Ahoj Praha! After my 20-hour journey from Manila via Dubai, I finally landed in Prague, Czech Republic at 2:50pm. I was met by an AIESECer named Irena. She held a short bondpaper at the arrival hall with my name on it. The first thing we did was purchase a phone and simcard for me. We proceeded to the shops near the arrival hall and went to the Vodafone booth. I got the cheapest unit, the Vodafone 246, for only 777 CZK or approximately 1900 PHP.
After purchasing my phone, we took the bus to the city center. It was agonizing to carry around my 30-kg large luggage, 10-kg small luggage, 10-kg backpack and equally heavy shoulder bag. Upon arrival at the city center, Irena directed me to the train station where I would be taking another train to my final destination.
Upon entering the SC Pendolino train, I noticed how the ambiance was similar to that of the airplanes. The 632 CZK fare I paid for this trip was definitely worth it. The journey was very smooth sailing that's why I easily dozed off. When I woke up an hour later, a tall scruffy looking man was seated infront of me. I noticed that he was trying to start a conversation but I couldn't understand anything he was saying so I simply ignored him. He showed me pictures from his phone and still continued talking. Later on, he stood up and went to the bar at the next compartment. I heaved a sigh of relief because I thought he was not coming back.
But lo and behold, he came back with two tiny bottles of Becherovka, a Red Bull energy drink and two plastic cups. I was hesitant to accept the drink because he was a total stranger. I didn't want to end up like those people in the movies who got drugged by a stranger. But since he was persistent, I eventually accepted the drink after I checked if the bottled were sealed. After I took my first sip, I realized that the Becherovka is actually tasty. It wasn't bitter at all. The alcohol content was quite high though (38%), so I had to decline his offer for a second drink.
After three hours, I finally arrived at my final destination. Two AIESECers, Tomas and Heiner, fetched me at the Hlavni Nadrazi (Main Station). We got lost on our way to my flat because their GPS was not working. When we finally found my place, the guys told me that there was a party with the other AIESECers in the city. Although I was already very tired and sleepy, I didn't want to appear as killjoy so I still accepted their invitation. I merely dropped off my luggage and we took off immediately.
We first went to the pub, Desperado El Tequila Cafe Bar de las Americas in Stodolni Street. From the outside, it looked like an ordinary pub but I was amazed that there was another door inside the pub that led to a pocket garden with another bar. The bartender was a friend of Tomas and he gave us free drinks. An hour later, the other international AIESEC trainees arrived. I met a Colombian, Greek, Bulgarian, Egyptian and guess what...another Filipino!!! What a small world. She is also Bisaya like me so I didn't have a hard time talking to her. Afterwards, we moved to another pub just across the street, Cafe de la Ostrava. Honestly, it looked more like a house rather than a pub. Upon entering the main door, there was a flight of stairs that led to the pub itself at the second floor. It was so cramped yet people were still having fun.
After we each got a shot, Tomas took me and Heiner to Istanbul Kebab. Tomas paid for the 60 CZK kebab and we all ate at the sidewalk while staring at the drunk people around us. It was good to eat something hot with the chilly weather. Later on, we went to Music Club E99, another pub in Stodolni and got reunited with the girls. The pub's interiors were very hip. There were motorcycles hanging from the ceiling and an old car was redesigned as the DJ booth. After some chitchat and dancing, we decided to call it a night. I got home around 2:00am--dead tired yet really happy! I can't believe so many things happened in just a span of one day!
