So...Prague! I am updating without pictures, which is a sad sad affair, because Prague is the most beautiful city I have ever been to in my life, but hopefully when Ruth and I can again get wireless (instead of using a public computer at our hostel here in Budapest), I will post some pictures. In the meantime, though...
We succeeded in squeezing a tremendous amount of sightseeing into our 2.5 days in Prague - fortunately, it is a very walkable city, so we could get most places on foot from our hostel. The first day, we went to the National Museum, which was mostly in Czech, but had enough in English to enjoy certain special exhibits, especially one on aerial photography as a means of archaeological research - how aerial photos can reveal the layouts and locations of ancient civilizations based on pockmarks in cropfields, etc. Fascinating stuff. Also, an exhibit on the (quite literal) footsteps of mankind, a sort of random assortment of archaeological artifacts from throughout the world and humanity's time on this Earth, themed with shoes from all different civilizations and eras.
We also saw many of the major sights: the stunning Prague Castle, the Old Town Square and world-famous Astronomical Clock, the old Jewish quarter, the old Jewish Cemetary (with graves dating back to the 1400s, I believe, with bodies buried as many as twelve deep in a single plot of land), the Kafka museum (a creepy but fascinating and thorough exhibit...very Kafkaesque, if you will :P), the Charles Bridge, the mini Eiffel tower, the Cafe Louvre (both famous and old, with a history of prominent visitors like Albert Einstein, who was a professor in Prague for awhile...who knew?!), among an assortment of stunningly-architected buildings all throughout the city.
Again, coincidences of all coincides, Ruth and I ONCE AGAIN ran into another Oberlin student, again someone we both knew remotely well...of all places, at a wonderful, small little vegetarian/vegan restaurant. We had a great chat (turns out she lived a door away from the place in an apartment, studying abroad all year in Prague) and again went our separate ways. Small, small, small world!
I spent much of my energy in the Czech Republic trying to find other Jitkas (the original Czech spelling of my name is with a J) and joking around with Ruth about every Czech girl we met potentially being named Jitka...but the only one I actually found was a "Jitka Cecile" listed in the Pinska Synagogue, a place with the names of 80,000 Czech Jews killed in the second world war...a very sobering memorial indeed. Jitka was 7 years old when she died.
Next time I update...the harrowing story of our travels to Budapest, which has, by far, been the craziest part of our journey yet.
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