Czechia or Czech Republic

I arrive pretty early in Prague. I am lucky, once again my room is available right away. I am not a big fan of this hotel choice. The hotel has AC, is in a good location – but my only window is small and doesn’t let much light in. The room is musty. I can expect to have sinus issues in a day or two like I tend to get in rooms like this.

Czech Republic, or Czechia, has been on my travel radar for a while. Once known as Bohemia it used to be part of a larger country called Czechoslovakia that was under communist rule.

I rest a little bit and then go out to get lunch. I end up at a very touristy but traditional Czech restaurant. There is a person playing the accordion while we eat. I try the goulash and the recommended dark beer. The meat and sauce of the goulash is good but not sure I am a fan of the bread dumplings. Their purpose is more so to soak up the sauce but alone they are too much bread and not tons of flavor. They seem to be quite popular here though.

After lunch I walk around trying to make the most of the day. I come to a square where I see a rotating head of Franz Kafka for the first of three times during my stay in Prague (other two times on guided tours). This time I am actually able to see it in action since it only runs once a hour. This monument built by David Černý was actually commissioned by the shopping center next door. They wanted a complimentary statue of the famous local author to attract attention to their shopping center. And it worked. There are also some hanging men (and women) hanging about town. One popular one is by Černý and is supposed to be Sigmund Freud.

Next I try the famous trdelnik dessert, very similar to other deserts in the region (aka chimney cake). I am not impressed. It is a dry doughy vessel but the inside custard, strawberries and light whipped topping are not bad. I am told later by a guide that you need to order it fresh and without anything inserted. Apparently they use the stale bread because it is a better vessel for ice cream and such. Overall the dessert is not my cup of tea so I’ll just skip it for now on.

I walk across the Charles Bridge to the other side of Prague. The bridge is crowded and hot. I am looking forward to reaching the other side and the park that is my destination. I first stop to see a mill troll and a John Lennon tribute wall. The wall at one time may have been nice but I see tour guides encouraging graffiti on this wall that is pretty much a scribble wall. I am sure the writings have meaning but its not attractive to look at.

I head to the nearby park to enjoy some shade and get a look at some creepy baby statues with barcode heads. Another David Černý work of course.

I head back toward the other side again and while I cross the bridge I watch paddle boats paddling around and boats waiting to travel through canal locks to higher level.

I walk down to the famous dancing house. There is a cocktail bar at top that I’d like to visit sometime.

I happen upon a hidden park (first of a couple times during my visit). It is a beautiful green space in the middle of a busy city.

I decide to go see a movie in an art house theater, Cinema Svetozor. The theater shows movies in the original language so I see the Wes Andersen’s Asteroid City.

Luckily I don’t have to wake up early tomorrow because my scheduled day trip doesn’t begin until after noon. I have a tour to the town of Kutna Hora booked for tomorrow.

Images from around town at night.

Copenhagen

I leave Ribe on a regional commuter train and switch trains at Bramming and somehow get a direct train to Copenhagen even though it seems like most have switches in Odense. I purchase an assigned seat but the train I am on does not have the car I am assigned to so I just grab a seat anywhere (we are on a two car train for some reason). Fortunately no one makes me get up for my entire journey. I have no train snacks because none of the stores are open before I leave in the morning.

My original plans had an overnight stop in Odense, the home of Hans Christian Andersen. Because I really dislike rushing through cities I cut out this stop and added time to Copenhagen instead. This gives me an excuse to return to Denmark.

I didn’t sleep well last night because of the party outside until late. Luckily I nap on the train ride.

It’s a 20 minute walk to my hotel so I grab a croissant sandwich and coffee for the journey. My room isn’t ready yet upon arrival which is probably good because I can see myself lazily lounging in my room until it is time to meet a friend later. I had originally planned to do laundry during this time as well but the weather is too beautiful to be inside. Hopefully I can make my clothes last a couple more days (sorry Copenhagen about my smell).

From my hotel walk towards what looks like the center of town. I end up on a busy shopping street. I notice truckloads of high school graduates in mobile parties like the ones I’ve seen in other towns. These are loud and more high tech though. One truck backs up into the square I am in and loads of kids come swarming, stripping off their clothes and bathing in a fountain. What fun! I will continue to see truck after truck of party goers the next few days (you can always hear them coming with the music and whistles).

There is a mermen statue underwater that I try to get a look at but the water is cloudy.

My friend reaches out. She is biking down and will meet me at a beer bar around the corner. We grab some beers and sit outside in the nice cool air and chat. It is very warm in the sun but in the shade the temperatures are perfect.

She takes me around town and shows me landmarks and gives me advice. We stop for a cider across the street from a Scientology building where there is a desk for L Ron Hubbard, if he ever comes back.

From there we share a BBQ plate at WarPigs, a Mikeller location that has American style BBQ. The BBQ pork rivals what I can get in the USA. The location is in the Meat Packing District which is basically an old meat packing district home now to many hangouts in its unassuming blue and white color buildings.

We go down by the water and enjoy the nice early evening. Danes are all about soaking up the sun. I am very lucky to be here this time of year with the sun constantly shining despite’s my annoyance that I will sometimes sweat here.

I finally check into my hotel and there is no AC as usual but I have a fan so I feel lucky. There is noise outside but I am so tired that I sleep well.

In the morning I head out early to get coffee. I am meeting my friend for brunch but not for a couple hours.

She suggests this very funky cafe Bankeråt around the corner from my hotel. There are lots of animal heads and other things…very strange. Brunch is the Danish style where you can choose a number of items from a list and they all come out in little containers (similar to what I did the other day in AArhus). It is like tapas for brunch.

She has errands to run so I wander around town by myself, first stopping to check out the food hall TorvehallerneKBH near my hotel. I am full now so I make a note to return.

This is a bike centric town so one has to make sure you are not actually walking in a bike lane. Bikers are pretty good at avoiding tourists but its always good to watch out for them.

I rent a bike and ride out to Superkillen park, a funky park in the Norroborro district that was designed to incorporate themes related to nearby immigrant groups.

I get on a bike again but this time starting my search for the popular little mermaid statue. I make a pit stop in a park and the happen upon some historic housing.

I find the genetically modified version of the little mermaid first, a modern art take on the historic character. There is also other weird sculptures in this area that looks like it is also a cruise port.

I eventually make it to the actual little mermaid and it is crowded with tour groups lining up to take pictures with the mermaid. I sit aside for a while thinking if I wait in out the crowds will die but they never do. I eventually get up and go snap some pictures myself, doing my best to avoid the crowds in my photos.

I continue on along the water to a waterside seafood restaurant where I get some fish and chips and a drink and watch the boats pass by. It is a beautiful day which I guess are rare here. I am very lucky because most of my days are beautiful.

I walk to Nyhavn district, the distinct beautiful view of the city with the colored buildings. I watch the drawbridge as the boats pass underneath.

I’ve been warned about the pricing of the area so I stop in a cute bar that is on the way back to my hotel to get a carrot cake themed whisky cocktail that is quite good.

Tomorrow I plan to check out the historic theme park Tivoli and try to beat the upcoming rain.

Back to Medellín

M and I head to Medellín Colombia today. It is the second time for me and the first for her. A couple weeks ago I spent some days leisurely around the city. I hope to see more this time around.

The flight to Medellín from Cartagena is only around an hour and ten minutes so our travel journey is not long. The flight is in the morning and I order a cheese and ham toasted sandwich to hold me over before my journey.

When we arrive we check into the same hotel I stayed in prior, Diez Hotel Categoria in El Poblado. It is a good choice. Our room has two beds and a hammock that overlooks the neighborhood.

I wasn’t sure how we would feel when we arrived so we didn’t have much booked on our first day in Medellín. Luckily we are early enough to take a free walking day tour with Real City Tours (pay guide by tips).

Fortunately I already navigated the metro during my prior visit so we took the metro to meet our tour.

We are a little early for our tour so we stop for a beer in a old charming bar called Salón Málaga. Most were not drinking, in fact we thought we were getting a sneer from the table next to us but we ended up chatting with the girl and her mother instead. They were Spanish speaking but actually live in the USA and were tourists in Medellin as well. We made plans to share a taxi with them to Guatapé the next day but plans fell through when they had to leave town early.

We meet up with our tour guide who then takes us around the city and points out different landmarks.

El Monumento a La Raza (sculptor Rodrigo Arenas Betancourt) – bronze sculptures symbolizing the culture of Antioquia

At one point we sit by an old train station (Edificio Antigua Estación del Ferrocarril de Antioquia) where our guide gives us a “real talk” about the history of Medellin – tells us the history of all the factions that caused turmoil: the government, the military, drug lords, right wing militia, left wing militia. The losers are the ordinary people who had to live through the war and terror.

We are taken to a shopping district where there are lots of pop up stands you can get cheap goods (Carabobo pedestrian street).

National Palace Mall

Sex workers hang out in front of this church.

We are told where to go to get some great empanadas

We end up at the Botero park where we can see lots of Botero statues.

Our guide talks about the metro and the pride the locals have for their train.

We are told the area under the train is where people go to exchange goods. We don’t have time to watch but we go back later to see it in action. Mostly men take items to exchange (belt buckle, watch, coins or whatnot) and engage with conversations with others to see if a deal can be made. It is interesting to watch and seems to be a sport of its own in the city.

We walk by some musicians playing outside at Parque Berrío. People are dancing to the music.

Church across the street from Berrio Park

Our guide talks about some local fruits. I finally get to try that weird looking fruit (guama) from my first visit to Medellín.

Finally he takes us to the Parque San Antonio where he tells us the story of the bombed statue.

At the end there is a question and answer session about the city. Some was asking about seeing a futbol (soccer) game while in town. The guide tells us about the upcoming El Clásico Paisa game. I don’t listen too carefully because at this point going to a soccer game in Medellín seems too intimidating to me. Plus I am not sure we’ll have time. M pays attention though and is able to talk me into attending the game. More on that later.

Cartagena

It is my first full day in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia. I have a couple days here alone before a friend comes to meet me. I’ll save the major sights for when she arrives, now is the time for me to enjoy the city leisurely.

Fortunately I wake up early enough to take advantage of the free buffet breakfast at the hotel. A friendly kitchen staff member greets me and asks how I would like my eggs. I enjoy coffee and the buffet of fresh fruit along with my eggs.

Against better judgement I have been eating a good amount of fresh fruit in Colombia but it isn’t until my visit to Cartagena that it has an effect on me. The bacteria in Cartagena is different than other parts of Colombia. I have some mild stomach discomfort here (the water quality has something to do with its lower elevation).

After breakfast I wander around to explore and stop to order a fun cocktail and a snack at Lobo de Mar.

I am once again in another town where the buildings are painted in vivid colors. It is a beautiful sight to see.

I grab a beer and rest in the courtyard of my hotel to escape the heat and book some tours.

The next day or so is about the same; I take things easy.

I see on a map the home of Gabriel García Márquez (the famous Colombian author) but I cannot find it. While I really like the novel Love in the Time of Cholera, I had a annoying experience reading One Hundred Years of Solitude. Many praise the novel but I find it impossible to follow. There are so many characters introduced in different timelines and they all seem to have similar names. I’ve tried to read it three times and still have not been able to complete it. I am unable to locate the house.

I did see this boutique hotel in his honor…..the map shows that this hotel is right next door to the house. If it is there I did not see it.

There is also a fortification around the city “Murallas De Cartagena”. One can walk along the walls as I did a few times during my visit.

More city photos

One plaza has a bunch of sculptures by Edgardo Carmona, a local sculptor.

I soon find one of my favorite places to have a drink in town – Cuba 1940. I watch live music here a couple days later. (Cartagena really makes me want to party, lol).

While people watching I’ve seen Captain America, Iron Man, Deadpool, Spiderman, Edward Scissorhands and a large-bellied man dancing shirtless in a hula skirt. Being Friday night people must be out for birthday celebrations or stag nights. Cartagena is a fun city.

Later on I treat myself to a nice meal at Agua De Leon restaurant. The restaurant is busy but they are able to seat me at the bar. I still have a view of the live band playing up front.

The next day …

I have a travel partner again! My friend M has arrived. I’ve checked out of my hotel and transferred my belongings to the apartment where we will spend the next couple days. Unfortunately when we arrive they want all cash payment. We are both confused because we thought we had prepaid. Additionally the booking had no specification about paying in cash. We don’t have that much cash on hand so we ask if we can pay later after we are able to withdrawal more money; hopefully we have high ATM limits. After we gather the funds we have a really hard time finding a person to pay. Our days are similar, we return after sightseeing and we still not know who/how to pay. It makes us a little irritated and anxious. Eventually we learn that there is an office that is not often occupied. One day we find a person in the “office”. They seem ready to leave but we make sure that we pay for our stay and get a receipt. Whew! Glad that drama is over! Luckily our next hotel is prepaid by credit card.

Once we drop our bags off we hit the ground running. We first head out for a beer at the pub around the corner.

We then walk around town a bit. We end up catching the tail end of a wedding. It is fun to see local wedding traditons.

Finally we share a Colombian version of a charcuterie platter. We have an early morning cruise scheduled tomorrow so no late night for us.

Hue

I can’t pronounce the town correctly but I sure can enjoy the food. Full disclosure I have been prouncing the name of this city incorrectly before I arrived to Vietnam. I always thought it sounds like view when it really sounds like way. Lesson learned. I am in Hue Vietnam after a short morning flight from Hanoi.

They have their own particular flair on many dishes. There are many fried and unhealthy things but when in Huế…..

First stop is to try some local dishes at Hanh Restaurant. It is around the corner from my hotel and a great place to try out many different Hue style dishes.

Banh Khoai – Savory fried pancake (pork, shrimp, green onion) served with peanut sauce

Nem Ran – Fried Spring Roll (pork, mushroom, carrot)

Kem flaunt – creme caramel with passion fruit

After lunch I do some wandering around town. Hue is nice and quiet during the day. Like many cities it gets lively at night with the walking streets. I tend not to stay out late but I do my best to try a little bit of nightlife while I am here.

During my walk I find a great park with interesting modern sculptures (Park February 3).

After dark it is time for walking streets. The streets are blocked from cars. Pedestrians, vendors, and diners are out. For some reason there are a bunch of street fires. It is not cold so not 100% sure the purpose of these.

It is almost Halloween and some restaurants celebrate with spooky decor.

I stop in a cafe to get a beer, morning glory, and a bowl of Bun bo Hue. The soup isn’t the best version that I will try in Vietnam but it is good enough for dinner. I am happy for the huge plate of morning glory. I rarely get to eat greens like this when I am traveling.

The crowd gets thicker at all the cafes as time goes on. I shop a little bit then head back to my hotel. I have a tour of Hue booked for the next day.