I think today was a turning point for me.
I started this chapter of my trip feeling a little bit tired and lonely. I felt totally
overwhelmed by the Czech language, I was still a little bit shaken
from getting lost in Berlin, and too many bad nights of sleep were
beginning to take a toll. I just started doing the "tourist" thing
when I got to Prague because it was easier. But doing that was much
less fulfilling.
Prague with yellow, red, and green routes that all go in straight
lines. I got off the subway planning to walk to Old Town when suddenly
I recognized my hostel. So I paid to ride the subway, and then accidentally walked home. After that, I stuck to the main roads even more, and while I saw and did a lot
of pretty things, I felt like the experience was a little empty. Fortunately for me, I broke a tooth and spent half a day at the local
neighborhood dentist. In another stroke of luck, my Turkish roomate at
the hostel had a Czech friend, who took us off the beaten path tonight
to an amazing cafe. As a tourist, I never would have known this was a cafe (and I am sure
that's probably the point.) This particular one looked like a liquor
store from the front, but when we walked in and through to the back,
there was a little garden out back with teas, coffees, alcohols, and
snacks for purchase. All at about half of what I had been paying at
tourist places. We each got pots of tea for less than $2, and talked for a couple
hours about the funny things Europeans do. They told me about
the turf wars between the Turks and the Greeks over coffee and yogurt
(and taught me the proper way to drink Turkish coffee) discussed the
political situation in several different countries and places
I should go on my honeymoon, and the guys suggested foods for me to try in my
upcoming destinations. It was really nice, and the best part was that
me and my Turkish friend were the only non-Czechs in the yard. It was like a jolt back to the reason I took this trip and it reminded me that I can't let
myself do the touristy stuff just because it's easy. I wanted to really get under the skin of
Europe and learn about the people, so that's what I need to do. So I feel much better about things, and am hoping I'll be able to continue this mentality into Vienna,
where I'm heading to tomorrow.