Sunday 29 January 2012

Czech it out


Night train to Prague from Krakow. I found my seat reservation in a cramped compartment of six, including three pretty Danish girls (result!). Minutes later we became seven when an unbelievably pretty Brazilian man came in and joined us. He was not only beautiful but charming, well travelled and interesting too. I disliked him immediately.

We all tried to find an angle on our seats that might allow for some sleep but I found this impossible because stupid head Mr Handsome Face decided to lie on the floor between us leaving nowhere to comfortably put my feet. I slept for about ten minutes on the ten hour journey. At the border the train stopped for two hours to wait for another engine to pass on the carriages. This happens every night, no one has tried getting the train to leave Krakow later or getting the Prague engine to arrive earlier.


Early start in Prague and I had to motor if I was going to see the highlights. I gave the Brazilian man the 'V' as I left the train and set off up to a castle of some sort which was just starting to fill up with Japanese photographers. Quick look around and then the Franz Kafka museum which was rubbish. I tried to be intellectual and learn something but it really was boring. The entrance fee would have been better spent getting my picture drawn in a go kart by one of the many caricature artists that line the city's streets.


I'd enjoyed Prague, another excellent city and had exhausted myself running round it in half a day. Next up was the challenge of not being completely selfish, I would be travelling the next two weeks with my brother.

We met in Brno, the Czech Republic's second city.
'Hey little brother' I said.
'Hey little brother' my brother replied. (I'm older, he's taller. Only by about half an inch but to him this is important).

And so it was, I was on holiday with someone else for the first time in years. Would I cope? Yes, probably. It wasn't a big ask to be on holiday in cool countries with a good friend but it would be interesting to see if I enjoyed it as much as being a loner.

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