Every Friday we take a break from our regular blogging schedule to allow the authors an opportunity to feature a certain topic they are passionate about. In the past you’ve read about art, studying abroad, experiencing culture through food, and the great burger adventure. Through this and other future posts we hope you’ll enjoy reading, we hope to share with you our personalities, passions, and interests on a more personal level.
While traveling, you can see the best art, taste decadent food, and experience the most exhilarating adventures. But what makes a trip most enjoyable for me is the people I meet. This is one of the reasons I am addicted to traveling. Meeting new people, sharing in their culture, and understanding their past is a joy.
Making a Trdelnik, a Czech-Style Donut
When we returned from the Czech Republic, one of the highlights I shared was the incredibly hospitable people! Our exposure to generous Czechs started before we even stepped in their land. While we were preparing for the trip, our interaction through email was great. Then when we arrived, every person from a taxi driver to hotel owners went out of their way to make us feel at home. It made me want to stay!
Here are some examples of the amazing ways Czechs welcomed us:
The owner of the Hotel Hastal arranged a taxi for us from the airport since we got in after midnight and the public transportation was closed for the evening.
Hotels provided complimentary tea, coffee, and sometimes cake and wine.
Our taxi driver taught us a few Czech words so we know how to get around town.
Our second hotel, Pension U Zámku picked us up personally from the train station.
A train conductor walked us to the correct platform.
Locals at restaurants taught us the correct way to eat traditional foods, especially at the Golden Tiger Pub.
View of the Vltava River From Vyšehrad Park
The story I find myself telling the most is about a train ride. Leaving Prague to visit the small town of Český Krumlov, we left the familiarity of the big city, including plenty of English-speaking locals. We had our tickets and knew our final destination. About half way through the ride, we realized we had to change trains. The platform system was a little different than we were accustomed to, which normally is not a problem. However, we had to make the switch in less than 6 minutes; we had to figure things out quickly! A generous employee tried to help us, speaking to us in Czech and German. I tried English and Spanish. In spite of all these attempts at different languages, we realized we were not able to communicate. So she lead us there herself. We made it! As we sat down, the train rolled out of the station.
Once our second train was underway, there were quite a few stops. In general we knew our arrival time so we relaxed a bit. But as we got closer, we were not confident which station to get off because the station signs were not always visible. We asked someone next to us. Again, we did not speak the same language, but he figured out we were traveling to Český Krumlov. In the meantime, he left and found a less crowded part of the train. As we were approaching a stop, the man returned. He stood by us and pointed to the stop, saying “Český Krumlov.” Wow! He came back just to find us and to make sure we got off at the right station…unbelievable kindness!
We were so sad to leave the Czech Republic, but look forward to being able to visit again one day. There are so many things we saw and experienced that were incredibly influential, but the most memorable part of our trip were the people!
Dancing House in Prague
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