prague" souvenirs.

During the day tourists flooded Charles Bridge. There must be more tourists than actual Czech. After my friends left,and I was going in circles 6x always ending up at the Astrological clock I finally stopped into look at my map at the Choco Cafe that I kept passing by, getting tempted by the sweet dark whiffs of cocao. Away from the tourists, right outside of the old city, it was a cozy, dim lit cafe with brochettes and large list of hot chocolates with all women employees. I ordered the Hot Chocolate with Coconut Milk. It was literally melted dark chocolate decadence, served in a clear glass mug, so I could say the layer of dark chocolate, the sweet coconut cream, and then the fresh coconut shavings on top. Although somewhat expensive, it was so worth it.

When we saw Cannabis Ice Cream we couldn't resist. Supposedly Prague is starting to be called the "New Amsterdam," because of its eased drug laws. The Cannabis Ice Cream might have done not done anything but make us giggle a little down to the Lenin Wall, but is probably the best ice cream I've ever had. Many of these Absintheries have all kinds of special treats like Absinthe hot chocolate, Absinthe mojitos and cocktails, and even a chocolaterie called Bon Bon sells Absinthe chocolates.

The statues are a memorial for all the victims of communism that stand near Petrin Hill. Since going to Prague, I've grown further out of my textbook knowledge of communism. Visiting the Communism museum and watching the documentary in it of protests, and depictions of school reformations, was so much more shocking than I thought it would be. Even worse was touring the Jewish Quarter, passing my the Old New Synagogue, where pictures drawn by czech children in a concentration camp hang on the walls...

My favorite part about Prague would probably be Petrin Hill. In this area you can grab some lentil soup and bread for a picnic under $3, hike up the hill, and join the other locals in some nap time in the sun. Orchards of blooming white trees line parts of the hill, as well as nice hiking trails with incredible views of the city. After my feet were sore from the 3 days of continuous walking, I spent many hours napping, eating, and just lying around.

Prague is colorful city of beautiful architecture, lively nightlife, mysterious legends,and dark morbid past, but it all adds to Prague's quirky bohemian strong character. Although you can often be caught within the swarms of tourists, if you get out of Old City you can find the locals' Prague, and take a nap on Petrin Hill with a Pilsner...or a Cannabis Iced Tea. ; )