I met Linda and Viktor in Ethiopia’s Danakil Depression, a place National Geographic called “the most cruel place on Earth”. In fact, in my story about the Dallol, it is Viktor’s hand holding the GPS which indicates we are 129 meters below sea level, standing amongst multicoloured lakes of sulphuric acid and chlorine.

Working around Viktor’s busy work schedule, we met for lunch and I learned there were now 3 of them. No more Danakil and no more Yemen trips for a while!

As I found out, eating with a baby can be a little stressful.

I had been to Prague before and visiting the Czech Republic was not really a plan in my already busy travel itinerary. But, since I couldn’t find a cheap Tel-Aviv – Vienna flight, I flew to Prague instead, figuring I would revisit beautiful Prague and stop for a day in Brno, the country’s second largest city, which I had never visited. But since dinner plans became lunch plans, all I had time to do in Prague was to get up very early and witness a beautiful sunrise on the Charles Bridge, overlapping the Vltava River.

The bridge is usually full of tourists. But before dawn, it was pretty much me and a few pigeons.

Then the runners showed up, along with some pretty intense early moring air traffic.

And finally the sun. 

The bridge itself, with the Prague Castle in the background.

And a bit of politics for good measure.

While I was sad to have left Israel, my wallet on the other hand was very, very happy. 25 would be a very good price for a beer in Tel-Aviv, in Shekels ($8). This is in Czech Koruna ($1.25)!

I also got lucky on accommodation. Wanting to save money over a hotel, I booked a room in an apartment, with shared common areas. Since the other two rooms were vacant, I ended up alone in a large, fully equipped three bedroom apartment, between two five star hotels in the old part of town, for $30.

I arrived in Brno in the early evening and made plans to visit the town the next day. However, my friend in Vienna asked me if I would be there in time for lunch. I had mistakenly assumed he was working on Friday.

So I only had time for a quick walk through Old Brno, which is almost all pedestrian only.

And that was my quick transit through the Czech Republic, a country very high on my list of European places to go back to.

#Czech Republic