Leaving Prague and arriving in Vienna

The train journey to Vienna from Prague was not quite was I was expecting and I am beginning to think that the way to get around is via trains as I have never got asked to even show my ID on the trains and at the main terminals are main train stations there are no passport cheques there either.

Thus it is that apart from when checking into a few hostels / hotels, and only then because I don't drive or have any other ID with a photo of me on it, my passport has been very much an unused part of my travelling preparations.

Another few small items that I had packed back in England and never used got dumped in the bin in Prague, as I felt I was just carrying around extra weight for no real reason.

Although the main train station was only about fifteen minutes walk away I was glad that I arrived early and did not let my pride prevent me from asking at the information office as the train for Vienna left from the train station at the other end of the city.

Thankfully my friend from Koln had versed me well in what tickets to buy and having taken me on a tram, bus, funicular and underground the short three stop journey did not phase me in the slightest.

What did puzzle me was that the train station, considering they were main train stations, neither were well signposted and I could have well missed them, hidden as they were behind a row of trees.

On the platform I was wasting time by browsing the various postcards, feeling slightly guilty that I have not got the money to buy enough to send them to all my close friends and family, when I came across some 3D ones that caught my eye, and further when I realised that behind the normal ones were ones with an old fashioned black and white photo of three naked ladies.

Knowing that I had only bought one other postcard so far, which was the one in Berlin which included a genuine { well ... if you believe the blurb and advertising, that is ! } piece of the Berlin Wall, made me buy this unusual item and I now regret not buying the ones that I found near the red light district which included its own mini block of marijuana resin, a testament to its openness towards the substance.

Although I am not going to send them to anyone, except home to my mother, I feel that this could be a nice little nicnak to look out for as T-shirt would be too expensive and bulky to buy from everywhere I visit.

If you find yourself on a intercity train for hours and you have a laptop with you, always investigate your seat and surroundings carefully, as behind a curtain I found a power socket that would allow me to use my laptop, and I cursed myself that I did not find it earlier than about half an hour before the end of the journey.

With a new determination to try and use the local transport as soon as possible, I managed to obtain a tram ticket and despite the rain I was able to reach my hostel with a modicum of self respect and dryness, and this brings me on neatly to the next big tip for travellers.

Make sure you have a few small denomination notes and coins for public transport and automatic machines, as being forced to buy a can of coke for EU$3 just so that you have change is both annoying and expensive.

It was a shame that in Vienna the rain was pouring hard, as it meant that I did not want to venture out far into the night, despite arriving in plenty of time and only being here for a few days.

The hostel I chose was the Wombat's Hostel and to be honest it is the ideal place for anyone that is not a businessman, maried couple or exteremly shy person.

The staff are all loveably insane and extremely helpful, even though I had to give a EU$20 deposit for the keycard I think this place rocks.

All the staff are ex or current travellers, all speak at least three languages, the main reception is staffed 24 hours, and it needed to be as even past midnight there were people turning up.

The place has its own bar, its own laundrette, two pool tables, a restaurant, a mini internet hub where you can sit and chat while you surf, the main reception has a range of comfy leather sofa's where you can sit with your wifi enabled laptops and do your own thing fre of charge, it has a few vending machines and the rooms are spacious, big and have there own ensuite bathroom / shower.

The security of the place is cool, as you cant even get near the rooms without a special card which is preprogrammed to only open your own hallway, your own room door and your own locker inside the room.

This kind of security makes you feel very safe and relaxed, as even though anyone off the street could get into the hostel they could not go any further without a card and even if they mug someone for a card they could not get to you unless they stole it from one of your roommates and even then they would need to snag your card before getting into your locker.

The Hostel was full of its young and hip lads and lasses, and I felt a little old just to be rubbing shoulders with them in the room, but it if bothered them then they certainly didn't seem to show it.

It was a shame that the following morning the rain was still as heavy and as continuous as it was the night before, as has really put a damper on me going out and about investigating for very long.

Mind you, as this was just one of those in-between stops that I set into my itiniary so that if anything had gone pete tong before now I could just skip a day or two here and be back on track it is not huge loss.

I am just going to use the time wisely, to catch up on emails, do all my washing, relax, let my feet have a rest { which they really need as I have a few blisters and sore spots and the rain is not doing them any good } save a few pennies and plan my trip to Switzerland now that I know that I am on schedule and all is fine so far.