After two surprisingly smooth (but relatively sleepless) flights - Chicago to Madrid, Madrid to Prague - I arrived safe and sound in Prague. After changing some money and rearranging my luggage I headed out to the waiting area with some anxiety. I had plans to meet my university "buddy," who said she could help me with my bags and offered her home as a place to stay until Wednesday, when I move into my flat. What we hadn't discussed included: where exactly we'd meet, our appearances, phone info or backup plans.
As I glanced around trying to look nonchalant but secretly flipping out, I heard my name ring out from the crowd. I spun and saw my tall, composed, and beaming buddy coming towards me to save me from my nerves. Luckily for me, she had assumed that I would not look Czech or Spanish, and that I would have more luggage than most people. When I (being obviously neither Czech nor Spanish and lugging more than my weight in suitcases) stepped out of the doors she knew she'd found me. I've never been so happy to be an obvious American.
We hopped on a bus, transferred to a tram, and then walked up to her lovely flat - which is home to the oddest lift (elevator). The lift stops at the half floor, which means you have to still go up or down a flight of stairs to reach the apartments. After showering off the stench of airplane (a noxious mix of sweat, stale air, alcohol from the winos in front and behind me, airplane food, and lavatory odors...) we headed out to walk from across the river and through the cobbled streets of Praha 1 - Staré Město (Old Town).
Prague is separated into different districts, all numbered. I'll be living in Praha 2 - Nové Město (New Town), which is south of Old Town but still really really really old - by American standards at least. New Town has existed since the rule of Charles IV, who also founded my university in 1348. So it's not that new anymore...But it is home to many beautiful buildings, most built in the 19th and 20th centuries with some still surviving from earlier times.
Back to today. After being a bit touristy and pulling out my camera several times to catch shots of the castle, the river, and the architecture, we met up with my buddy's flatmate and the three of us headed to Zizkov, in Praha 3. We had a tasty meal at a restaurant named Lavička, and were able to enjoy the warm, sunny fall weather on the patio, overlooking a garden. If I hadn't been almost falling asleep in my delicious mushroom risotto it would have been even better, I'm sure.
Back in Praha 7 at my hostess' home we decided to venture out to the Sparta v. Slavia game at the stadium nearby, despite hearing that the game was sold out. Walking over, it became clear that the game was not only sold out but also a huge deal to those in attendance. Like Korea, drinking alcohol in public is allowed here, so the area around the stadium was filled with people tailgating...and as I write, those same people are now filling the streets and cheering as they stumble home from a 3-0 match (for Sparta). Earlier in the day we even witnessed a man chuck his half-drunk beer cup out the window of our tram - and apparently his mouth was a foul as his littering habit. Anyway, when it became clear that we had no chance of getting in to see the game, we hung out on a side street and watched the police drag people out who had become too aggressive, while catching glimpses of the match through a gap in the stadium. We cheered along with the first two goals, which rocked the stadium as fans leapt up and bellowed their appreciation in unison.
While it would have been amazing to stand among that mass of people (the TV estimated 20,000 in attendance), I was happy to walk home, take off my shoes and say na shledanou (goodbye) to my first day in Prague. I'm looking forward very much to an indefinite number of wonderful days ahead in the city that will be my home.
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