Czeching In: 4th of July in Prague

Awaking at the butt crack of dawn was very rewarding, as we understood that we would be off to a place that so many friends have raved about. After an hour into our train we were unexpectedly stopped due to our car coming close to flailing off the tracks. Someone that sat a few seats back from us noticed that the wheels began to smoke and pieces of metal were flying out from under the train. As we hurriedly moved forward to the next car, two American voices behind us asked if they could join us in the six-person suite we had just entered. It was the 4^th of July and we knew that the bigger crew of Red, White, and Blue the better. We met Micah and Zach from Los Angeles and were quickly sharing travel stories and asking where we could find a place to stay for 2 nights. Luckily, they had rented a 4-bed room hostel that they had only ended up needing for themselves. With little negotiation, they agreed to let us fill the other two beds at the Pension Corto Hostel and fulfill American pride throughout the streets of Prague. 


We made it to the Prague train station with our bags secure and asked the information desk where to head for our hostel. With little help and a grunting voice, the bearded man pointed off into the distance to what could have been leading us in either direction. We continued out of the station and walked in direction of our gut feeling. Fortunately, we ran into another crowd of Americans along with an Argentinian couple who Garrett made special conversation with about his country proud button down he had bought on a previous trip to their hometown of Buenos Aires. The group enjoyed our presence as we exchanged 4^th of July cheers and was helpful in guiding us to Old Town Square where we would find our hostel.

On the way, we stopped to get some change for our stay and were instantly rich. At least the 1,000 labeled bill made us think so. The US dollar to Czech exchange rate was approximately $1 to 17 korunas. Upon reaching the street where our hostel was located, we noticed a really long outdoor market, remarkably crowded and contained stands of fresh fruit, handcrafts, jewelry, etc. We received our keys and entered a long dark hallway that veered to a staircase, seemingly endless as we fought four steep flights of stairs. Our next couple nights would be spent in this relatively older building that was all we needed and had a great view of the daily street market and famous Astronomical Clock on Old Town Square. We dropped our bags off in the room and were ready to grab a bite to eat. The receptionist referred us to their restaurant that was 20% off and was located outside of the hostel on the sidewalk parallel to the market. Our experience of Czech’s finest Pilsner Urquell drought beers was in hand along with a delicious tomato mozzarella carpi starter and ham-topped pizza, instantly curing our hunger. With our stomachs content, we decided it was time for a brief siesta back at the hostel before we presented our American culture to the Czech Republic.

We woke up in the early evening and were destined to the Beer Factory. Thanks to all the messages from everyone on Garrett’s Facebook, you did not lead us in the wrong direction. We made it to the Beer Factory within 5 minutes from our hostel after passing several inviting Schnitzel stands. An enthusiastic man greeted us upon descending down the staircase into the long narrow cellar. Instead of taps filled with Guinness, like the pubs in Dublin, the tables at the Beer Factory dispensed premium Pilsner Urquell for all to enjoy. We sat down at a four-person table and poured our first pint while analyzing the scene around us.

Surprisingly, a D.C. United soccer game was on the big screen and our American tunes were playing. Located next to the game was a screen that relayed different numbers with tally marks underneath which brought up some curiosity. We ordered very American food, Buffalo wild wings and Baby back ribs, for dinner and were eventually informed about the second screen of the Factory by our waitress. The numbers on the screen represented the table you were sitting at and the tally marks pertained to the number of pints consumed by each table. Greatly satisfied by the portions and the quality of the food, the challenge had  now begun. We were table # 12 and we made the presence of American’s known with a bang as we held down first place for most of the night. After several hours passed, a few playful confrontations occurred between our outnumbered table and the fierce German competitors at table # 10 until we fell behind in the rankings.  Nevertheless, we continued to dominate the Beer Factory, this time on the dance floor. Our performance of Nationalism was noteworthy and well respected by the dozens of smiling faces that surrounded our table. The 4^th of July could not have been any better outside of the United States. We came, we saw, and most importantly, we spread democracy!