We awoke this morning at 8:15. After a quick shower, we say goodbye to our hosts Craig and Will, and walk out the door.
My backpack is an Osprey Atmos 35 liter. By sticking my running shoes in the front pouch, I can fit 2 pairs of jeans, 2 pairs of shorts, 5 t-shirts, 2 long-sleeve shirts, 7 boxers, 10 socks, 1 bath towel, 1 bar of soap, a razor, shaving cream, contact lens solution, various plugs and chargers, my computer, and a water bottle. These items, along with the things I have in my pockets, will be my only possessions for the next 2 months.
The backpack sits comfortably on my shoulders, and when the buckle around my waist is fastened, it’s more like gaining 20 pounds than having something strapped to me. Jesse and I each buy a ham & cheese sandwich and 5 bread rolls to snack on. A short tram ride later and we’re at the main Prague train station, Hlavni Nadrazi.
I love train travel because it’s much more relaxed than travelling by air. No security, no lines, no stress. After checking our departure time and platform number, we sit on a bench outside the station and eat some bread. People come and go through the front doors, some businessmen and businesswomen with briefcases in tow, some younger people with big backpacks. As we walk back into the station, I can hear an American family squabbling. The mother, a short woman with cropped red hair, says “See that red pole there? That one right there? Well, I’m not going past it. I’m staying right here.” Neither the significance of the nondescript red pole nor her reason for fearing it is readily evident.
The train from Prague to Ceske Budejovice leaves at 11:16. Upon arrival, we will transfer to another train for a one-hour journey to Cesky Krumlov.
The train is compartmentalized, a series of rooms with two benches facing each other. The seats are reasonably comfortable, and I’m happy to see there’s plenty of legroom. The windows are large and wide, and we open ours to let the fresh spring air flow into the compartment.
This countryside reminds me of the Ozark Mountains. As a child, my family and I would make the seven-hour drive to Arkansas to see our grandparents, usually three or four times per year. Those winding roads jut in and out of the mountainside, curving through tall thin trees. When the view opens, you can see green meadows punctuated by plots of forest or farmland. Trees with rounded tops populate the higher parts of the short, densely packed mountains.
Here in rural Czech Republic, the winding road has turned to train tracks, and the green meadows have transformed to fields of bright flowers. Their color is striking: marigold yellow, with the green stems poking through between the lush petals that fill this landscape. It contrasts well with the brick houses spaced intermittently.
Cesky Krumlov is a small town of about 150,000 people. It’s known for its natural beauty and quaint charm. The highest mountain in Bohemia, the Klet, is just 7 kilometers from the center, and the Vltava river snakes through the city, where people go tubing or rafting in the summer. The castle has a moat surrounding it, and a family of bears resides on its grounds. Today we will explore the city, climb the castle grounds, and perhaps have a beer or two. Tomorrow morning we hike the Klet.
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