Day 6- Navigating Prague

There are two things in the following missive that are unimportant. The first being who said what. Some things are obvious to those who know and not that big a deal to those who don't; other things tend to run to together, so I don't know who said what; others sources may just be better left quiet. The second item of unimportance are the street names, because I don't remember where we were, the street names all run together, and I haven't seen our travel books since we returned, so I just looked up some random ones.

"Let a call go forth from a pay phone, find thee a place to rest thy weary head."
-Let's Go: Europe

"Glance not, but rather study thou thy Prague map, lest ye be lost in the wilderness, seeking and not finding though you wander all over the God damned city."
-Let's Go: Europe

"Okay, we made it to the train station, now what?"
"Find a place to stay and get rid of our junk, I guess."
"Which hostel should we go to?"
"Let's check the book again for the ones they recommend."
"What does it say about the Boathouse, since we have these flyers?"
"Let's Go doesn't recommend that one, let's try this one, it's right near here."
"Okay, this way?"
"Yep, then take that road on the left."
"This one?"
"Yes."
"Is that the right one?"
"Looks like it."
"Then we want to take a right."
"Here?"
"Yes."
"What road are we on?"
"I'm not sure. I don't see a sign."
"Neither do I."
"Is that a street sign?"
"Yep, looks like Jerusalemska."
"That's here, near the synagogue, which I assume is that big stone building."
"Okay, what's this cross street?"
"No idea."
"There's no street sign?"
"Nope."
"Okay, looking at the map, I think we are just one block over from the train station."
"That's a block?"
"More of a wedge shape, really."
"Either way, I think we want to go right."
"Do we?"
"Uh, yes."
"Okay right, then what?"
"The road kind of ends and becomes part of that road."
"So we just kind of follow it straightish?"
"Uh, yeah."
"Okay."

"What was that road we were looking for?"
"Um, this one here."
"Oh okay, we're on it?"
"I think so."
"Hey, there's a sign that says 'HOSTEL'."
"Okay, I think this is it in this corridor."
"Are you sure?"
"It's gotta be."
"It must be past the pizza place."
"There's nothing past the pizza place except another restaurant."
"Can't be."
"The only other door here is locked."
"Are we sure that sign said 'HOSTEL'?"
"Yes, that's exactly what it says."
"Are we sure it's labeling this corridor?"
"Yes, it's right next to it."
"Let's check this area again."
General confusion.
"Let's try the next hostel on the list."
"Okay, where is that one?"
"The address looks like U lanove drahy, sort of."
"Good enough, how do we get there?"
"I don't know, the street from the address isn't on the Let's Go map."
"Let's check the AAA map."
"Who's got it?"
"I don't know."
"I think I have it...Nope."
"I sure don't have it."
"Oh, yeah, here it is."
Checking the map.
"That's it over on that side of town."
"How should we get over there?"
"We could follow this street to here, take a right and it's a straight shot."
"That really is kind of a long way, let's take this over to here, follow this street, then through here."
"Okay."

"What street is that?"
"I'm not sure."
"Something-ska."
"They're all something-ska."
"Well is that our street?"
"I don't know, it isn't labeled very well on the map."
"What streets are near here?"
"The one we're on is Husova
"Yeah but it’s kind of long."
"What do you think the name of the street is?"
"It could be Mikulandska but the way the road curves, it could be a different street name."
"Okay, so where are we on this map?"
"This area here."
"So we're close, how do we get to there?"
"I don't know, let me check that street ahead, that might help us."
"I'm getting really tired of carrying this crap."
"You want to set it down?"
"No, that's alright."
"Good news, that street up there is ours."
"Thank God, I'm getting tired of carrying this stuff."

"What was the address we were looking for?"
"Number 7."
"Okay, we're at number 3."
"The next one is 15."
"Did we miss it?"
"I think so."
"I don't see a number 7 label on this street."
"Let's check past that alley up there, maybe it's a different street name."
"Nope, its number 33 past the alley."
"Well I sure didn't see a hostel, did you?"
"I saw a hotel but not a hostel."
"Maybe it's near the hotel."
"Number 7 is somewhere near the hotel, but I don't see anything saying 'hostel'."
"Let's check in the corridor to the hotel lobby."
"Nothing."
"Why don't we just ask about the damn hotel prices."
"Okay, I’ll head in."
"I really should have gotten a backpack like yours."
"Don't you have a pack from your Boy Scout days?"
"I really don't know."
"The hotel translates to something like $200 per night."
"I thought hotels were supposed to be cheap here."
"We got seriously lied to."
"Let's check the Let's Go book about the hostels again."

"Apparently, some are only open in the summer, due to their being dormitories the rest of the year."
"I see."
"What else do we have?"
"How about we try to find the Tourist Bureau?"
"Where is it?"
"It's on the map... here."
"Gotcha."

"Where are we now?"
"Hey, a currency exchange! I'll go get some money."
"Haven't we been here before?"
"By now, I can't imagine we've missed anyplace."
"You know, I feel really silly carrying this map around."
"I wouldn't feel bad, everybody else is doing the same."
"They are, aren't they?"
"Is anybody in Prague not from out-of-town?"

"What's that strapped to that guy's pack?"
"That looks like a sword."
"Yes, that's definitely a sword."
"I see. What was the deal with that?"
"I think it was a broadsword."
"Thanks for clearing that up."
"Hey, there's a sign for a hostel."
"Where is it?"
"I think it's through the cigarette store."
"That is actually a cigarette store, isn't it? I mean as far as cigars and pipes are not sold there."
"Yep."

"Well, that sure was a dump."
"Even by our standards."
"Where were we going?"
"This way."

"Where the hell are we?"
"I don't know."
"Where's a street sign?"
"I don't see any."
"That seems to be some sort of square over there with six streets coming together."
"Well, let's check for that on the map."

"That didn't really narrow it down, did it?"
"Look for one with a street that kind of winds around going into it."
Blank stares.
"Is that the mayor's house on that square?"
"No idea."
"The old, medieval stone building?"
"Yes."
"Which one?"
"The one right near us, straight across the square from the church."
"Which side of 'straight across the square'?"
"That square isn't really very square is it?"
"It's the building with a bunch of flags on it."
"The yellow ones or the purple ones?"
"Either one."
"No idea. I'll take a look."

"I can't tell, the sign in front is written in Czech."
"There's a street sign up there."
"What's the street name?"
"Bartolomejska."
"I can't find it on this map."
"It's not on the AAA map either."
"Fuck!"
"How do you guys feel about just calling The Boathouse?"
"I really don't give a rat's ass."
"Let's just find something."
"Okay."
"God, this stuff is painful." Luggage drops to ground.
"The one on your back or the one on your chest?"
"Both."
"You know they sell backpacks in stores."
"I know, you seem to be doing okay with your backpack."
"Actually, mine is really aching, I just don't want to take it off and enjoy the experience too much."
"Good news, The Boathouse is open and has room."
"Fine and fantastic. How do we get there?"
"Well, we just have to grab the trolley south and take it to the Cerny Kun stop."
"Right, which way is the trolley?"
Three people look up and down the street as though that will help.
"Why don't I figure out where we are?"

"Okay, I've got it now."
"Thank God."
"Which way are we going?"
"I want you guys to guess first."
"Um, that way."
"I think it's this way."
"You're both wrong. Follow me."

"Hey! A trolley stop!"
"Finally."
"What do we do now?"
Dead silence.