I wish I was in Prague!

I'm already having Prague withdrawal. 

London is so mundane now!  I entered the bustling Liverpool station after getting off of the train that brought me from the airport and everything around me was so familiar: WHS books, Marks and Spencers, Boots, Cornish pastries, and Costa coffee.  They are everywhere in UK and entirely absent in NY.  I've quickly adapted to change.  London feels like home.  And I'm ready for my next adventure. 

I sighed heavily on the train from Stansted airport.  The breath that escaped was much like the steam let out of a pressure cooker.  I was safe.  Thank you God!  I didn't lose my passport, camera, wallet or phone.  I didn't miss my flight.  I was let back into the country.  None of the multitude of things I imagined could have gone terribly wrong happened.  On top of that, I had a great trip.

The first special moment of my trip was when a Czech girl who knew me for 30 minutes, walked me to the ticket counter to help me buy a bus ticket, with her arm nearly linked with my arm.  If you looked at us, you'd would have thought we were best friends, gossiping as we walked down the street together.  How can someone be so friendly to a complete stranger?  Or I should ask, why is it that I have so many walls when it comes to meeting strangers?  Why am I so guarded?  What am I protecting myself from? 

I took a seat on the bus.  It was a new looking coach bus, with fresh leather seats, and TV screen in the back of each chair.  My bag of night clothes was on the seat next to me.  A stranger got on the bus, and he looked like he was about to sit right next to me.  "No", I thought, "there are two empty seats together across from me and my bag is on the seat."  But this stranger decided it is better to sit with another human, even if she's a stranger, than to sit by himself.  So I complied with his gesture, took my bag off the seat, and let the stranger sit down next to me. 

He looked about my age, 28-30, the front of his hair gelled up, something a lot of European guys do, some acne scars on his face.  "He's here to hit on me.  I'm not sleeping with you", I thought.  When I've been brought up by a grandmother and father who say, "all men want is sex", how was I to think that this stranger wanted anything else.  I said hello.  My first ice breaker was asking how to say hello in Czech. 

Earlier when I had met the girl, I had an internal war about my shyness.  At the airport, the girl told me she was going to the city center so I could follow her.  I got on the bus right after her.  And like a scared rat, I left her presence and took a seat near the rear of the bus.  That was so stupid, I told myself!  I could have at least had someone to talk to for this bus ride to the city center.  A passenger in front of me got up and the girl was within reach.  "This is your chance" I thought, but I sat glued to my seat in fear.  "Now or never".  I moved up a seat, tapped her on the shoulder, and started talking.  "I'm from NY.  I'm visiting for two days.  What should I see?".  And she smiled back and said the castle.  We pulled into the station and I immedately had the payback for getting out of my comfort zone and striking up a tiny conversation.  "Where's your hostel?" she asked.  I showed her on my phone.  "But that's in Prague.  Are you sure that's your hostel?"  My eyebrows wrinkle in confusion.  "Where am I?" 

Wow.  I'm old enough to buy my own ticket, get myself up in the morning, and get on a plane and yet I end up in a city and don't know where I am.  "You're in Brno".  "But I thought this was the city center?"  "Yes, its the city center in Brno."

OH MY GOSH!!! 

"I'm so embarrassed!" I tell her.  I'm afraid to ask the next question.  "How do I get to Prague from here?"  That's when she led me, her arm on my arm, to the ticket counter to buy a ticket to get to Prague.  "And you can get all the free hot chocholate and soda on the bus that you want!"  she said happily and waved me off. 

The stranger settled in his seat.  I started talking.  Somewhere in the course of conversation, we both laughed.  And then my guard came down.  I'm still blown away that my new friend had balls enough to sit next to a complete stranger for a 2.5 hour long journey.  We were opposites in so may ways, guy/girl, white/black, european/american.  And yet that wasn't enough to scare him away.

I didn't find out his name was Ludek until we were nearly at Prague.  "I am so happy you sat next to me!  This bus ride would have be so boring otherwise!".  This was such a change from my earlier self.  He told me about a friend of his who loves meeting people from other countries, and how it rubbed off on him and I looked like I might have spoken english.

The bus attendent came around several times.  Sure enough, the hot chocolate was free!  All you can drink FREE hot chocolate, mochas, lattes, cappuchino or tea!  And the biggest laugh is that you have to pay for WATER! LOL!  Go figure! 

When we got off at Prague, Ludek advised that I get my ticket for the return trip just in case the bus was full.  He walked me to the ticket window and got the ticket I needed for me.  Then he walked me to the metro and suggested I get a 24 hour pass.  Since I didn't have any coins for the machine, he walked me to newspaper stand and asked for change.  Then he helped me buy my ticket.  He told me the subway has 3 lines, red, yellow and green, showed me where I was on the map, and then how to get to the castle. 

It was time to part.  I gave him a hug and said "thank you so much!"  The subway just pulled in and I rushed to get on it.  He shouted the name of the subway stop once more, "Malostranská!".  I turned around and shouted back, "Yes, the one with the 'M'!", smiled and waved goodbye.  I was now on my own.