5 reasons to visit Prague

If you’re planning your next European holiday, Prague must feature on your To- Visit list. Here’s why:

1. It’s cheap – You can have the best of Czech culture, history and shopping without burning a hole in your pocket. It’s a beautiful city offering the very best of Romanesque & Gothic architecture, Czech beer & delicious food, lively nightlife and lovely cruises down the Vltava River. According to current rates, one US$ amounts to 22 Czech Koruna and one Indian Rupee amounts to 0.35 CZK. So, if you’re looking for a budgeted holiday to Europe, this is probably your best bet.

Palace  Cathedral

2. Gothic Architecture – Prague’s myriad of architectural styles wow you from the moment you set foot in the glorious city and completely blow your mind. The Gothic style architecture of the Palace Cathedral caught my attention, in particular. I remember standing in the middle of the Old Town Square for at least 10 minutes, taking a 360 degree view of all the beautiful, period buildings around me. The oldest working Astronomical Clock in the world, is a medieval delight, with 12 apostles passing by the window above the astronomical dial and with symbolic sculptures moving alongside.

View of the city from Petrin Gardens

3. Bohemian crystal – You can find gorgeous pieces of intricate, handmade Bohemian crystal decoration pieces in shops all over the city. The sheer variety and low prices will definitely give you a bang for your buck and memories galore. I picked up a pair of reasonably priced beautiful, hand painted, pink wine glasses and a couple of decoration pieces from a market on the outskirts of Prague. I absolutely treasure my pink wine glasses and wish I could’ve picked up more.

Prague at night

4. Nightlife – Prague offers something for everybody and is known for its vibrant nightlife. You can find everything from pub crawls to Mozart concerts to some of the best nightclubs here. Pubs and clubs are open till late, perfect for all the party animals out there. If you just want to have a relaxed evening with some good food, wine and music, there are a lot of jazz clubs to choose from. While I was there, I was lucky enough to encounter a live cultural show featuring the very best of Bohemian music, dance, Czech beer and street food. There are numerous events that are organized by Czech Tourism the year round, most of which are free to attend, so check the Events calendar and plan your trip accordingly.

5. Jewish Quarter – or Josefov, is a town quarter and a former Jewish ghetto in the middle of Prague. Steeped in history, going all the way back to the 12th century, you can learn a lot about the Jewish community and their strife. Six synagogues remain from this old settlement which includes the Jewish Town Hall and the Old Jewish Cemetery - the most remarkable in Europe. If history is what you are after, a day trip to Terezin is well worth it, as can be seen in my previous post.

Don't listen to what they say. Go see. 

                                                Chinese Proverb

My visit to Terezin Concentration Camp

Some trips remain forever etched in memory, a trip to Terezin Concentration camp on the outskirts of Prague, Czech Republic was one such trip. I had always been curious about the Holocaust and wanted to learn firsthand about the mistreatment of Jewish people during that time. So, while planning my Euro trip itinerary, I made sure to have an extra day in Prague so that I could visit Terezin.

Terezín is a fortress built by the Enlightenment ruler Josef II and although, the building named after his mother Maria Theresa was supposed to be used for defense, it paradoxically became infamous first of all as a prison, and later during World War Two as a Jewish ghetto and concentration camp.

It was a cold and windy day. The sky was overcast, adding to the eerie environment. Right outside the entrance to the fortress, a gigantic Christian Cross and Star of David caught my eye. It was one of the largest cemeteries that I had ever seen. There were hundreds of graves with specs of red on them - poppy flowers were placed on each of the graves; mass graves as I later learnt. It was a melancholically beautiful sight. 

There were a handful of tourists around who soon disappeared. I started the tour of the former military base and fortified city, following the map that I had been provided with, at the entrance. I hadn't opted for one of the organized group tours from Prague as they were charging double the price and I was trying to spend the bare minimum, being on a shoestring budget. Seemed like everybody else was on a group tour!

I first went to the museum to learn more about Terezin and the atrocities that had been committed here. One of the walls was full of the names of the people who had died at the camp. I could not imagine a 7000 people facility being used to house up to 60,000 people! The cramped enclosures, unhygienic conditions, lack of food and basic amenities that they had to live in was appalling and disheartening, to say the least. And yet, they had spirit! This can be seen in the copious pieces of beautiful art, musical and theatrical works of the prisoners that have been well preserved.  

                             

I think we have much to learn from these prisoners. Sometimes, we find ourselves stuck in our own little prisons/ situations where we feel completely immobile. I think the key is to stay strong and keep working towards creating our own "masterpieces" without letting the outside environment get to us. 

            

          

I walked around the rest of the dilapidated fortress feeling overwhelmed. The howling wind and the desertedness of the streets put me on edge. Soon enough, I stumbled upon an antique store which was full of WW2 treasures. I came across beautiful bohemian cutlery, antique guns, old cameras, amongst lots of other interesting stuff. Unfortunately, I could not pick up much as I was in the middle of my backpacking trip through Europe and was unable to carry more stuff. I picked up a couple of WW2 love letters which are really close to my heart.

I completely lost track of time in the antique store and almost missed my bus back. I hurried to the bus stop and did not find the last bus standing there, as scheduled. I panicked and tried to find somebody who spoke English. The tourist office had shut and the handful of locals there only spoke Czech. I had no option but to wait. And hope. And pray. While I was trying to figure out how to get back to Prague, an elderly beggar with crooked, yellow teeth and grey, piercing eyes was slowly limping towards me with the help of a walking stick. 

Internally, I was freaking out but I put up a calm face for him. I tilted my head sideways, indicating that I would not be giving him anything. For a minute, he frowned, staring devilishly into my eyes. That's when I thought here goes my passport and all my money. Thankfully, he walked away, hitting the dustbin with his stick, out of frustration. Right after, my bus arrived.

Terezin was a good learning experience for me. Not only did I learn about the braveries of Jewish people but at the same time, that I am brave. 

“No man is brave that has never walked a hundred miles. If you want to know the truth of who you are, walk until not a person knows your name. Travel is the great leveler, the great teacher, bitter as medicine, crueler than mirror-glass. A long stretch of road will teach you more about yourself than a hundred years of quiet.” - Patrick Rothfuss

Musings in Kasauli Part 2

Glistening dew, I think of you

Morning glory, days of fury

Silent Nights, warm July

Promises broken, words unspoken

Fragile ties, quick demise

Circle of life.

- Saachi Dhillon

I would be interested to know how you guys interpret this poem. Any thoughts?

The Simple Life

We are so busy in our everyday city lives that we often forget to stop and appreciate the little things in life. A trip to my ancestral village in Ganganagar, Rajasthan reminded me of just that. A weekend at the pind (village) gave me time to slow down, reflect and appreciate the simple things in life. 

Sri Ganganagar is the northern most city in the state of Rajasthan, right across from the Punjab border. The drive there takes you through the heart of Punjab, passing through numerous paddy fields, at this time of the year. 

We reached the village late at night.  It was pitch dark and deserted. Our caretaker flashed the torch at us, motioning where to enter the periphery of the farmhouse from. He opened the massive gate leading us into the house. Although I was visiting after ages, it seemed the same. As if time had stood still. 

After freshening up, we sat in front of the cooler in the courtyard. The manjas (beds) had been laid out for us right there, just like old times. The silence was daunting, at first. I could only hear crickets and a dog barking in the distance. It seemed like the entire village had already gone to sleep. It was only 10 p.m.! Having lived in cities all my life, I am so used to noise. One can hear cars honking, people talking, babies howling, TVs on high volume, amongst other things. And here, nothing. Silence. I could almost hear my thoughts. 

My father and I reminisced about the good old days over a couple of beers. I had requested our caretaker to make dal like my grandmother used to. It had been slow cooked in earthernware the whole day. It was simply delicious. I overate, to say the least. After a sumptuous meal, we were ready to hit the bed, under the stars. I lay down and gazed at hundreds of stars glistening like diamonds in the night sky. For the longest time, I just stared at the sky trying to spot a shooting star or two. 

Pigeon eggs

I was woken up by the sound of the rooster and chirping sparrows at dawn. Generally, I would be peeved if I had been woken up that early. Today, I woke up with a smile. One could hear a lot of hustle bustle taking place outside. All the workers were getting ready for their daily routine.  While everyone got ready for work, I lazed around drinking fresh cow's milk, taking in the sights and sounds of the village. I saw a bird's nest after what seemed like an eternity.

The Blue Door

By mid morning, it was sweltering hot. I stayed indoors, reading an old copy of Reader's Digest and later, took an afternoon nap - a small luxury I cannot indulge in anymore in my daily life. 

We went for a short drive through numerous fields to see the international border between India & Pakistan. On our way there, we saw village folk lounging around on manjas playing cards to pass time. Now that is a sight one doesn't see very often. We drove right up to the border, which is about 7 kms from our house. Basically, a barbed wire fence with check points at regular intervals. I was told that a lot of alcohol smuggling took place back in the day, as it was expensive in Pakistan. Bahawalpur, the 12th largest city in Pakistan is located on the other side of the border. I could see the glow of its city lights at night. 

On the way to the border

In the evening, we went for a walk around the farm. It was very humid and I sweating profusely in spite of being in a cotton suit. I saw a couple of Nilgais grazing in the orchard which quickly ran away upon seeing us. Apparently, they are quite a nuisance here as they damage a lot of crop. During pre - partition days, they used to cross over to now, Pakistan where they were eaten as a delicacy. Now, they have nowhere to go and have been multiplying over the years.

While trying to take a picture in the cotton fields, my foot got stuck in quicksand. I managed to stumble out and then rinsed off the mud in one of the nalas (small canals). As the sun began to set, we made our way back to the house. The sound of the satsang at the next door Gurdwara was soothing.

At bedtime, I lay down under the blanket of stars. As much as I enjoyed that, it was comforting to know that tomorrow night I will be in my own bed in an AC room. 

"Wherever you go, go with all your heart". – Confucius