Karibu to Prague

Had just about the best flights a girl could ask for, the free wine was just an added bonus. For me to get to apartment guy that I had been emailing back and for with, I had to take a bus and the metro. Seems simple enough right? Anyone that knows me well enough knows what a poor sense of direction I have. The bus was no problem, I even managed to find the metro and get off at the right stop. But getting out of the metro was a different story, was like a maze in a corn field but made of concrete walls with graffiti on them. It was like an “aaaaaahhhhhh” moment where angles start singing hallelujah when I saw the light coming from the stairs leading up towards the street. Backpack weighed 22.4 kg and the front pack I swear weighed the same, or at least it felt like it every time I lifted a leg to get out of the creepy metro.

When I stepped out onto the street and looked up and saw the main square, I actually said out loud to myself –OH MY GOD-. Nothing can really prepare you for the awesomeness spewing out of this city. After asking 3 people for directions and getting lost twice, my bags and I made is to the apartment. Which in reality is about a 2 minute walk from the metro, it took me about 30. I was about 40 minutes early meeting apartment guy so I went to the Irish Bar in search for some lucky charms but all they had was beer.

12 noon rolled around and apartment guy took me up to my apartment, not before unlocking the door to get in to the building, the door to get into the elevator room, the door to get into the elevator and finally the apartment. LOVE it, so cute and cozy. There are 16 chairs, 8 twin beds, 4 couches and little end tables all draped with really bad linen. AND, my window has this massive marble like ledge that I can sit on and look out the window. I have always always always wanted a bay window with lots of pillows to sit and read a book in, but this is even better.

Dropped my bags and I was off to explore the city a bit and find a grocery store. I didn’t even make it two blocks and I was already distracted away from my quest for a grocery store. The tattoo parlor was calling my name, actually it was screaming. In I went, told Vladimir I wanted to pierce my nose. In his best broken English he told me “yes I can do for you”. I told him I would think about it and went and had lunch at the restaurant across the way that he suggested, baked broccoli and a glass of wine. Immediately after lunch I went back and gave him the go ahead. But not before I went to the wine bar next door and grabbed a glass of wine to bring into the parlor with me.

All signs point to –that was a mistake- but I don’t care, I love it. It was a bloody mess getting it done. Vladimir was huffing and puffing around and kept apologizing, telling me that this never happens. Day two the ball came unscrewed and fell down the drain. Day three the entire thing was ripped from my face while I was toweling off after my shower. I am so embarrassed every time I go back into the shop, I feel like the problem child. He is so nice every time though. He didn’t charge me for the service because he felt so badly about how it went. Nor did he charge me for the extra ball or putting a new stud in. Round 3 he gave me a prettier stud with a cute gem stone. At first he said he would like to see me with a pink gem stone, I told him that Alaska girls don’t do pink in their face. His English was good enough to get it and laugh.


So far I have done a lot of walking around the city just exploring everything and trying to soak it all in. I met a few people that have given me some good tips on where to go. I stopped into a camera shop just to drool over some of the lenses and met the cutest little old man. He spoke very little English and had a nice firm hand shake. I think a good hand shake is important. Drives me crazy shaking someone’s hand and they do the little old lady with brittle bones shake. The way I see it, if I am going to get your dirty germs on my hand I may as well get a descent hand shake out of the deal.
Yesterday I went to a nice coffee shop with over priced coffee and modern uncomfortable chairs. Met a man that came here to do the same thing that I am doing and he ended up staying 17 years. Chatted with him and his family for a while, he gave me some tips on where to go to find the local spots. I gave him some Alaska advice; he will be taking his family there next year some time. He goes back to the states a few times a year to see his family.

When I am not walking the cobble stone streets you can find me in my apartment cooking, reading, sitting on my perch looking out my window or in my “office” on Skype with the fam. Tonight I think I am going to a pub that has live music. I have 9 different maps and I am sure I will get lost on my way.

Something random: My clothes are covered in red clay and have a stench of Kenya lingering on them. Right now there is a elderly Czech woman about 5 foot washing them.