Days 23 to 25. Prague, Bratislava and Budapest

Day 23 - Back to Prague

We left Berlin on the mid morning train for the 4 hour journey back to Prague. Now if you remember from Day 21 some waitress left me with a bad taste about Prague. This wasn't to be repeated. Also we arrived in good weather and found the hotel ok. Note to self: this blog will get old really fast if i have to keep explaining how we get from train station to hotel. Anyway this time I got to see what I always wanted to and found the Charles Bridge. Then to the square and always money conscious it was beer sat on the curb and waited for the hourly bells and trumpets to sound what I assume is the Czech anthem. Many were sat on the curb also so we didn't look like homeless. Well not really. Anyway Prague is well documented as a city. We didn't find anything new so after a few drinks we settled in and woke late to get the train to Bratislava.

Day 24 - To Bratislava

You know when you forget old problems and see new ones, well the heat on the train was immense and the air conditioning wasn't functioning. We left the cabin door open but the hallway of the train was crowded. Nevermind about this, after all the rain in Britain its too early to complain about heat. Two cabins down some drunk slavs were singing songs and it made the journey seem so east european. It was an uncomfortable but enjoyable trip.

On exiting at Bratislava I didn't know what to expect. Realistically I haven't heard it come up as a common long weekend trip like Budapest, Prague and Krakow. I would also lie if the film Hostel didn't slightly dance in the back of my mind. Actually when we arrived there were no wayward children throwing stones (unlike back in the UK). No corrupt badly shaven police officers driving beaten up Lada cars. And no one I thought for a minute would persuade me into a vulnerable situation and sell me to torture slavery. Actually what I saw was a quite touristy town. I saw a gang of Brit lads. Always noticeable for the bed-head which must accompany lads weekends away. And of course a table of pints of beer, and singing popular music badly. However, they were in the minority. The first thing that greets you on leaving the train station is that this place looks a little poorer than Prague main station. A little more dusty. A little fewer Burger Kings etc than other European Stations. Well make that no Burger Kings or anything like that. Just sandwich places and small bars selling cans of lager and faded coca cola signs. Middle-aged men in the bars drinking cans of beer and smoking cigarettes that I'm guessing are not the 'light tar' variety. The old town was much different. Overpriced restaurants in my view, but then everything is overpriced with our budget. Still we found a backpackers place and got a free shot of something, which is supposed to be similar to gin. It had an effect of valium on me and I was pleasantly numb with that and the Kozel beer.

Day 25 - Budapest
The journey from Budapest to Bratislava was possibly the nicest train journey yet by way of scenery. I have a few more journeys yet, and even going by some recent ones that may be a big claim (Munich to Fussen jumps out). The fields and long roads with Skodas speeding along in the wind. When the train crosses the Slovakian / Hungarian border at a small station call Szob (not sure how you pronounce that) the flat countryside continues for a few minutes before you meet with the Danube and the train then follows the river to Budapest. On the way the landscape phases from Central European to a tad Greek or Mediterenean, but a bit more greener before you meet up with the power stations which the ex-soviet nations love to show off, which wind past the attractive suburbs of Budapest and into the main station. I want to tell you about the debacle with getting the shitty room we have now, but I think I'm resigned to limit postings on arrival at hotels. Lets say we were a bit scammed, I'm not happy with it at all, but thats travelling. It doesn't always go your way. Tomorrow, we are off swimming in Budapest. I'm looking forward to that, but for now good night.