Saturday 05-07 - Segways and Sarahs

We woke up early to catch the most amazing tour ever. The segway tour of Prague. Earlier in the week we had spotted a group a Segways zooming past. We got excited but it but then let it go.

We got to the square early, about 10-30am. The tour wasn´t set to start until 11 so we waited for the segway guy to show up. The meeting and sign up point was by the astronomical clock. About 10 minutes before 11 we asked another walking tour guide, who it seems was connected to the segway tour. He called segway guy for us, who soon showed up. The tour group consisted of us and an American couple.



Our tour guide was a cute Slovakian guy named Pavo, a few years older than us. We walked behind Pavo´s segway to their HQ. He gave us each a segway and some practise using them. I was nervous at first. I´ve been in 3 car crashes and one moped crash; the latter of which has left scars. I didn't really trust myself with motorised transport. I nervously stepped onto the foot mat.



The acceleration and braking is quite intuitive. You move your weight forward to go forward and back to go back. Turning the left handle controls steering. After a few minutes I got right into the hang of it. I was zooming along with the rest of the group.




Our route took us to the old square and past the Jewish quarter. We travel down the river and cross a bridge to the west side. We continued south to Kampa, where we segwayed through the park. We crossed another bridge and made our way up to Staramestro to finish off. The tour took 2 hours. We passed a large black box in the middle of a street. Pavo explained that this was a ´blind café´ for charity. Sounded interesting so we decided to go back.

The feeling of being on the segway was incredible. Zooming along (at top speed 15kph) and just feeling so free. Both relaxing and energising. definitely worth the money.





After lunch we stopped for cheap Chinese. The outside was very ornate despite being inside an empty shopping centre. There were some interesting names for the dishes. We ordered Chicken with 3 flavours and chicken of surprising taste. They both tasted like generic Chinese food. Also surprising, was a the taste of beef in one.





We strolled to the Jewish quarter. When we planned to do the quarter, we completely forgot that it was a Saturday. Most things were closed. We managed to see some of the cemetary, despite it also being closed. We weren´t too stressed. We had seen many synagogues and the like in Poland and Israel. It was similar to Poland, with the old building decorated with some magen davids.



We found our way back to the blind café, named coffee in the dark.



It was a charity program meant to simulate blindness in everyday life. All the wait staff are blind as well. We were met at the door by a man named Peter. We each put our right hand on the shoulder of the person infront of us. Peter led us into the first room and shut the door. It was very dark, but still had some visibility. Peter led us into the second room. I´ve never been in so much darkness. There was nothing,not even the impression of movement or my hand in front of my face. There was nothing.

By now my instincts told me to move in small, shuffling steps. We were led to our table and our hands were put on our chairs so we could find them. I carefully felt my way to my cushioned chair and felt around the table. We waited for our waitress. We called for her and then waited. It occurred to me how it would feel if this was your life. Not knowing if you had been heard or where she was. Totally unsure. It was unnerving to say the least.

Eventually she came to serve us. I asked for tea and Josh got coffee. Her talking become silence (I assume she left). We waited. Soon the silence became her talking. She told us to put our hands on the table. I felt for the edge and laid my hands flat on the surface. I heard her put something on the table. She took my hand and put it against the cup. It was strange feeling so helpless. We sat for a while drinking our drinks. I listened to the sounds of the place,shuffling and talking over the crowd. It was made even more off putting because every one was speaking Czech. I was without sight and couldn't make sense of what I heard. I felt the heat of the tea through the cup.

The time came when we wanted to leave. We called for our waitress but had no way of knowing if we were noticed. Peter came and asked if we were ready to go. I fumbled out of my chair. I was starting to get anxious by this point. He led us out in a line. As he opened the outer door he warned us to shut our eyes. He was right. The light was so bright it hurt. Slowly I squinted my eyes and let the light come streaming through. We paid for our coffee and were given little souvenir coffee cups.

I was glad to be able to see again. It was quite an experience, one that I´m glad I didn't miss.

That night we had arranged to meet cousin Sarah and her guy Cooper at their hotel. They had just arrived from Vienna that day so this was the only chance we had to meet up with them. It was also Sarah´s birthday.

We stopped of at a bakery and picked up a big slice of black forest cake. We walked up to Sarah and Cooper´s hotel. We were met outside by Sarah with big hugs. It was great to see her again. We went up to their room to drink the free birthday champagne they were given. We caught up on gossip. We gave travel advice for the respective countries we had been to.

Then we walked down the road to a Greek or maybe Turkish restaurant. What we ordered and what we all got didn´t have a lot in common. But the food was decent and no one knew enough Czech to argue, so we laughed it off.

Josh and I led the pair on a walk to near our own hostel. There was a bar we had stuck our heads into the day before that I wanted to try out. U Sudu must have been a cellar or a bunker during the war. It was made up of small rooms that could only be reached down long flights of stairs into the earth and dark rounded tunnels. The atmosphere was great though, really chilled. There were lots of locals too, which is always a good sign. We drank and talked until the time seemed right to move on. We moved back to Lucerna music bar because it as near by and we knew it was a good time. When we arrived the songs were mostly from the 90s. They become more 80s later in the night. At about 1 everyone was feeling tired so we hugged again and parted ways. A great night and a great chance to catch up with them.