A Road Trip to Prague

The overcast city of Vienna couldn't have invited the sun, as merrily as it did invite us. My wife and I were heading for our second trip to Europe covering Czech, Austria and Germany. The trip was supposed to be more adventurous, the stakes even higher. We wanted to take our confidence from our past Italy trip to another level this time.

Many firsts this time. More of road travel, All of apartments, lesser reserves of Euros and an altogether divine world to explore. But, it all began from that road trip to Prague from Vienna.

**  Here's some background to the road trip   **

Arriving from Mumbai, King Hamad International airport at Doha, Qatar appeared more of a swanky bus stand than an airport. Arrays of chairs were lined up, one after the other, and almost all of them, occupied.

Array of chairs - Doha Airport - Rare Vacancy ! - Image Courtesy - wikipedia

The kind of investments that seemed to pouring in, it'd rather sooner than later, that Doha turns out to be an air-traffic hub. The 'Wi-Fi' on the airport was amazing, if not the wash-rooms.

The quaint desert charm outside complimented the flashy 'Duty-Free' shop inside.

Qatar Airways Air crafts in the Hangar

Desert as viewed from the Doha Airport

Flashy Duty Free in the Doha Airport

We were travelling from Mumbai in an early morning flight and with the time zone difference favoring us, we reached Doha rather instantly. Having been to Duty-Free shops before it was a known fact that at the end, these shops turn out to be.... expensive. Doha further substantiated our notion. Having rushed our way through in morning, the 2 hour odd break at the airport was refreshing. Few cups of coffee gulped the throat, and the sapped energy levels found much needed invigoration. With a vibrant and bustling airport.... the time was well spent. However this was prelude, to the larger story that lay ahead us, The road trip to Prague.

** Why the road trip to Prague **

Firstly, the apartment at Prague was booked for a good three days. Of what was learnt about Prague, we had to be on our toes for all of them to gasp in its beauty. Therefore, there was not a moment to be lost. More so, we hadn't booked ourselves any hotel/apartment in Vienna, and with our mid-day flight, the sooner we'd reach Prague, the better it would be.

Further, it wasn't about the choice between the two cities either, as Vienna was already on our travel list in the latter part of the trip. As our earlier trip to Italy was completely on rail-road, this time we wanted to explore the bus, by exploring the countryside, or rather vice-versa.

Student Agency Bus - Delighted us with amenities

(And yes, I never denied that the buses in and to Czech (and Germany) are far cost-effective than trains.)

** The Trip **

The moment we landed at Vienna from Doha, we were taken away by its grandeur and beauty. We were quite sure that we would have a great time coming back in the same city a good two weeks later. But for the moment, we had to rush our way to Prague. The ritual visit to the 'Tourist Center' was not particularly exciting as even the lady at the help desk was not amused about our leaving Vienna for Prague almost immediately. The jet fatigue and the chilled weather took some toll and definitely made us feel dizzy. Few school children greeted us on the Vienna airport with beautiful smiles and volunteered for a free map of the city. It's such a simple and effective idea! Guess why isn't it emulated otherwise in the world.

The backbone of our cost-saving exercise was laid in using the 'Student Agency' bus services. The ticket on rail Europe (Vienna-Prague) over the counter could cost us anywhere around 80-90 Euros per person. A booking almost a fortnight in advance wouldn't have made any difference either. A completely astronomical figure compared to 25 Euros quoted by the bus agency. A series of mail exchanges from back home in Mumbai, among other things, made it clear that they indeed did operate few of their buses right from the Vienna airport. That was another saving of 10 euros !! Jokes (read Euros) apart, it would save us the hassle to change buses and in-turn precious time. More so, we'd spend some time to explore the exquisite and famed countryside of Europe.

Country Side in Brno, Czech

But, the only caveat was that, we weren't sure about the arrival timings of our flight. What if there's some delay in the flight ? This was a big unforeseen risk, so we had to book our ticket on board.

Thankfully, the flight landed on time. We quickly rushed outside to catch our bus to Prague, to be on schedule for the 15:45 departure. The bus platform was just a stone away and we were very much in time. The squashy yellow colored bus came dot on time. As we inquired about the availability, a Pandora-box opened through the attendant that said...

"Sorry, No vacant seats in any of the buses till 2000 hrs"

The entire trip itinerary was to go on toss, if that bus didn't happen. 

And Guess what, it didn't. 

That was the twist in the tale. We had to devise a Plan 'B'. Then and There.

Inside the airport, there was an OBB (Austrian Rail Carrier) counter. Thought of people leaving for Ceski (Native pronunciation for Czech) from Austria was not amusing Austrians much either.

The price quoted for the same day train was 85 euros. So, we decided to take a bus from the airport to the city, as the train station and the bus hub to Czech, both were at convenient distance in the city. Again the more we saw of Vienna, the more we realized how beautiful it was! The sun came out , as a connoting anti-climax to the tale. The problem, though, was not sorted completely. The English language wasn't that widely spoken around and our accent was neither helping us getting directions the boarding point for Czech bound buses.

We got directed, and re-directed while seeking directions. Almost from nowhere, a gentleman came and we happily discovered that he happened to be a frequent traveler to Ceski. After guiding us for few metro stops, he bid us assuring adieu, that reaching Prague would not be a problem. It was sunny 17:00 hrs, by the time, this part of the story unfolded.

We reached the destined place to realize that buses emanating from the city for Prague too were completely occupied. And occupied till 21:00 hrs.

At the same time, a bus heading to Brno (Czech city) arrived. We could happily spot some vacant seats, as we were told by the fellow waiting travelers that Brno was en-route to Prague.

The moment we heard that, we joyfully barged in the bus, without any hesitation. The bus journey was far more comfortable than most of the flights back home. So much so, that at times it felt unreal. Within fifteen minutes, we left the precinct of the city. For the period of fifteen minutes we soaked and relished the beauty of Vienna in a complete awe. But, what was to follow, was even better. Miles of open farmlands, dotted by picturesque windmills. Symbiosis' metamorphism to turn itself true nature. The landscape that vignetted outside our seat window, flew along our fatigue in a matter of few seconds.

Clean blue sky charmed us with the eclectic hue of orange of the setting sun. The flowers adorning the balcony of the village house welcomed us with divine brightness. The Highway was excellent, but the villages around even better. The chair under the shade of the odd tree in the farm would have given solace to a lot of tired souls, I thought. The carefully painted houses, and the meticulousness of the planning, even in villages was simply unbelievable. (This trip is a definite recommend.) Frame after frame, moment after moment, the landscape was exquisite.

Flowers across the highway

Beautiful Flowers adore the travelers - Village across the Road Trip

The Orange Hue of the evening sun

Windmills - Symbiosis metamorphosing in nature

Relaxed chairs , farms and the lake - Manifestation of Peace

We virtually blazed to Brno. The elderly man alighted with us, and voluntarily approached bus counter and conveyed us that there were exactly 2 seats available in a bus heading to Prague in next 2 minutes flat. Without any hesitation, I went to the counter, to encounter, yet another twist.

'No Euros, only Czech Krowns accepted!'

It was rather difficult situation, with a rather small city bus stop, when you are just 2 minutes away for the bus, if ever, even the currency could play the spoilsport !! The counter lady politely refused persistent requests to accept Euros. But almost then, with our bus in sight, a man walked and offered to exchange some Krowns for euros. He appeared as a fellow traveler in the bus silently observing things as they unfolded, and till this date I wonder what strange connection led him to that gesture. In some senses, it pro-founded my travel for soul belief.

Czech Krowns acceptance - Not a pleasant surprise

[As a matter of fact, Euros are accepted very freely in Czech, in fact it's kind of a parallel currency. The government establishments and few operators that insist only on Czech Krowns are kind of an exception.]

As we boarded, almost immediately the bus sprang into action. As we hit D1 highway, the bus sped with eaze. If the outskirts of Prague had mammoth retail inventory sites, the city in itself was as ethnic as I had ever imagined.  

By the time we opened the keys of the apartment in Prague, the clock had raced to 22:30. There was little, if any, time left to see Prague that day, but then with memories of such a wonderful road trip, there weren't any complaints either!

Stay Duration :        3 days at Prague after this trip

Stay Place:              MH Apartments, Prague, Recommended

Travel Companion : Better Half

Travel Phases :        One

Arrived through:      From Vienna
During:                    Sept, 2013

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Any feedback on my post? Similar Stories to share ? Any suggestions I can provide for Prague/Vienna. Looking forward to your comments.

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Marylise Vigneau | Havana I & II

Photo © Marylise Vigneau-All Rights Reserved

"I do not pretend, I don’t explain. Those who look at my photographs can invent their own story. I pass by, ask questions, wonder at things. And the little click of the shutter is no more than a reverence. And that is all that really matters." --Marylise Vigneau

Havana! Amongst the best cities in the world for street photography, and where my fondness for this style was born more almost 14 years ago. Life in Havana happens outside of its dilapidated buildings, and I don't have to tell my readers that its people are incredibly photogenic;  the mix of African, Carib Indian, and European has created a melting pot of handsome people, endowed with wonderful hospitality, remarkable musical talent and exuberance.

So it was with great pleasure that I saw that Marylise Vigneau uploaded photographs of Havana on her website. In fact, there are two galleries; Havana I (color photographs) and Havana II (monochrome photographs which competed for my attention...and I decided to show both in this post.

Photo © Marylise Vigneau-All Rights Reserved

I honestly don't know which I prefer from these two; the young man showing off his biceps to the photographer while around the corner, another man and his dog are unaware of this unfolding story...or the monochrome photograph of three young girls making dance moves in a street.

Marylise Vigneau is a French photographer and has traveled quite extensively, as her galleries attest. These include work from Cambodia to Uzbekistan, from Mongolia to Myanmar, from China to Sarajevo including powerful and compelling images made at a mental hospital in Lahore.

In an interview she tells us "I walk and wait to be surprised, intrigued, moved or amused." Perhaps she does that...but her work transcends this simple philosophy.

The Vedic Disciples | "Wet Plate" | Exposure

I've just published The Vedic Disciples on the Exposure platform, using a digital wet plate preset to give the monochromatic photographs an ancient appearance which befits the location.

The photographs (originally in color) were made at the Vadakke Madham Brahmaswam Vedic Institute in Thrissur, and is of the activities at an ancient Vedic 'gurukul' (or training/boarding school; very similar to the Buddhist monasteries for novitiates), where the young students follow this way of teaching sacred Vedic scriptures.

There are four Vedas: Rig Veda, Atharva Veda, Sama Veda and Yajur Veda. The Vedas include more than 100,000 verses and additional prose.

It is an ancient Indian educational system; currently being rejuvenated with the assistance of the Indian government. The young boys who populate the Vedic school belong to a caste of Keralan Brahmins, and are responsible to carry on the age-old tradition of chanting Vedas during religious rituals or functions. The chanting is learned by practice, and nothing is written down. 

The rhythm of the Vedic chants is followed by the young boys' moving their bodies in cadence to the verses, which reminded me how the Buddhist novices recite their mantras, or how the Islamic students recite the Qur'an at their madrasas...and how Jewish worshipers sway during their prayers. 

The tradition of Vedic chanting is often considered the oldest unbroken oral tradition in existence, while the Vedic texts date to roughly the time of Homer. It is said that the Vedas -as they are called- are a vast collection of hymns that were heard by ancient Indian sages when they were in a deep meditative state.

Summit Up! Project Off and Running

I first mentioned the Summit Up project back in February, when Mark Zimmer first announced his intentions of climbing to the highest point in every state in the U.S. Now that April has arrived, he's off and running, bagging these "peaks" as quickly as he can.

You can read all about Mark's progress on his blog, where you'll learn that he has already claimed the high points in Indiana, Missouri, Arkansas, and Louisiana. He's now off Colorado, where he'll go after the 14,433 foot Mount Elbert, which is likely to be one of his more challenging climbs until Denali or Rainier.

The Summit Up project is not only a cool adventure though, it also an attempt to raise funds, and awareness, for Alzheimer's research with the Alzheimer's Association. Mark is working with some very good sponsors, such as North Face and Cloudveil, to help supply his climbs, and is accepting donations as well. Obviously, this is a very worthy cause, and a great way to bring awareness to it.

Be sure to drop on by the Summit Up website in the weeks ahead, as Mark continues to go after his goal.

Alan Arnette Announces Memories Are Everything: The 7 Summits!

While I was away playing in the jungle, Alan Arnette made a major announcement that I was disappointed to have missed and posted about at the time. But I am happy to make up for that now, in passing the word along on Alan's Memories Are Everything: The 7 Summits project.

Essentially, beginning in 2010, Alan will begin climbing the Seven Summits in an effort to continue to raise awareness and funds for the Alzheimer's Association, who he partnered with for his Road Back To Everest project last year. That endeavor raised more than $25,000 to for research in the search for a cure for Alzheimer's, but this time around Alan has his sights set even higher, hoping to raise $1 million dollars as he attempts to climb the tallest mountain on each of the seven continents.

This is a deeply personal project for Alan, whose mother suffers with the disease. He offers an update on her recent progress, and like all long term sufferers of Alzheimer's she continues to decline, and recognizes her family less and less all the time. My own grandfather had the same condition in his later years, and it was painful at times to see him struggle with his memories.

Even though Alan doesn't plan to step foot on the first mountain until 2010, you can begin donating to the cause today. The page is already set up and can be accessed by clicking here.

You can also learn more about the Seven Summits on Alan's summary page found here. it seems like he's going to be covering all of his bases, by climbing Carstensz Pyramid and walking up Kosciuszko in Australia as well.

I can't wait to follow along with Alan's latest project. Not only is it a cause that I fully support and have personal insight into, but I always love reading Alan's dispatches from the field and following along on his climbs. Now if you'll excuse me, I have ot head over to his Everest 2009 page to catch up everything I missed over the past week and a half.

Jan Møller Hansen | The Sadhus (Monochrome)

Photo © Jan Møller Hansen - All Rights Reserved

I missed this year's Maha Shivaratri (or just Shivratri) in Kathmandu! Celebrated on February 17, 2015 by Hindus all over the world, it glorifies the Hindu god Shiva, believed to be the lord of cosmic destruction and dance.

It's described as starting with a night vigil leading up to the day of the festival during which many Shiva devotees fast and offer special prayers. Shiva is worshiped in the form of a lingam, a vertical, rounded column, representing the male creative force and the infinite, indescribable nature of God, and the yoni which represents female creative energy. Together they represent the union of organs, and the totality of creation.

And listen to this: flowers, incense and other offerings are made, while prayers are chanted. Bhang, an intoxicant made from the cannabis plant is consumed by many on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri.

How could I have missed it?

Anyway, to partially redress the disappointment is Jan Moeller Hansen's The Sadhus,  a monochrome gallery of about 50 portraits of these itinerant ascetics in Kathmandu; some of who attend the Maha Shivaratri festival with considerable zeal. After all, Nepalese authorities are said to have spent almost Rs 900,000 in cash, food and blanket donations to the 5000 sadhus who had come from various parts of Nepal and India to celebrate the festival at the Pashupatinath Temple premises.

It was estimated by the Nepali newspapers that around a million devotees from India and Nepal thronged the ancient Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu on Maha Shivratri festival on February 17.

Jan Møller Hansen is a self-taught photographer interested in social documentary and street photography. A senior diplomat working with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, Jan is presently based in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Around 24 galleries of his photographs (some color and others in monochrome) are of Nepal. Jan also photographed the Rana Tharus who live in the Tarai, a narrow strip of land which extends across 550 miles of the southern border of Nepal, next to northeast India, and whose ethnic origin are said to be  Rajput, members of a high caste in Rajasthan.

Blog's 1st Anniversary. The Day. For an Age !

This post is to commemorate the first anniversary of the blog.

What a remarkable journey this has been !! Culminating with a great sense of satisfaction.

So, before it appears more of a farewell speech, I reassure the readers that it is the beginning of a great story.

Your ideas, and feedback are more valuable than anything else.

The Accolades page contains some posts that did well for contests.

Few avenues where I look forward to your affection, are popularizing and promoting the blog's social media page (as in link below:):

Facebook

There is a follower's tab too, in case you donot want to miss on any of the post.

Hope the learning continues !

Simply Travel.

Travel for Soul