Another Week, Another Adventure

I don't have much to say in this post, I mostly want to share some pictures and stories about the pictures... I am excited for this evening because I am going to go play basketball with some of the US Marines that are stationed here at the US Embassy. I met one of them at the church and really enjoy hearing their stories and about their lives. They are my age and doing things I couldn't even imagine doing... Remember to thank all military personnel, past, present and future, for their service!

Here is Olivia, also from CSU, on top of one of the baby statues that are in Prague. These statues are also on one of the mobile radio towers here in Prague that was voted one of the ugliest buildings in the world! I will try to take a picture of the tower at some point. Really strange things...

This is the John Lennon Wall in Prague, near Charles Bridge. It is constantly changing because people graffiti over it constantly. Ever from day to day you can go and experience a completely different display of artwork. It is fascinating! And yes, we did add to the artwork, but just with a Sharpie, we will go back at some point and leave a larger impact.

He has a striking resemblance to Harry Potter... Wish someone wouldn't have put the lightning bolt on him though...

This is near the Lennon Wall and there are several of these gates on bridges where people put a lock and throw the key into the river... It is meant to symbolize a love that cannot be broken. It is fun to watch all the couples come and spend this time together with their lock and key. I wonder how many people actually stay together??? Doesn't seem to be many these days...

This part might have been the coolest thing I've experienced yet in Prague. There is a 'Secret Garden' hidden in the middle of the city. It is surrounded by a 15 foot wall with one entrance. Seemingly no one knows about it as I was one of three people in the whole park. There are these Peacocks that are everywhere and want to eat the walnuts. If you crack one walnut open, they all flock to you and will eat out of your hand. At one point there were about 10 Peacocks surrounding me, I wish someone could have taken a picture but this will have to do.

I am about half way through my trip and have enjoyed every minute. But I am also looking forward to being home with my family and friends for the holidays. Choj!

Local Life in Prague

This is the metronome. It is just a giant metronome. There are a lot of skateboarders that use the open cement area around it to skate on. It overlooks Prague, and is one of my favorite places that I've found to relax in Prague. It is surrounded by a park on one side, and a ledge overlooking the city on the other. I want to go there and watch the sunrise someday.

 Ceska Zbrojovka is the gun manufacturer in Prague. These are some of their rifles and pistols. They are some of the most beautiful guns and craftsmanship I've ever seen. They wouldn't let me take pictures of the store, just close up of the weapons. But it is a really cool place. This is the company that I made my rifle and I bought several more magazines for it. They we about 75% cheaper here than in the states!

This is the local futbol stadium, Sparta. This match was between the Czech national team vs. Bulgaria. It was a World Cup Qualifying match; it's just the beginning of pool play though, so it wasn't as important and Czech is unlikely to make it past pool play anyways. They are a long shot to qualify for the World Cup. It was still cool to see the match, even though it ended 0-0. It was about 80% full and everyone was singing and cheering the entire match, just like you see on TV.

Budapest

Hello again everyone,

This past weekend I went to Budapest with five friends of mine. We stayed at an apartment that my roommate's parents own. It was really nice of them, and they had us to their house for a couple meals. It was great to have more homemade food. Mostly, Budapest wasn't so different from Prague. It is another big city with everything that you would ever want and need readily available. Daniel's mother was a lot like my mom and took very good care of us. His parents speak almost fluent English and it was nice to get to know more about their culture. The have an alcohol named Unicum that is like Jager and Whiskey mixed together. It was really good. Also, like in Slovakia, they had some Slivovica that is more or less vodka made from plums. We also had goulash that is identical to beef and vegetable soup that my mom makes! Our cultures are different, but not as different as I expected. I think I've said that a hundred times already...

This is the castle in Budapest, at night obviously. For some reason I neglected to take a picture of it during the day?

This is Mathias' Church, it is located within the walls of the castle.

This is the Parliament building, it is located across the river from the castle.

I'm not sure exactly what this place was, other than what I envision my future house looking like! ;-) I asked Daniel what it was called and he said it is Vajdahunyad Castle. It is a copy of a castle in Transylvania.

This is Daniel's parent's house

 Here are the people that accompanied me on the trip. From left to right: Me, Petr from Netherlands, Daniel from Hungary, Brown from Hungary, Andrew from Cleveland, Philip from Germany, Wiebe from Netherlands.

There is a place called Independence Square that is all commemorating the liberation of Budapest. There were a bunch of memorials of Americans, this one being Ronald Reagan! Has anyone else got to shake his hand? granted it was an awkward left-handed shake but o well.

We also went to one of the largest thermal bath's (aka hot springs) in the world. They had three pools that you can see in the picture, they extend away from the camera, as well as about 30 inside the structure that you can see. It was a labyrinth that never ended, or so it seemed. It was one pool after another all with different minerals and temperatures that were naturally from the ground. It was quite impressive. And packed with locals and tourists alike.

I noticed that I didn't really have much to say about Budapest. It was a lot of fun being there, but it really isn't different from everything else that I've experienced. That has definitely be the theme thus far. The world is becoming so interconnected and commercialized that most places seem very similar. It is making me want to go to places that are a little further away. Maybe I will make it to Zurich or London after all...

Slovakia

This weekend I went to Slovakia with Daniel and Janka. It was a lot of fun, and reminded me a lot of Colorado for various reasons. The landscape is similar to Colorado in the mountains. The mountains aren't as  big but close enough. Also, we rode in a car, my first time in a car besides the taxi ride from the airport to my dorm. We visited Oravky Hrad, a castle in Slovakia. I do not know much about the castle because the tour we went on was all in Slovak. But it was still very enjoyable. Afterwards, we went to some underground caves. Although the pictures may seem redundant, they are all different. The temperature was about 7 degrees Celsius in the caves. The water is filled with calcium, among other minerals, which is what causes the unique formations that I have forgotten what they are called. It was incredible to see and we were underground for more than an hour.

Staying with Janka's family was also a fun experience. Her parents speak no English so it was somewhat difficult to communicate, but with a little translation and gestures we did alright. It reminded me of home because her mom was always busy cooking something that was always delicious and her dad was making sure everyone was happy. They had a birthday party for one of their family friends. It was very similar to American birthday parties and a lot of fun hanging out with everyone. There were others there about y age, and they all spoke English, although not as well as Janka speaks.

It was refreshing getting away from the big city and spending time in the open. I am not homesick, (maybe I will be in a few more weeks) but definitely thinking about everything I miss in the States. I will look forward to the comforts of home and spending time with my family and friends during the holidays!

Karlovy Vary

This is at Karlovy Vary. The city is famous for their natural springs. Here is one, and you are supposed to drink the mineral water out of a special container, that I am holding in my hand, so that the water doesn't touch your teeth. It was nasty stuff, but came out of the ground at up to 74 degrees C! In the picture with me is one of my roommates, Adam.

 Here are all the people that went to Karlovy Vary, from left to right, Me, Adam, Bri, Olivia and Andrew.

 This is the spa that uses the mineral water for their treatments, it isn't as fancy as it looks.

 A geyser that spews almost constantly.

 Grand Hotel Pupp (pronounced Poop) where James Bond Casino Royal and Last Holiday were filmed.

 A somewhat famous traditional Czech drink is Becherovka. It is a hard alcohol that is produced here in Karlovy Vary. It tastes like cinnamon.

 This is a group of people that went out to lunch after the Church service on Sunday. To my immediate left, it a lady name Marketa Liskova who is the worship leader at the church and an up and coming star. You can read more about her on her website here: http://www.marketaliskova.cz/en. Her music is great! The only other guy on my side of the table, further to my left, is Mikah and he is involved with Athletes in Action here in Prague and coaches and plays American Football as a part of his ministry. He is from Omaha, NE.