CzechMate in Prague (part 2)

Part 2
CzechMate in Prague
17 years after the Velvet Revolution in 1989, I paid a visit to Czech Republic…

Leo, my business partner and I, rented an apartment along the street of Soukanitzka. The building was very old, a silent witness I guess to the decades of political and economic events that shaped this country.

At present, Prague belongs to the Czech Republic. The Czechs and the Slovaks divided Czechoslovakia in 1993. As a result, the countries of Czech Republic and Slovakia were established. It is a charming ancient city. It is one of the most beautiful cities of Europe with 10 of UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites.

We joined a city tour. Our tour guide had a very good command of British accent. I remembered how he narrated that during the Communist rule, they had to queue for bread and grains for their daily ration. It was tough according to him. He said, a television set would cost them their annual leave pay so when his family decided to get one, they worked one year straight, forgoing their annual vacation just to have that box in their living room. He recalled that when the Communists left the country, they found out that Czechoslovakia has been producing so many grains, more than enough to feed the whole population. But the largest portion of the production was being shipped to Moscow, the capital of Russia.

The guide took us to the Astronomical Clock or the Prague Orloj located at the old town square. This clock is noted for “The Hourly Walks of the Apostles.” Moving figures of the Apostles and other sculptures come out every hour. It’s one of the coolest things I saw there. The Prague Orloj is a must see for every visitor.

Then we went to the famous Charles Bridge of King Charles IV. It is made of stone and was constructed in the 14th century. It crosses the Vltava River. We had a good view of the river and the bridge because part of the tour was a river cruise. It was in this cruise where we met two lovely ladies, a British blond and an Australian beauty. Cool girls. The whole tour could have been boring without their coquettish stories, gestures, and smiles.

Another interesting stop was at the Wenceslas Square. It is one of the main squares where businesses and cultural communities are located. We saw a lot of shops selling Swarovski Crystals. I can see how tourist ladies spent so much time looking at the crystals. Some were already busy doing their retail therapy on these shops.

Part of the whole day tour was a visit to the Jerusalem Synagogue. It is the biggest Jewish place of worship in Prague. Our guide mentioned some statistics about the Jew population before and after the Holocaust. He told us horrifying stories about purging the of the Jews. I was crying inside while listening to him. I wished that my college friend was there with me hearing his stories. Our friendship paid the price for our opposing political beliefs. However, we may have parted ways but I surely knew that we never lost our respect for each other. (With part 3- last part)