A short Trip to Prague

Prague was on my bucket list of european cities to visit for a long time. Not only does Prague have one of the most intriguing histories in Europe, the well preserved archictecture and the culture makes this city one of the ultimate destinations.

Prague offers a variety of activities for each and every demographic: travelling couples, groups on a Bachelor-/rette trip, solo travellers or singles who are ready to mingle. Prague can also be visited in all seasons. Another reason to visit Prag is the still afforadble prices despite the overwhelmingly rising number of tourists per year.

If you are are planning a short visit to prague,there are definitely some few essentials you have to check out.

View From La Marina Ristorante 

The main sight seeing Areas are around the Charles Bridge, which connects the Prague Castle(Castle District)  and the Old town.

Prague Castle District

The Pargue Castle is located on Vltava's left bank. One of the best  ways to access the Prague Castle is via the Castle Stairs(Close to the Metro Station Malostranská ). Most of the Castle and it's numerous mueseums and gardens  are opened to tourists.

The Old town 

I am a huge fan of walking city tours.Its one of the easiest and cheapest ways to discover a city.I booked a a free Walking Tour on the Sandeman's Free Walking Tour Website. Castle Tours and Beer Tours can equally be booked on the website or on site during the tours. Most of the cultural attractions are in the well preserved Old town . This is mainly because Prague suffered less damages during World War II than other european countries.

The main sites are  the ominent and picturesque Charles Bridge.  The Charles Bridge is one of the main Tourist attractions in Prague, implying you literally have to "fight" your way through in order to get an adequate view of this great architectural wonder. I would recommend to visit the Bridge quite early in the morning or at dawn. There are less tourists and the view is definitely worth it.  You can access the Bridge towers on both sides of the Bridge for a better view. Before or after visiting the jewish quarter, you should definitely pay the Marina Ristorante a visit. The excuisite cuisine and the picturesque view on the Charles Bridge is worth  the stay.

The significant Old square with the Prague astronomical Clock is only a few minutes stroll from the Charles Bridge . Opposite the the astronomical clock ist the old Hall. The view form the tower of the olf town Hall is simply breathtaking. There is variety of Pubs,Bars and Restaurants around the Old town square. From here ,you can go on on a walk and discover the sorroundings. The Venue is a precious modern germ pefect for a coffee break on your Old town journey.

Jewish Quarter (Josefov)

The Jewish Museum provides an insigt in the the history of the Prags jewish community. Some Tours offer a 2-3 hour walk aorund the jewish neighbourhood with visits to the cemetry and to some few famous synagogues. Most tours are also centered  around the famous  jewish author Franz Kafka.

Beer, Beer and more Beer

The Beer scene in Prague is one of the finest and a paradise for beer lovers. There is trendous amout of beer discovering to do at a really affordable cost. Even if you're not a Beer fan, there will definitely be something suitable to your taste. There are numerous ways of Beer tasting. The easiest way is to start at a local Pub and get used to the local usual Kind of beers. Another way is to  check out a local brewery or a Beer bar. Another fun way is to go on  Pub Crawl Tour or a  Beer tasting tour. Ist ideal for single travellers or groups to meet new People.
There are nuemrous diverse establishments you can book from depending on your preferences and your financial disposition.



Nightlife

The night life in Prague will exceed what you might have heard of-Pubs,Clubs,Jazzclubs,Strip Clubs, Coctail bars...There is enough for every one at everty time . If you're new to drinking or partying in a foreign City, you better stick to the old town. For something more elegant, try Cloud 9 or Bar and Books, Groovebar. Prag is the City for all Budgets. It's guaranteed to find something suitable, plus everything is possible with a few glasses of beer.


I hope you enjoyed the post


Arlette

The very first solo Trip- Cuba,Trinidad

Here we go again Children of the Sun- I saved the best for the end of the cuba Trilogy.


After my very brief stay in Vinales, I finally moved to the wonderful City of Trinidad.
Trinidad earned its listing as a UNESCO Worl heritage site for numerous reasons. The architecture is amazing, it feels like Walking on a movie set. The scenry is breathtaking  and the beaches are just one of a Kind. Ofcourse the history and myths sorrounding the City adds another reason,why you absolutely have to visit Trinidad. Trinidad is definitely my favourite City in Cuba.

There are numerous amazing things you can do in Trinidad
My favourites and musts are:


Plaza Major

You can't miss the main Meeting Point in Trinidad. Here is also the Casa de la musica where most of the  night life starts. You can go to all the touristic spots from here. You definitely have to watch the sunset here, plus it's also a WiFi-Hotspot. There are cheap Cocktail spots all around the place. You can take amazing Picture from here. If you're travelling alone, the plaza Major is one of the easiest places to meet new People.In the evening you can watch or/and listen to the cuban local band for 2CUCs in the Casa de la musica. From here you can just walk around the City and get lost.From here you can reach the San Francisco Tower, that dominates most of Trinidad.The view is gorgeous.  Most casas in Trinidad have Balconies with a beautiful view of the City,so don't worry if you can't get to the top of the tower.

Art Galeries

Ist doesn't matter if you are a Art Connaiseur or just a kitsch Lover. You will definitely make good deals in Trinidad.The City is full of Galeries and cool stores to spend money.

Horseback Riding

You can ride or hike to the Javira waterfalls, with stops on the numerous sugarcane frams or coffee planations. There are cliffs on the Waterfalls you can jump from to cool off or you can swim through the cave Systems.

Workshops

You definitely have to try a Salsa Workshop. If you're a shy person (like me) request a private session. If you're not interested in dancing, maybe a Photography Session could work for you. Trinidad is definitely one of the most picturesque Cities I have been to. You can sign up for classes at Casa de la cultura.

Beachlife

The Ancon beach with White sand is 15 minutes away from Trinidad with a Taxi for 10 CUCS. You can also get there with a bike. The sunrise and sunset here is breathtaking. If you like fishing or just chilling on your own, La Boca is the place to be. You can also cycle there. Go to Cayo Blanco for snorkeling or diving.

Architecture Museum

Learn more about the history and architecture of Trinidad and the influence of Slave Trade and Sugar production the City. They also offer guided Walking tours

Entertainment/Night Life:

The night Scene in Trinidad is a busy one. Fom Bars, Cabarets and Cafes,the competition is high.One of the most amazing experiences I had was in the Disco Ayala- La Cueva-The Cave. This Club is literally in a huge Cave, with bats ,stalagmites and shit. It's quite a unique experience, the Music is a mix of latin,pop and tecno. It's easy to find, just follow the mass from the Plaza Major from  9p.m. The are numerous Cocktail-Stops on the way up the hill,just in case you were worried to run out of Rum...Worst case scenario in Cuba!

A more local spot was the La Bomba. The scene is mostly local young cubans, few tourists.I wanted to try my new salsa-moves but I changed my mind after watching the cuban youth doing simple stances.
There are numerous "Clubs" around the Plaza Major, you don't have to dance. You can just have a drink or watch others.

Food

After a week of beans and Rice, it was a welcoming surprise to find the vast amounts of restaurants with differnt varieties of Food. You definitely have to try the Lobster and Planatins, it doesn't matter where you choose to eat, you'll always find something.
My Top 3

-La Redaccion - a unique setting with a apretty courtyard. Former home to the Newspapar "El Liberal"

.Jazz Cafe- Buffet and amazing life Music with great voices
.La taberna la botija -with amazing live music


Daytrips

If you get tired of Trinidad-which is practically impossible. You can still go for day trips in the Region. You can go to the beeaches listed above or take trips to Santa Clara or Cienfuegos with a taxi at a reasonable rate. If you have time, defintely visit Las Terrazas. It is a self substainable Biosphere Resrvewith a beautiful natural swimmingpools. You can get there from Havanna or from Trinidad.There is also a Train into the Valley- if you are really really bored,go for it.


I hope  you enjoyed the post,
Arlette

The very first solo Trip- Cuba: Vinales

Hello Children of the Sun,


I could have stayed in Havanna forever but I wanted to see more of the Island. My plan to take a flight to Santiago the Cuba was a total fiasco. How stupid I felt when I found out contrary to Thailand where you could buy a cheap Inland flight on your mobile phone, things didn't work at all like that in Cuba. First, you only get WiFi at Special Hotspots,mostly around big Hotels, Restaurants or Parcs. In order to access these Hotspots you need a Card (1hour-1,5CUC) you get officially from ETECSA,the cuban  telecommunication Office- Patience is the Keyword here or on the "black market" for twice the price. So with no available flight I decided to change my itinary. I opted for Vinales,because most people I  met praised the landscape, the nature and the activities you could do there. Getting to Valle Vinales from Havanna is easy, you can book a Taxi collectivo at your casa or Hotel for only 20CUC directly to your new casa in Vinales.

Vinales is a  really small city and full of tourists.  You can practically do everything form the main street, so the first thing I did as soon as I got threre was walk through the city.Casas are always available.If you like hiking, Biking and horseback riding, then Vinales is the place to be. The region around Vinales is mostly protected national parc, so ist amazing if you like exploring and discovering nature.There is a numerous amount of agencies offering different tours at different Prices, so take your time and Chose wisely.

I booked a horseback riding tour for 20 CUCS. Depending on where and when you book the tour,you could either be on your own or in a group of interesting funny people- I was in the later(another gift from the Gods)The tour consisted of a 5 hour trip around the Vinales Valley with a stop at a tobacco plantation where you could learn about the production of Cigars. You definitely need to try the nicotinfree organic Cigars. You could also buy some Souvenirs at the plantations for a really cheap Price.The next stop was a "coffee plantation"- I've been to coffee plantations before and that was definitely not a coffee plantation, but what do Tourist really know? (just saying!).We got to learn about the production of Rum and guess what... you get to try the Rum! Here I had the best Sugarcane Juice in my whole life. Maybe it was the Rum or maybe I was just happy to get of a horse after 4 hours of riding through the Valley.

The last stop was at lake where you could go for a swim or just relax. Other tours offer a visit to a cave with underground lakes/Indian caves. Ask your tourguide about this before starting the tour.
I met with my newly found friend for dinner afterwards. I was amazed how the main street changed. You have amazing restaurants you can eat at for relatively affordable Prices. The Cocktails, the Pina coladas in particular are amazing!

Another great surprise was the Centro culturo Polo Montanez. Entrance Fee: incredible 1CUC. The live Music and the live Shows are amazing. Plus the Cocktails are really cheap and tasty. If you have enough Cocktails,you can join the locals dancing or just watch until you get confident enough to join.