Berlin? Sounds Good!

So, here's the scoop on my last few days here...

When someone comes into the Czech Republic, they are only allowed to stay for 90 days without getting a visa. My 90 days was up last Wednesday, April 22nd (Also my sister's birthday!). When we were doing our orientation in Kiev, someone told us that they were working on getting us visas so we didn't need to worry about it. So, we didn't. Then as the time inched closer to our 90th day here and still no visa, I started getting worried. So, I asked some of the IMB staff here and nobody knew anything about it. Slipped through the cracks I guess. So, we made a couple calls and get some people working on it. Steve Warren came to our rescue by calling his contact at the Czech Embassy, Petra, and having her send us some visa applications that we promptly filled out and sent back. So, then we got a call saying that on Friday morning at 5:30am, Petra's driver would pick us up and take us to Berlin, Germany where we would get our visas. Berlin? Sounds good! I have always wanted to go to Berlin! It would only be a day trip, but I didn't care because we would have a few hours to take in the sights.

Friday morning came earlier then I would have liked(4:30am). I got up and took a quick shower and got ready. Shortly before 5:30am, Petra called and said that her driver was outside in the silver Mercedes van. So, Daniel and I got our stuff and our passports and headed out. Our driver was a Czech guy that didn't know much English. He was a good driver though. When we got outside, he already had the door open and was waiting on us to get in! So, we got in and then rode to Whitney's house where we picked her up and then headed to another location where we picked up a Mormon guy that was nice, but didn't really talk much. From there we went to one final location, picking up a guy and his mother. Then we were off to Berlin. The ride was pretty uneventful with some chatting and getting to know one another.

When we got to Berlin (which is huge!!!) we got out at the Czech Embassy where we met up with Petra. We went inside where we signed some visa papers and then Petra said that we have 2 1/2 hours to go sight see before we would be heading back to Prague. So, off we went. Steve Warren had told us that the Embassy was near some good tourist spots like Checkpoint Charlie and the Brandenburg Gate. We went first to Checkpoint Charlie which was designated as the crossing point for foreigners and Allied Forces from East Berlin to West Berlin during the Cold War.



After that we got lost and separated, or rather I just kind of wondered off. I then wondered around the city for a while eventually finding the Holocaust Memorial which is pretty cool. I know how that sounds, but it's a monument designed to produce an uneasy, confusing atmosphere that is what Jews felt during the time. After that, I went to the Brandenburg Gate which is pretty cool and to the German Parliment.


(Holocaust Memorial)


(Brandenburg Gate)


(German Parliment)

By the time I got finished looking at everything it was time to head back. I gave myself some extra time to get back though because I had no idea how to get back to the Embassy. I figured that might take some time because I've never been in Berlin and I don't speak the language.

On the way back though, I heard shouting and saw a big commotion. Instinctivly, I headed in the direction to all the fuse to see what was going on, all the while taking out my camera to capture anything interesting. It turned out to be a demonstration by Sri Lankans to make people aware of the otrosities that are going on in there country by the LTTE. They were marching through the main streets and there was a ton of polizei (police) around them in full riot gear. It was interesting! So, I took some quick pictures and then headed on in the direction that i though the Embassy was in.



I finally stopped and asked a cop who speak some English where the Czech Embassy was. He thought I was talking about Checkpoint Charlie. So, I just thanked him anyways and continued on my way. I somehow found myself at the front of the demonstration by the Sri Lankans again, so I took a few more photos and then asked another cop where the Czech Embassy was. This one understood more English and after a little confusion and radioing some other people, he gave me directions back. It turns out I was a block off. Man, so close! I thought I was going to be late getting back, but it turns out that I was the first one there.

We waited for everyone else to get there and then made another uneventful trip back to Prague. So, even though I only got to stay for a couple of hours, Berlin was awesome!!!

Berlin

Sri Lankan Demonstraion

Český Ráj

Český Ráj, or Czech Paradise in English, is a popular vacation spot for Czechs and is a beautiful place filled with amazing rock formations and castles. It has been seen in movies such as The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings.



I recently got a chance to go to Czech Paradise with Daniel and Will and Cail Robbins. It was a bit of a reward for making good head way on the video. We left out from Wills house last Saturday (April 11, 2009) and drove north for about an hour. I had heard Will talk of Czech Paradise, but I did not expect it to be so big! It is huge and has a bunch of little villages in it. First up on our adventure we went to visit Kost Castle.



Kost Castle is beautiful and a really neat place to visit. We went on a tour of the castle and then had lunch at the bottom of the castle. Lunch consisted of a Euro Dog which is a hot dog in a hollowed out bagette. They are good. And Kofola to drink. Kofola, or Communist Cola as I call it, tastes like over-caffeinated Coke with a licorice taste. Not very good. So, after lunch we drove to Prachovské Skály.



Prachovské Skály was amazing! We walked through all these different rock formations and even did a little climbing! It was a blast! Many Czechs come to Czech Paradise to go rock climbing because there are so many beautiful rock formations to choose from. We climbed around on the rocks for a while and even Will got into the action! So, after we had our fill of rock climbing (yea right, we were just wanting to head to another place! I can never get my fill of rock climbing!) we got back in the car to drive to another place. We were heading towards the place when Will realized that the car was on empty and the E light was on. Shortly thereafter, the E light started blinking! No sure why, but it wasn't good. So we headed to a nearby gas station to fill up before heading to Trosky Castle.



We hadn't planned on going to Trosky Castle, but to a place where we could continue rock climbing. The only problem was that we didn't know where the other place was and after a failed attempt and help from some Czech bicyclists, we ended up just going to Trosky Castle. It looked pretty awesome from the outside. Too bad that's all we got to see because it had closed at 5 and we were an hour late. Oh well, we snapped some pictures of the outside the the surrounding countryside and then got in the car to head home. It was a great trip and I thoroughly enjoyed myself! It is amazing to me how Czechs can have a place that nice and not believe in God. He is revealed in creation and this is some of His best work yet!

Kost Castle 1

Kost Castle 2

Český Ráj 1

Český Ráj 2

Obama at Prague Castle

So, last Sunday morning before church, we decided to go to an historic event! The newly elected president of the United States, Barack Obama, came to Prague Castle to speak to Czechs about the economy and about nuclear disarmament. It was really crowded, but a lot of fun! A Czech bluegrass band started things off and then the president gave a speech. Simple. The security was intense, but that was expected seeing how it was the president!



I know for me personally, I liked the snipers the best!!!

Exploring Toulcův Dvůr

So, in the beginning, I thought that the place I lived was a small collection of houses. Boy was I wrong!!! Here is a photo journey of my exploration of my residence!



Exploring Toulcův Dvůr

A Day in Karlovy Vary

Last Saturday, the 4th of April, we went to the small spa town of Karlovy Vary. It is about 2 hours outside of Prague by charter bus. We met up at Florenc metro stop at 10am. Well, everyone else did. Daniel and I thought we were going Hlavní Nádraží which is the main train station in Prague. It's a good thing we left early because we barely made it to Florenc before 10! We had to run! So, we were not off to a great start, but the trip went smoothly to Karlovy Vary.

We got to Karlovy Vary a little after noon so we ate lunch at a McDonald's and then went on our way.

(Notice the apostrophe)

Karlovy Vary is known the world over for it's natural hot springs and many spas. There are at least 12 natural mineral springs throughout the city. The mineral water is said to have medicinal properties helping with digestive problems, mineral deficiencies, etc. The only problem is that the water doesn't taste very good. We first went to the Park Colonnade. It is a walkway attached to a building, but that's like saying that the Mona Lisa is just another painting. It is placed in the middle of a beautiful garden setting and is very ornate.


(Flowers outside Park Colonnade)

After that we went to the Mill Colonnade which has its roof supported by 124 Corinth-style columns that shelter an orchestra pit and five mineral springs. A little side note here, some of the springs are hot springs as I found out the hard way... Live and learn!



From there we walked through the city center following the river that divides the city down the middle. We ended up at the Grand Pupp (pronounced poop) Hotel. It might look familiar if you have seen the movie the Last Holiday with Queen Latifa.



After that we went up to the top of a big hill that overlooked the whole city. There we climbed up to the top of Diana Lookout Tower to see a great view of the city! After that we climbed down the hill and went to the Market Colonnade to get some dinner. We ate at a little cafe and I had a traditional Czech meal consisting of Roast Pork and Bread Dumplings in a sauce. After that we headed back to the bus and home we went. The movie on the way home was an old Czech fairy-tale that was hilarious to watch! I didn't know what it said though because it was in Czech. It was a delightful experience!!!!



Karlovy Vary (Part 1)

Karlovy Vary (Part 2)

Vyšehrad, Lunch, and Dinner!

Last Friday (April, 2009) was a pretty fun day! The day started off with us (Daniel, Steph, and I) meeting up with Whitney and Sam at Vyšehrad, and then walking across a huge bridge to find a place to eat. The walk was long, but the views were worth it!



We ended up walking quite a ways before Steph told us of a place that had really good authentic Italian food! She said it was a little pricey but worth it, so we decided to give it a try. It turns out that Steph was not the only one who liked the restaurant. As we walked down the stairs the wall was filled with the pictures of celebrities who had eaten there. Some of the more notable ones were Sean Connery, Matt Damon, and Morgan Freeman! I ordered the lasagna because Steph recommended it, and it was the only thing I could pronounce because the menu was in Italian. It did not disappoint!



So, after that we went to the park and played Frisbee for a while before leaving to go to Pastor Gareths house. Usually on Friday nights we meet at the IMB office to have a International Bible Study, but since it was near Easter, we all went over to their house to have a Easter Celebration! There was a lot of food and a lot of people! It was soo much fun to be around that many International students!



Pics From The Day

Happy April Fools Day!!!

I got a pleasant yet slightly annoying April Fools Joke today when a tried to watch a video on Youtube.com...



The page layout was all the same, but all the text and the videos were turned outside down! It was funny at first, but then I didn't like it anymore after I had to hold my laptop upside down to watch a video. After looking at the page for a minute I noticed the blue box talking about the "new" Youtube layout. I clicked on the text that read, "tips for viewing the new layout".





Happy April 1st! Way to go Youtube! I love that even though Youtube has grown into a huge company, it still has a sense of humor! So, I went back to the page and in the same box I noticed that written smaller and in parenthesis at the bottom was "I prefer the old-fashioned layout". I clicked on it and everything went back to normal!



Just another one of the reasons why I love Youtube!

1955 Lubitel Camera

I made a purchase a couple of days ago, an old Russian Lubitel Type 1c camera. I bought it from a antique camera store between Můstek and Národní Třída metro stops. It was only 180 Kč which equals out to about $16.50 US. It came with a old looking camera case and instructions on how to use it! Original from 1955! There is even some old Russian writing in it that I have no clue what it means. It also came with an old light meter that is in Czech! I love it! After some fiddling with it, I found out that on the side there is a little door that swivels out of the way to reveal a small compartment for storing lenses. And to my surprise there was a yellow lens in it! Pretty cool! I found out that Lubitel in Russian means Lover. I Lubitel this camera! I have yet to get some film for it to see how the pictures turn out, but I plan on it soon!



My Lubitel

Happy Birthday Moses!!!

Last night I had the privilege of going to the 24th birthday of Moisés Abdou, a Brazilian student that I met at a Bible study out in Dejvická. I got a Facebook message from him telling everyone to come to Nevinny, a local pub near the National Opera House. I'm usually not a big fan of pubs or bars cause I don't drink, but since that's where they were going. I figured why not. So, Daniel and I got directions and headed out. I wasn't sure how to get there because I had never been there before, but luckily we met up with Moses and his Brazilian roommate on the metro platform. It turns out that the directions they sent to everyone were wrong anyways so I'm glad I found him.

We walked to the pub and on the way we met up with Antonio, a friend of Moses' from Spain. We went into the pub and down a concrete winding stairway to a small room with a bar and a few tables. We pulled some tables together and started talking while we waited on the others to get there. the bartender came and got drink orders from everyone (Coke for me). we made small talk as the others showed up. In all there were 5 Brazilians, 3 Americans, 2 French guys, a Czech, a guy from Finland, a guy from Estonia, a girl from Portugal, and Antonio from Spain. It was quite the multi-cultural experience. We had a great time and talked about where we were from and the differences in each culture. Then we took "spontaneous" pictures of each other. It was great!



I had a blast despite the strong smell of cigarette smoke and all the alcohol. Which brings me to another topic. Alcohol is viewed so much differently in other parts of the world then it is in America. In Prague, for example, Czechs view beer as liquid bread. They don't abuse alcohol like we do in the states. They just have a few with their meals and not much more unless they are partying. But regardless of this, my view of drinking remains the same. I don't want to do it. Anyways, the night ended with the Red Hot Chili Peppers and a round of shots for those who wanted them. We went our separate ways after a lively night tram ride where Moses and his roommate tried to get Whitney to sing by singing to her. Awesome night!



Moses 24th Birthday