email for Grandma and Mom

The hostel is OK. Nothing fancy. I thought I had the room to myself last night but someone came in quite late and woke me up. It's very near the old town in Prague and walking distance to everything I need. No real kitchen, just a microwave and a kettle. Hot showers that go on and on and a very cheap Internet place downstairs.

The Mucha museum is right around the corner. I went there yesterday and almost started crying because I was looking at the original Indian Ink drafts of Mucha's great posters and sketches. It was really amazing. Unbelievable. I'm sure I will burst into tears at the sight of Victor Horta's work in Brussels. They have some really beautiful prints for sale for about $15 and up. I will wait till before I leave and perhaps mail one back. I tried to navigate the post office and it was almost trickier than getting a bus ticket.

Speaking of bus tickets. I thought I would go to Telc for the day tomorrow (my birthday) but it's horrendous. I spent 1 hour walking from info desk to info desk to find that the bus will cost about $5 and take 3 hrs each way. It leaves at 6:20 and arrives at 9:30 and the last bus leaves at 3:30. Sounds like fun doesn't it. The bus station, located at one of the subway stops is a dreadful experience. Alot like the train station. It's a reminder of Communist rule and has sadly been left behind in the 70's. Dirty, dusty, poorly lit and confusing. Also a haven for drug addicts, hustlers and general weirdness. Alot like all bus stations I guess.

I'm not sure what I will do for my birthday. Maybe the Prague Castle or the Municipal House. Maybe a meal in a restaurant.

I bought a bus pass the 1st day for $14 but I have hardly used it. I have decided to just jump on a tram every day and see where it will take me and ride the same one back to not get lost. Yesterday, I have no idea where I went but it felt like I was under the iron curtain. Very cold and deserted with rows and rows of huge apartment buildings. Colorful dots of bedding and laundry dangle from lines hung across the balconies. ALOT of graffiti. In fact there is alot of graffiti all over Prague. I'm surprised the city doesn't clean it up. Guidebooks say that Prague is one of the most beautiful cities in the world but it may only be true for the old town.

The food on the street is all sausages and fried chicken cutlets. Everything in grease. A sausage and a piece of rye with mustard is about $2. I tried one and hated it- really fatty, so I just ate the bread. I tried a chicken cutlet the other day and now I have sworn off buying meat in the streets. Too dodgy. I couldn't tell if the chicken was cooked or not so I threw it away. I went to Tesco's this morning and bought:

-bag of salad,
-small packet of 1000 island
-bottle of water
-2 single serving yogurts
-4 apples
-smallest jar of jam
-packet of cream cheese
-2 bananas-
-2 small french loaves

and it was 179Kr or about $9 (1$=20kr). Pretty close to food on the Drive, I think. I'm definitely not eating as much as I would if I was at home. I am walking around 18000 steps or 9km a day if my little pedometers is accurate. I think it may be more than that judging on how sore my feet are.

I hate to say it but I'm feeling sad, teary and lonely today. It's difficult to spend all day long and never speak to anyone or only speak in limited English. Seeing lots of people travelling with friends, laughing etc. I guess I start to feel a little self conscious, alone, afraid. It's confusing and the Czech are very abrupt and sometimes rude and also very very shy, which makes it difficult to meet anyone. I guess I feel alone and confused and want everyone to be waiting with big pillows and open arms. Not the way it is. I also haven't eaten anything yet today so I'm hungry. I'll feel better after lunch. Don't get me wrong, I'm still thrilled to be here and having so much fun. Just a bit of the blahs with today's overcast weather this morning.

Lots of love,
Jill