The train ride last night was much too short. We didn’t get to catch up on enough sleep before waking up in Prague, but it was also nice not to have to sit on a train all day, even if the bunks were kind of hard and the cabin next door was kind of loud.
After rolling off the train, we immediately noticed the cultural differences in Prague. Instead of selling public transportation tickets in a conventional spot such as the tourist information office, they sold them in a convenience store-type setting. It was really peculiar and I think we might have been uncharged for the tickets that they sold us, but hey, I’m not complaining.
We exited the train station and managed to locate first the metro and then the bus that we were supposed to take to get to our hostel. We arrived just before eight o’clock and, since it was too early to check-in, we stored our luggage and helped ourselves to the free breakfast before getting directions to Wenceslas Square where we were supposed to meet our tour group to Terezin.
We ended up arriving just on time after getting turned around on the metro, but it was okay because our bus got stuck in traffic and ended up showing up about twenty minutes late. We piled on with our tour guide and a large group of Spanish-speaking tourists and elderly Americans for the forty-minute bus ride and promptly fell asleep, much to the dismay of our guide.
 |
| On our way to Terezin |
Once reaching the city of Terezin (Theresienstadt), our driver dropped us off at the fortresses inside the ghetto. Prior to World War II, these buildings were used as protection against the Prussians, so they were actually much nicer conditions than we saw at Auschwitz yesterday. There were actual toilets, albeit not nearly enough, in the rooms and the bunks weren’t as crowded together. The dorm-style rooms even had tables and coat racks in them, although I’m not quite sure why with as little as the prisoners were fed.
While walking through the former camp, our guide explained to us that many of the prisoners at the camp had been convinced Terezin was somewhat of a Jewish spa. The Nazis had succeeded in filming a great deal of propaganda for the Red Cross, German citizens, and Jewish people before the camp fully expanded. This meant that some wealthy Jews actually paid to get to Terezin because they were expecting it to be a spa-like place where Jews could live together without problems, similar to Israel.
 |
| Inside the small fortress |
In addition to be the center of the propaganda concentration camp movement, Terezin was used as a transit camp and a holding camp for the elderly. While many of the prisoners over 65 died within Terezin, others were simply shipped to another camp to be used as laborers and died in transit. Very few would survive the long, cramped journey to another camp that could take anywhere from two days to two weeks without food or water. To sum up our visit within the fortresses, we were able to watch a video that contained some of the propaganda used to lure people to the camp and convince others that Terezin was a good thing.
On our way back to the bus, we walked through a small Jewish and Catholic cemetery – the sections separated by a cement walkway – and saw the graves of the first people to die at Terezin. Not long after the camp opened though, the Nazis realized that burying the dead was inefficient and might spread disease due to the large amounts of groundwater in the soil. To prevent this spread, a crematorium was built to cremate (a highly offensive act to the Jews) the dead. We were able to walk through the remains of this building that also contained operating tables to perform autopsies and fictionalize the results so that no one outside the camp would realize the Jews weren’t dying from natural causes. While the crematorium was being built though, the Nazis continued to bury the dead next to the building and that is why there is a Jewish cemetery sitting next to it.
 |
| The small cemetary outside the fortresses |
 |
| The crematorium |
Our last stop on the tour of Terezin was in the center of town, which was the center of the former ghetto. Our guide informed us that most of the buildings we saw were also in existence during World War II. From the looks of it, the ghetto conditions had to have been much better than we've seen within the camps. We were told that the ghetto prisoners lived in dorm-style housing where they were separated by first age and then nationality. Today, the town is populated by Czechs who run businesses in the place where thousands of Jews suffered for years during the war. A Jewish Historical museum commemorates this suffering and we were able to pay the exhibit a visit. Unfortunately, due to our tired nature, we didn't absorb much, but after wandering through the exhibits Madeline did get in trouble for napping in the reception area.
 |
| The streets of Terezin |
Our bus brought us back to Wenceslas Square in Prague and we were able to do some souvenir shopping before stopping for lunch in a Mediterranean eatery called Akropolis. Since the Czech koruna is about 17 korunas to $1, we had the opportunity to eat a nearly 700 koruna meal. Seeing that number on the bill is definitely a shock. It’s amazing to think it barely equals $40. It’s hard to remember to translate the number every time you look at a price tag.
I stopped at a Bankomat ATM while we were walking around and was able to withdrawal some cash because it seems like a lot of the places in Prague, restaurants included, don't take credit cards. However, when I went to take my card back from the machine, it wouldn't let me. I had to go into the attached bank and ask for my card back. The man working proceeded to call my bank and tell me that I was "lucky" he didn't have a specific reason to hold onto my card. He proceeded to photocopy the card and make me sign a paper saying I got it back. The whole experience was a ridiculous waste of time and made me rather angry. I found myself offended that he would suggest I was doing something wrong when merely trying to withdrawal cash. I'll certainly never be using a bankomat machine again. Worst atm experience ever
We located the Old-New Synagogue within the Jewish quarter after lunch and looked at the exhibits that pretty much covered the information we’ve seen in every other Jewish museum on this tour. I’m starting to think all of the Jewish museums need to get together so they can try and come up with some original information, or at least present it in a new way. Czech Jews aren’t that much different from Polish Jews or German Jews or Dutch Jews from the sounds of it.
Exhausted, we stumbled back to the hostel and were able to check in to our nice room. Hostel Elf has a definite community feel that none of the places we’ve stayed in so far has had. It’s a nice change. However, we do miss our private bathroom. We took naps before going out to a nicer restaurant/bar up the street for a shared pizza and drinks. Madeline, Matt, and Ben were able to try locally-brewed Czech beers and Matt and I tried 140 proof absinthe before heading back to the hostel.
 |
| Matt's fruit salad chaser |
 |
| Our huge room in the hostel |
 |
| The hallway outside our room |
We made friends with the other guests while watching a game of jenga and Matt, Ben, and Madeline played cards with a group who understood English and knew how to play the same game as them.
