Getting around

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I’ve been living in Prague a month now. Most of that month was spent in class learning how to teach English as a foreign language. And while that may seem like a walk in the park for someone who writes for a living, that would be OH SO WRONG. I can drive a car. I cannot so easily tear it down, label all of the parts, and put it back together while explaining to a non-driver why it goes back together this way.  The English language is a lot like a city bus with lots of moving parts. I now have my teaching certificate and an increased appreciation for the mechanics of English. Oh you poor Czechs and Russians, far too many of our rules have the “you’ll just have to learn it” explanation attached. But don’t you worry my dear future students, I will be under the hood with you. We can curse English together as we try to rebuild the carburetor of verb forms and idiomatic expressions.

While working on the engines of English, I managed to acquire more official paperwork: my Prague public transportation pass (litacka). For about $150 US, I have unlimited travel on the metro, the buses, the trams (yes, my new city is so cool it has trams), and the funicular. Maybe you don’t know what a funicular is: it’s a type of railway that uses cables and counterbalances. I’m pretty sure they’re always on hillsides/mountainsides. And they’re fun. I mean, “FUN” is embedded right there in the word. And Prague has one. Happy me.

I’ve taken all of the transportation options available in and around Prague. Mostly because I like to use all possible features of everything I have. There is only one funicular, so that was easy to check off. The buses and trams still have me checking routes almost every time I use them. But they’re straightforward. And the metro…oh, the metro. It’s clean, and safe, and so easy to use. The stations themselves vary in quality, but so far all of them that I’ve used have been between great and good enough.

There is one curiosity though. The escalators from the track lines up to the upper tracks or to the stations themselves, are not all alike–some are set to “Soviet Speed.” The entire system is Soviet designed. And since the Soviets left after the Velvet Revolution in 1989, changes continue to be made. The escalators are one example. Most have been set to a civilized pace. You don’t pay any attention to those, they’re like escalators most of the world over. But some…some you better have your balance established before attempting to hop aboard because those babies M.O.V.E. Beware people escorting young children. Beware older travelers. The up side is that you get where you’re going lightning quick. Just hold the handrail so you get there with all your parts still functioning.

Sometime soon, I will check out the transportation options outside of Prague when I head to some of the surrounding villages and cities in the Czech Republic. And if I encounter any escalators, I’ll let you know who seems to be in charge of the speed. Because no matter the conveyance, it’s never a bad thing to have a sense of just how fast you’ll get somewhere.

16 thoughts on “Getting around”

  1. Thanks for the new update. Teaching English to non English speakers is a challenge. Kind of like teaching some kindergarteners! Good luck on your journey!

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  2. First, the picture on the ID card made me laugh. Not the regular Ellen smile. A little of the ‘deer in the headlights look”. 😆
    Love, love, love your car engine analogy and transportation descriptions. I want you to write an adult travel adventure book for me (and others) to read. A kids book on different transportation adventures would be fun too.
    Question: do you get to play all summer before school starts? Are you traveling with your new young buddies or by yourself?
    Can’t wait for the next chapter.

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    1. Absolutely a “deer in the headlights” gaze. I didn’t know if I could/should smile or not. The same photo is for my Czech visa and my freelancer’s trade license. Three separate government offices and decisions. I think I firmly settled on “confused” as my go-to look. I have some teaching to do, but most of my summer is for learning my way around here and traveling. Some of that travel will be solo and some of it with my sweet, young friends.

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  6. So enjoying your blogs and living vicariously through your adventures. Sounds like an amazingly fun place to be.
    Mike also asked you to comment on the food when you get a chance.

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  8. My friend,Barb, told me about your move to Prague. I considered myself a Czechoslovakian for a good part of my life until the country was divided into the Czech Republic and Slovakia. I
    had to give up the first part of the word and identify as a Slovak.
    My husband and I visited Prague for a week a number of years ago and I fell in love with the city and the surrounding area. A year ago, on a river cruise, we were able to get to Bratislava.
    Anyway, after that long-winded intro, I wanted to tell you that I look forward to reading about the things that you discover in Prague and reliving some of the sights that we saw!
    I am impressed with your spirit of adventure.
    ( Barb’s comment about Mike made me laugh)

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    1. Aww, thank you, Cheryl. It’s lovely to “meet you” here. My plan is to highlight things that interest and puzzle me before I understand them and before I take them for granted. New things are so exciting. And often exhausting. But I am primed to tackle this new country I have placed myself in. And I love thinking that you might be along for the ride.

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  9. So cool! Makes me want to add “take alarmingly fast escalator” to my list of “underwhelming but very specific bucket list” goals.

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  10. It only took two days for Hitler to “tackle” your new country, one was the disgusting Munich Pact of Sept 30, 1938 and then March 15, 1939 Hitler threatened to bomb Prague so they gave him the rest without a shot. Unfortunately, they spent 6 bloody years after that under Nazi benevolence and FDR, Ike, and Truman let the Soviets have it in the end. So before the tangent I was thinking you should be able to tackle or conquer the Republic rather quickly, especially with the help of Soviet speed escalators. Maybe you can get a job as a tour guide too?

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