Final day and night in Prague

The second full day in Prague went off about as crazily as the first. I have always said that I have a lot of luck, both good and bad, so much so that I often tend to not get too upset when things go wrong and sometimes miss / don't make the best of opportunities when they come my way, but today sadly was not my Czech friends day.

When we started I had forgot to switch my mobile on first thing and so by the time I did and we got in touch half the day had gone by, and already as fate would have it there were already some family issues that she had to attend to first.

After we met up we did have a nice stroll around the city, but by early afternoon the family issues had resurfaced and we needed to take a brief detour out of central Prague in order to deal with it and then once that was resolved on the way back to the hotel she stopped off to get a topup card for her mobile and uncharasterically bought one from a shop instead of from the bank.

As soon as we sat down she phoned up to apply the credit to her phone but there was a problem and when she called the operator she was informed that the card had been stolen and worst of all was that she had not asked for a receipt in the shop at the time.

I really felt sorry for her, as I was the naive tourist and yet here she was getting all the bad luck and even getting conned from the stores, but then she always did say that the city was full of thieves and cutthroats and that her dream was to live in another country!

I think it all goes to show that no matter whether you are a local or a tourist, the keywords are always be vigilant, be paranoid, be careful and only then can you begin to let your guard down and have a little fun.

With today being the morning of the 15th, after days of glorious sunshine the rain finally returned to Prague and as it was two full weeks since I left the UK I think that this is as good a time as any to go over a few things that I have learned on the way.

1) Pack as light as you can - one pair of shoes not five, etc., etc.

2) Get to grips with the local transport as soon as you can. Although it may be a bit daunting, it is not only cheaper but often quicker and less hassle than trying to navigate yourself or get ripped off by taxi's - licenced or otherwise.

3) Ensure that your accommodation is both central to where you want to be / what you want to do and easily accessible by public transport.

4) Get a good map of the city, keep hold of it, and don't be afraid to take it out and look at while your out. Trust me, the locals know your a tourist a long time before you give yourself away by carrying a map with you.

5) Ensure you have copies of everything and an easily lockable suitcase / rucksack and extra mini padlocks for when your accommodation just isn't a secure as you want it to be.

In a few hours I will be saying goodbye to not only another country but also to the whole of Northern Europe, as from here on in it is central and then south Europe before on to South America.

All in all Prague is a beautiful place filled with lots to see and do both nightlife and culture wise, full of restaurants and if you can befriend or better still already have a friend in one of the locals it can be a magical place ... just keep one eye on your wallet and ensure that you get and keep the receipts everywhere you go.