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JMGEUR 29.4.00 12h53 |
| SO.. Yesterday morning I cleaned up my room, packed up my stuff, and checked out. I headed to the train station (Jarek, the amazingly helpful, friendly, and fun to talk to host upon arrival in Prague, when I mentioned that I would be heading to Budapest next, told me that the station that we had just left would be the same one I'd need to take to Budapest.) and picked up a ticket and couchette reservation to Budapest at 23h10. While I was there I stowed by bag so that'd I'd be light-weight all of my last day Prague. Evening comes and I'm headed back to the station to grab my bag and catch my train. En route, I had to switch metro lines from Yellow to Red at a station called Florence. The Red line from Florence runs in 2 (of course) directions. One heads north to the Secondary train station (that's me) and the other heads south to the main station (never even seen it). They're both about 10-15 minutes away. I have 20 minutes till my tain leaves. If you're keeping up then you know that this is, clearly, a little too close for comfort, but I'm feeling good about the whole thing, and taking advantage the pause (while I wait for the North-Bound metro to arrive) to check my ticket and see if perhaps it has the gate number on it somewhere. I'm not certain what GATE (or even if that's the right English word) is in Czech, but I do notice that the DEPARTING STATION...is the Main Station. I make this realization right as the south-bound metro pulls in. I now have ~15 seconds to make a choice. The metro behind me is headed to the main train station, and thus my ride to Budapest in less than 20 minutes. The Metro that has yet to arrive in front of me is headed to the secondary station, which houses my bag, and nearly all of my worldly belongings. I chuckled and jumped on the south-bound train. Here and Now Budapest is Pretty! Wonderful Architecture (although I think I'm getting church-burn-out) and friendly, albeit incomprehensible, people. I've got a ticket back to Prague tonight and, hopefully, I'll be in clean clothes again in just another 21 hours or so. All Alone and still awake Jumping on and off trains, metros, trams and what not is SO MUCH EASIER when you've left your entire backpack (daypack and everything) in another country. I ended up with a whole car to myself last night (3rd or 4th time that's happened so far) it's cool, but would have been cooler if I wasn't awake every hour wondering if we'd passed Budapest, or wondering if the banging was on my door or someone else's. I'm bit laggy today from the crummy sleep. Papers Please! Traveling into and out of Prague with a Eurail pass is a treat. I've got 4 documents: Passport, Eurrail Pass, Ticket (EurRail's no good in Prague), and Couchette Reservation. It's nearly impossible to know which one(s) whomever comes banging on the door at some ungodly hour in the morning wants to see this time. I've come up with some guidelines, but they're NOT hard and fast. The first person you see (the one who's taken your spot) needs to see your couchette reservation (they'll ignore it and remain where they are indefinitely). The next person you see (in a uniform of some sort) they want a ticket and a Reservation. After that, it gets harder, but generally, if they have a gun, they want your passport. The simplest rule is this: they all want the one you didn't give them...and may demand it (somewhat frighteningly) in a language you don't speak (think angry Swedish chef from the Muppets with a large gun), but once they've seen it, they're your buddy and they often wish you a pleasant evening/sleep in nearly perfect English. Yes, I Have taken to giving
the folks with guns my passport, with all the other 3 just tucked inside
the back of it. |