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7/04/2009

The quiet side of Praha- Vysehrad

This is a journal late for 6 months. I thought I'll never forget my days in Praha but apparently memory subsides with or without your consent. So I'd better start writing down things I still remember.

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Leaving the hustle and bustle Praha city behind, I found my way to where everything started in Praha, Vysehrad. It took me a while to find the right direction. Police were everywhere on that day. I wonder what was the occasion for such tight security? While I stroll on the quiet lanes in the neighborhood, an attractive mural came in sight. I guess anyone would love to see "the whole picture" under the circumstances. So I took a few steps closer to have a better look ..... hehehehe

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Would you say "ah" or "wow"?

Such mural would never exists in Taiwan. But I kind of like it:-)

It is said that Vysehrad was founded in the 10th century.

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I'll never tired of doors and gates here. They all come in different styles, patterns and history. I must compile a showcase of Praha doors and gates someday!

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I came across this information center on the way to the cemetary. It doesn't look very welcoming. I mean what kind of information center would have door closed during office hour?

CIMG2617 CIMG2616Still I decided to go in and see if I can grab a map there. It looked very gloomy inside, the lady wasn't showing her hospitality and I smell booze. It didn't take long to realize they don't want to be interrupted by tourists. So I left with the repeting wonders in my head: What's wrong with the information centers here?

They don't smile. They don't speak English; and even if they do, they don't talk much as to showcase their country to tourists. Is it just me or them? Maybe I'll enjoy a better service if I speak German?

Anyway, the cenmetary is a great place to visit. This is where the celebrities and important people buried in Chezch. I love the atmosphere and the versertile ways Chezch people honor their beloved ones..

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Check out the pictures I took in Vysehrad here. Don't worry, there's nothing scarry but beautiful works of art.

Technorati 的標籤:,,,

3/08/2009

Bone church 2 人骨教堂

人骨教堂的由來多起源與13世紀的十字軍東征時,有一位修士自聖地巴帶回來一把泥土並灑在教堂四周.教堂立刻成為當時的貴族與富人熱衷的埋藏地點.直到17世紀時的30年戰爭開始有大量湧入導致教堂墓地供不應求.據估記目前教堂至少容納約4萬具屍骨.

那麼小的教堂腹地,你絶對無法想像是怎麼消化4萬具人骨的.

於是傳說指出負責看管教堂的半盲修士開始將人骨排列成幾何形狀,有些人聲稱那位修士瀕臨瘋狂狀態.但是人骨教堂能發展出像現今的規模還是要到1870年受Schwarzenberg 家族委託的雕刻師父František Rint,他受命以人骨裝飾教堂來提醒生命的終曲與人人皆難逃這樣的結局.

教堂的寧靜與明亮,對映成堆的人骨,近在眼前的頭骨,我卻感到相當平靜.

我想著不知道這些或是因病因戰亂還是幸福終老的人們,

最後殊途同歸一起在這個偏僻的小鎮教堂裏.若真有after life,他們不知道怎麼看這個教堂呢?

捷克的教堂多是金光閃閃的天主教堂,但唯有在這個安靜偏僻的小鎮教堂,我才真的放下旅人的警戒心,

做了久違的祈禱.

也許就如同教堂工作人員說的,'It’s the living who scare me'!

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2/14/2009

熱情與哀傷的捷克人

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也許是因為獨自旅行,這一路上陸續遇見幾位捷克男士主動幫忙.這應該是例外,應該是不尋常,但是都讓身為旅人的我感嘆人性的複雜,一個國家或是民族的形象,是不能也不宜以一兩句話來概括形容的.Stereotypes實在是人類文化中的黑洞啊!

我碰到的第一個捷克好男人是在到達庫倫洛夫的第一個晚上.

我知道冬季的布拉格4點就開始入夜了,所以本來就打算做早晨11點的巴士到庫倫洛夫,這樣到達目的地時還不會太黑.沒想到當初在台灣沒有先網購student agency的票是錯誤的,我前一晚要訂時已客滿,只好改搭下一班車.那天晚上走在荒涼又下著大雪的夜裏,先是有個英文很好心腸也好的捷克女孩幫我問路並陪我一邊走到靠近市區的交叉口才離開.接著就是一路領教捷克人指引方向的本事.

提著重得要命的行李箱獨自上下樓梯,在看來無止境的石板路上拖著越來越沉重的行李箱,實在不是愉快的事.等到我終於找到hostel skippy時,我心裡只有一個問題就是-怎麼離開這個鬼地方?

沒想到hostel skippy的主人留著紙條在門上,"午夜才回來"....其他的就不再重覆了.那位在大雪的夜裏熱心得幫我撥電話通知民宿老闆的胖胖男人.我很感謝他.雖然他不懂英語,我不懂捷克語.但是我誠心希望他看得出來我銘感五內的心情.

Well, I should have give him a kiss on the cheek...hehehe

然後是轉戰到Telc,另一個世界遺產小鎮時,一位自願帶我從巴士站走到市中心的捷克男人.我們嘗試著要溝通,但是語言的隔閡實在太大了.從巴士站走到市中心還不是普通的遠,對拖著行李又不清楚方向的旅人來說,更是遠.一路上捷克男人主動幫我拉行李箱.我得承認心裏不是沒有想過 other possibilities,那時連連對著天上聖母祈禱,接著聞到他身上濃濃酒味,再加上幾次狼獊險些絆倒,我從為自己擔心開始為他擔心,心裏想著"天啊,他該不會在途中昏倒在我旁邊吧?!我...不會很想幫他做CPR..."...冬夜裏的捷克小鎮,一路上不超過8個路人,我只能重覆那個僅知的捷克文namesti(意思是廣場)不斷和他確認方向.好不容易終於到了廣場,一片黑暗,那位捷克男士剛好碰到他的朋友(至仍不確定那位是男士還是女士),那位朋友再帶我去就在市中心的民宿.沒想到按了多次門鈴就是沒人應答.那位捷克男士的朋友竟然就熱心的拿出自己的手機撥電話給民宿老闆.

我的運氣太好了!

我連連和那兩位捷克朋友道謝,一掃之前在student  agency bus 上的不愉快經驗.

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回到布拉格後,搭車前往Kuna Hura著名的人骨教堂,參觀完後,散步走到公車站亭等車回布拉格.

拿著地圖又單獨旅行的東方人似乎有點顯眼.一位坐著等公車的不修邊幅的捷克男士靠過來問我是否須要幫忙.

滿嘴的酒氣混合著煙味,捷克男士說他正在學英文,所以英文不太好,但是他會儘量幫我.但其實我也不太需要他幫忙.

接著他又回座位上坐好,斷斷續續的用捷克語夾雜著英語說他的前妻已經再婚,他很哀傷.

我只好木納又有些尷尬得說...I'm sorry foor that.(這時一同等車的5位捷克老太太們一起轉頭看他)

他再敲敲他的腿說這裏曾受過傷,打著鋼釘,之前還得用輪椅代步.

我忍不住說哇那你現在好多了嘛!

捷克男人又苦笑了一下...看得出來他的狀況不太好.

接著好不容易來了一班公車,5位捷克老太太正排隊等著上車,他跟我說這班不是我要坐的.

嗯...對這混身酒味的男人我還是有些不放心,所以只好當著他的面上車問司機,果然不是我該坐的車.

有些歉意的對他笑了笑,他又哀傷的笑了一下,然後就一拐一拐的離開了

 

謝謝一路上曾經幫助我的捷克人.:-)

1/24/2009

5 DAYS from leaving for Prague

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8晚的住宿都搞定了.全部住宿費為5100kc,合台幣若概算為1:2的話,也不過10200NT.實在很便宜.

Prague webcam gives u a quick look at how the city looks like at the moment.

I was whining about the temperature the other day now I'm about to fly to the place covered in snow. Hmmmm, talking about contradictory.

Few people hesitate to ask me again how solo is my trip. Yes, solo, as you know, alone, singular, pereiod.

I take this as a way to say goodbye to my single life. My last chance to explore the world in my own pace. A lot of anonymous friends help me along the way. Comparing with a lovely-printed-but-too-thick-to-bring Lonely planet, I prefer local knowledge from those travelers.

The pool of knowledge made traveling alone more interesting, more tailor-made, more individual, sounds like TRAVEL 2.0? This could be a great research topic.

You can learn from/contribute experiences from here:

ehow

i go u go

trip advisor

As for how far you take them into account? That is your decision.

在當地提款-布拉格之行準備篇

因為看了這篇文章所以特地去辦可以國際提領的金融卡.今天去領台銀的提款卡.申請時特地勾選國際提款的選項

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領好卡片後,我也呆呆的用網友建議的方法測試國際通提的方法(如下)

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結果都已經進入操作畫面,我正準備查詢餘額時...卡片就被吃掉了!

還好是在台灣銀行的atm操作,要不還真會折騰一下子呢!

台銀的人說不清楚為何會被吃掉,但反正這個測試方法用在台灣銀行金融卡是不通的!

不過,Avon's旅遊日誌還是很有幫助哦!

列出最近頻繁使用的網站-

The touching moment 

波希米亞花園 Angus真是好心,素昩平生的他熱心的回信指引我有關布拉格的各種local knowledge.非常感動!Angus我不認識你,但是非常謝謝你:-)

人生況味 出國在外錢很重要.這種過來人的經驗,預習一下是必要的! 

12/31/2008

Going to Prague

前幾天想到也許可以去一下布拉格.雖然不是沒自助過,但是going solo倒是第一次.雖然不是心裏有點小嘀咕...但是去是去定了.

在網路上一找才知道原來布拉格是這麼熱門的背包客景點!但是要在幾天之內消化完這些資料也有點小辛苦.

沒腦袋的問問題有時候也是有點 offensive,所以還是悶悶的自己找資料.還好最讓我害怕的聖誕節活動已經過去了,雖然不盡理想,但是我己經盡力.布拉格就當成是這一學期努力的代價吧!

其實最讓我擔心的還是氣候.1-2月在捷克是年平均溫度最低的季節.還好從網路上得知冬遊布拉格不是只有我一個.讓我放心了不少.

在youtube上看到2007與2008的2月的布拉格景緻影片,真希望到時布拉格的天空也是有太陽的!其實我只期望不要一路下雪難走.

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