September 5th Amsterdam - Prague

September 5, 2006
Amsterdam – Prague

Happy 1.5 years to my girlfriend Jackie!

Today was our earliest start of the trip (so far). We got up around 5:30 and were out of the hostel around 6:15. Once we got to the train station we hopped on a train to Hanover, Germany. I slept for almost the entire 4-hour ride.

Upon reaching Hanover, we jumped on another train bound for Leipzig, Germany. Our train was almost completely empty so we watched a few episodes of Entourage and then played around on our computers most of the trip (about 3 hours).

Upon arriving at Leipzig, we were all very hungry and ready for some food. Since we had about 30-minutes until our next train was to depart, we decided to check out what the train station had to offer. Incredibly, this train station was located inside of a shopping mall. I decided to grab a (German) bratwurst for lunch. By the time we finished eating it was time to get back on the train.

Our next train ride was from Leipzig to Dresden. I fell asleep almost as soon as we got back on the train and did not wake back up until we reached Dresden. It was a very relaxing, and much needed, nap.

Upon reaching Dresden, we rushed across the train platform to jump on a train going to Praha (Prague for all you westerners). I didn’t sleep much because the train ride was just over an hour long. It was probably the prettiest ride yet, as we followed alongside a river. We cruised through woodlands and several small, old towns on our way. On the train we met a fellow American (Angelic/April – a lawyer from D.C).

As soon as we got off the train, we (with our new friend) were harassed by little old ladies trying to sell us accommodations. We didn’t trust any of them and decided to go to the information booth. We booked a place fairly close to the train station for just under $20 per night (which is a little high for the area – but still much cheaper than previous cities).

After checking in we went to the bar next door to sample the local eats and world famous beer. Both were amazing. Even better, the food was incredibly cheap compared to our other stops.

For the rest of the night we plan on taking it easy and getting back on the internet (for the first time in several days). We have to be ready to go early tomorrow, as we are moving to a cheaper hostel.

I am also morning the loss of one of my hero’s in life: RIP Steve Irwin…this blog post is dedicated to him

PS - sorry there are no pictures but we were on trains all day long...