Aikido × Travel: Enjoying an Aikido Seminar and Dojo Visits in Prague, Czech Republic – Part 13
On the morning of October 30th, I woke up and took a shower, and something immediately caught my attention.
Although the shower room had soap dispensers, every single one of them was completely empty.
I finally understood why the reception sold shampoo and other toiletries—though I couldn’t help feeling slightly amused (and a little taken aback) by their clever business strategy.
At 8 a.m., we met B-san in front of the hotel. He had kindly offered to take us hiking.
When we reached his car, his beautiful Siberian Husky, M-chan, was already sitting inside like a loyal travel companion.
Hranice is a town surrounded by nature, and a short walk takes you right into the forest. However, since the Czech Republic is mostly flat and has few high mountains, we drove for about an hour to reach one of B-san’s favorite hiking spots.
The large parking lot was completely empty—just our car. Apparently, it gets crowded on weekends, so we were grateful for this peaceful weekday hike.
“Don’t forget your gloves, scarf, and warm clothes,” he reminded us.
But once we started climbing the slightly steep trail, we quickly began to sweat. I wondered if we really needed such warm clothing, and before long, I found myself down to just a T-shirt.
As we gained altitude, the air grew colder, and I put my jacket back on.
The path gradually turned rocky, and we watched our footing carefully as we made our way to the summit, where a large mountain hut welcomed us.
The view from the top was, of course, spectacular.
Rain had been forecast for the afternoon, and we felt a few drops, but nothing serious—just enough to remind us of the changing weather.
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Inside the hut, B-san recommended trying their soup. The warmth inside was such a relief.
“M is with me, so I’ll drink outside. You two can stay inside where it’s warm.”
“We’ll stay outside too.”
After all, we’re one team.
We came here thanks to them, and we always stick together.
B-san treated us to garlic soup, while he ordered cabbage soup.
“Careful, it’s hot.”
I scooped up a generous spoonful and tasted it slowly. The warmth spread through my chilled body, bringing comfort, while the bold garlic flavor made it even more delicious. It was exactly the kind of soup we love.
With the crackers and salami we had brought along, our stomachs were perfectly satisfied.
“That’s mine, you know,” he laughed.
Apparently, M-chan had found his sandwich in the backpack and eaten half of it. Even so, B-san simply said, “I should’ve closed my backpack properly,” never blaming M-chan. His gentle heart is something I truly admire—and something I feel I still need to learn.
After strolling around the summit, we descended the mountain. The rain stopped, and blue sky opened above us.
“Even though rain was forecast, nature showed us blue sky too. We’re lucky—it let us enjoy both,” I said, as I often express gratitude toward nature.
“You two are so kind,” B-san replied warmly, wrapping us in a moment of quiet happiness.
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Around 3 p.m., as we returned to the parking lot, a car making loud noises pulled up and asked B-san for help with repairs.
He initially said he couldn’t fix it, but he and Mike still checked the car together with the owner. Meanwhile, I stayed in our car with M-chan, gently petting her.
They couldn’t repair it in the end, but since the owner lived nearby, they felt comfortable leaving the situation to him.
After a short rest at the hotel, B-san returned with his girlfriend, P-san, and we all went out for dinner.
She grew up in this town and shared its history with us as we walked. Thanks to her, we were even able to enter a church in the city.
For dinner, they took us to a unique restaurant with swings at the counter and a motorcycle suspended in the air. Delicious food and lively conversation made the evening fly by.
Although B-san is usually busy with work on weekdays, he took two days off just for us—and even guided us through another forest the following day.
This time, the mountain was lower in elevation, so the autumn colors covered not only the ground but also the trees.
Under the clear sky, surrounded by vivid Halloween colors, it felt like the perfect Halloween day.
On the other side of the hill lies the Hranice Abyss, the deepest underwater cave in the world. M-chan usually dislikes this place and doesn’t go down the stairs, but perhaps because she was with us, she followed along today.
The vertical shaft exposed above the water is about 70 meters deep, and the confirmed water depth reaches 450 meters—yet the bottom has still not been reached. Sadly, a few years ago, a woman who had lost her child took her own life here in protest against the government and police. It is a place with both natural wonder and tragic history.
Beyond an unmanned station lies a park.
“Try it,” we were told, and when we drank the water flowing from a tap, it was lightly carbonated.
Just like in Japan, people come with bottles to collect this natural water.
After stopping by the information center in the park, we finally headed out for the Hranice Abyss cave tour.
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