The beauty of studying abroad, besides the obvious advantages, is the extremely long break a student gets to spend all his or her money seeing parts of the world one couldn’t have imagined. Thanks to the brilliant schedule I had in place, my total days off summed to 13 days including the weekends. In 10 of those days, I would travel to six of the most beautiful cities Earth has to offer. So, as this will be my longest post ever, sit back, relax, and let the Traveling Man’s Marathon begin!
Days 1 and 2 (Thursday and Friday October 21-22. 2010)
Thursday morning would be a difficult time for me to get out of bed and make it to the airport on time. First, the French love to strike, so we had to make sure we got there in plenty o’ time. Second, I had, in the wrong state of mind, decided to party the night before in Paris. Granted, the party was in an aquarium, the after effects would prove unfortunate.
*Side Note: At the airport, they had amazing Playstion Network’s set up so we could play a game of FIFA of NBA 2k while waiting for the flight …. BRILLIANT IDEA. Everyone adopt this idea immediately.*
Upon arriving to Prague, we headed straight to the hostel. Sir Toby’s was an amazing establishment, and would be one of the best hostels I would stay at during the marathon. They had great service, cozy rooms, ample security and free WIFI! But the night went to Prague. After walking aimlessly for a bar nearby something became apparent. In Prague, people just don’t party on Thursday nights. They go Wednesday Night, then to Friday and the weekend, but no Thursday partying. However, Friday night was a different story. We managed to find a night club ,Duplex, in the city center, and the drinks were so cheap you couldn’t help but get more. Not to mention a Balcony that looked out into the Center. Friday night, a friend familiar with Prague took us to a bar/club that, on that special night, was hosting an 80’s and 90’s pop music party. Could you imagine listening to classics from VengaBoys to Michael Jackson in an Eastern European country? What a brilliant nightcap. By the way, end the night with an awesome Czech hot dog. There is nothing that could fulfill you more.
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| So Good, and So Cheap |
The city itself is BEAUTIFUL. With many sites to see, like the Charles Bridge, the Dancing House, and the Prague Castle (there is also an old castle in the southwest side of the city with a beautiful view of the whole city), I am absolutely certain I would go back to Prague if I have the chance. But, by Saturday morning the fun in Prague had to come to an end, and we hopped on a bus headed for ….
Days 3 and 4 (Saturday and Sunday October 23-24 2010)
The bus ride to Vienna would have been amazing if I wasn’t stuck with such a shitty seat. The metro system here is not as sophisticated as Paris, and that evidence is in the fact that we used it for free both days we were present. Austria, being part of the EU, used the Euro so it was time to start spending mad money again.
Day 1 went to a lot of rest and little sightseeing. But Day 2 was full of wonders. It is best to see the city on foot, with many cathedrals, Volksgarten, the Imperial Palace, museums, and an amazing military site. I have no expertise on the night life of Vienna as I just relaxed and went to a couple of local bars. One of the highlights of the trip included a concert/opera on the compositions of Mozart and Strauss. Listening to classical music is one thing, but watching the performance is simply breathtaking. I never thought an opera would be much enjoyment for a person like myself, but I literally felt chills when the voices of the performers echoed through the concert hall. Monday morning, I had come to the conclusion that Vienna had more historic sights to see, but Prague was a natural beauty on its own. Now, it was time to board the train and head for the last destination on the first half of the trip, with the destination of…
Day 5 (Monday October 25, 2010)
I knew the moment we were traveling through Budapest to reach our hostel, that I would regret only being in the city for one day. We started the tour by walking through a small street with tourist-focused shops on both sides, eventually reaching a bridge. Budapest has about 3 main bridges that show a magnificent view of the Pest side of the city. The city is divided into Buda and Pest, the old and the new. The view was breathtaking and, with more time, I would have loved to see the historic parts of Buda. In terms of cost, Budapest was even cheaper than Prague, with a currency of Florints. Imagine getting a .66 L of beer for an equivalent of 70 cents on the dollar. It’s safe to say I will definitely return to Budapest with a chance.
Thus ends part 1 of the Traveling Man’s Marathon. Here’s Part 2
Imaginarium of Mr. Berani 