【Aikido × Travel】Enjoying an Aikido Seminar and Dojo Visits in Prague, Czech Republic – 05
Today, I’m planning to meet up with my local friends and others in the morning, and they’ve kindly offered to take us sightseeing.
As I was getting ready and munching on a banana, I suddenly felt a slight discomfort in my throat…
Not a great sign.
Maybe I caught something during the training the day before the trip, when I practiced with a friend who had just arrived from overseas. Or perhaps it was from the noisy young people on yesterday’s train.
Either way, it seems quite possible that I picked up a bit of a cold.
I’m always a little vulnerable to overseas bugs, and even though the trip has only just begun, I already have something to worry about.
We’re supposed to meet at 9 a.m. in central Prague.
Google Maps showed several routes, but I chose the tram since it didn’t require any transfers.
Following the navigation, we walked toward the station.
Local people heading in the same direction casually crossed the road where there was no sidewalk, but we chose the safer option and went through a nearby underpass. It smelled a little damp, but no one else was around, and once we climbed back up to the street, we found ourselves at what looked like the tram stop.
This should have been the right place, but I couldn’t find any signs.
Just as I tried to ask the conductor of a stopped tram, the doors closed right in front of me.
When I asked a man nearby, he kindly pointed us to the correct boarding area. We got onto a tram that was waiting there—and to my surprise, it was being driven by the same conductor who had just shut the doors on us.
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That kind man even showed us how to buy tickets.
Since I had already checked the fare beforehand, we bought 40 koruna tickets from the machine inside the tram. The price varies depending on how long you ride.
The tram ride took about 40 minutes.
Luckily, I found a seat, and I couldn’t help but get absorbed in watching the scenery drift by—the colorful buildings, the people walking along the streets, the everyday life of the city.
One large building had broken windows and was covered in graffiti, giving it a rather neglected look. Mike, who hates graffiti, was probably grumbling behind me.
Still, most of the buildings were bright and charming, reminding me once again that I was truly abroad.
These days, I rely heavily on technology when I travel.
By checking Google Maps and matching the stop names with our location, we somehow managed to reach the correct station.
It was now 8:55 a.m. Not much time left before our meeting.And as always in the morning, I urgently needed a restroom.
Right after getting off, I spotted a “WC” sign and hurried downstairs. I thought it might be an information center or a public restroom, but it turned out to be paid.
There was no time to fumble with money, so I pointed at Mike behind me and told the lady at the counter, “He will pay,” then dashed straight inside.
While enjoying the relief, I heard the lady and Mike exchanging words—half in Czech, half in English.
It sounded like he was saying, “This is all I have.”
We had paid for the tram by card, and the only cash we had was the bills we withdrew from the ATM yesterday.
The restroom fee was 20 koruna, but the smallest bill we had was 200.She was probably complaining that we didn’t have smaller change.
Sorry, Mike.
As expected, when I came out, Mike explained what happened.
“She said the bill was too big.”
“So what happened?”
“She gave me a bunch of coins.”
When I counted them, there were exactly 180 koruna.
We must have been quite the troublesome customers first thing in the morning.
From there, we walked about five minutes to the café where we were meeting everyone.
It was raining, so we walked with our umbrellas open, and along the way we found the cutest little café—something straight out of a fairy tale.
We arrived at the meeting spot.
Our friends hadn’t arrived yet, so despite the cold, we sat on a bench outside and enjoyed the view until they showed up.
Once inside, I mentioned that my throat was hurting, and they kindly recommended a ginger hot tea.
After that, I found myself ordering it whenever I had the chance.
I wasn’t very hungry, but I tried a bite of “koláč,” a traditional Czech sweet bread that my friends recommended.
Since I’m not big on sweets, the small portion was perfect for me.
Mike ordered a hot chocolate, but as it cooled, it started to solidify—it was literally melted chocolate. Czech hot chocolate is no joke.
After that, we headed to Prague Castle.
The old town, preserved in its historical form, was full of character everywhere we walked. Just strolling through the streets felt like stepping into a storybook world.
I didn’t have any strong impressions of the Czech Republic before coming here, but the more I walked, the more I found myself drawn to its charm.
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