Adventures and Dinosaurs

Hi friends,

Prague was pretty amazing. There is such a rich and tragic history there, and standing in the squares that only a few decades ago saw the best and worst of humanity – death, oppression, hope and revolution. I’ve always been a modern history kind of guy, and seeing video of mass uprisings in the very plaza I kept walking through was pretty incredible and made these momentous moments much more tactile than most historical sightseeing.

In the 3 days there I ate some amazing food (the restaurant today, Maly Buddha, was a highlight with its dimly lit, earthy interior and 30 varieties of green tea), did plenty of wondering, and did some walking tours. The main one was amazing… 6 hours long with a very engaging guide (history/politics major, apparently) really brought the city to life. Sadly the same can’t be said for the complementary ghost tour, which could have maintained a great eerie campsite ghost story vibe if they hadn’t ruined it halfway through with men in costumes jumping out of corners. The key to horror has always been the unknown, and a couple of cash-strapped backpackers in bad 21st party costumes made the tour a writeoff.

Better was Patti Smith last night, who tore apart the small (~1000 person) theatre. In some ways it wasn’t quite up to the Opera House gig last year… It was less celebratory, and Lenny Kaye wasn’t quite as god-like), but in others better – the version of Birdland last night was incredibly intense, and the inclusion of Land was similarly great.

Now, though, i’m at the airport waiting to go to Rome, using Internet that is free with a drink (though a beer is 90 crowns, or about $6… About three times the price of the insanely cheap half litre beers in the city’s restaurants.) Will be getting into Rome late tonight, ready for plenty of solo exploring tomorrow – dad’s about to get his flight home, so it’s me on my own for a bit!