Feeling Better
Thanks for the advice Dr. Foster. It turned out a night of sleep on stationary land was just what I needed. The vertigo went away. I think the combination of days on the water taxis of Venice and the overnight train ride, coupled with the fact that the hostel sits directly on a rushing river really messed with my sense of equilibrium.
The overnight train ride was an experience, not one I'd necessarily like to repeat. I was in a very small room with five other people, all sleeping on bunk "couchettes". It's really intimate and crowded. I was very fortunate that all of my other bunkmates were women, and they were all interesting, mostly artists or art professors in Venice for the Biannialle (sp?). The conductor told us to lock the door to our room at night for safety purposes.
I found out last night from one of the young women staying at the hostel that she was robbed blind while sleeping in a couchette. She shared her car with 4 men and they weren't warned to lock the door. And when she awoke, her bag, which was under her feet, had been totally rifled through.
She was later told that roving Gypsies take the night trains, open the doors and steal from the bags while passengers are sleeping. Creepy.
Czesky Krumlov is unlike any place I've ever visited. I'd never been to Eastern Europe before, and it is very different from Western Europe, and completely fascinating how things are changing since the fall of Communism. This is a town that takes art very seriously, and there are numerous galleries and exhibitions.
It's green, beautiful, the river winds around the town. Kayakers and canoers take 3-hour-long boat trips down the river. When you rent the boat, they give you a bottle of rum along with your paddles.
The restaurants serve delicious Czech foods: onion soup, grilled meats and sausages, potato pancakes. Many of them have lighted torches outside the doors. The streets are cobblestoned. There is a simply enormous castle perched above the town on a rocky ledge.
Teresa and Zdeni are a hoot. Teresa is a Mexican-American woman who moved here about a year ago. She was Alex's teacher at SEEDS School. Teresa is always telling wickedly funny stories about herself and her mishaps. She is quite slender, but complains constantly about her imperceptible weight gain since moving to the Czech Republic with its delicious pastries, beer, potatoes, and other hearty delicacies. We came up with a new name for her: "fat a** in training."
Zdeni has a fascinating life story. She is part Czech, part Afro Cuban. Her father was a black Cuban who came here under the Communist government to study engineering. Zdeni is also a musician and has a rock band she performs with in town. She is a sociable hostess at the hostel, and seems to really enjoy chatting with the young backpackers and travellers who stay. The hostel is very much run like a home with free access to the kitchen, and a beautiful terrace overlooking the river.
But mostly, I'm glad that my husband and kids are ok. I hope to call them later today.
The overnight train ride was an experience, not one I'd necessarily like to repeat. I was in a very small room with five other people, all sleeping on bunk "couchettes". It's really intimate and crowded. I was very fortunate that all of my other bunkmates were women, and they were all interesting, mostly artists or art professors in Venice for the Biannialle (sp?). The conductor told us to lock the door to our room at night for safety purposes.
I found out last night from one of the young women staying at the hostel that she was robbed blind while sleeping in a couchette. She shared her car with 4 men and they weren't warned to lock the door. And when she awoke, her bag, which was under her feet, had been totally rifled through.
She was later told that roving Gypsies take the night trains, open the doors and steal from the bags while passengers are sleeping. Creepy.
Czesky Krumlov is unlike any place I've ever visited. I'd never been to Eastern Europe before, and it is very different from Western Europe, and completely fascinating how things are changing since the fall of Communism. This is a town that takes art very seriously, and there are numerous galleries and exhibitions.
It's green, beautiful, the river winds around the town. Kayakers and canoers take 3-hour-long boat trips down the river. When you rent the boat, they give you a bottle of rum along with your paddles.
The restaurants serve delicious Czech foods: onion soup, grilled meats and sausages, potato pancakes. Many of them have lighted torches outside the doors. The streets are cobblestoned. There is a simply enormous castle perched above the town on a rocky ledge.
Teresa and Zdeni are a hoot. Teresa is a Mexican-American woman who moved here about a year ago. She was Alex's teacher at SEEDS School. Teresa is always telling wickedly funny stories about herself and her mishaps. She is quite slender, but complains constantly about her imperceptible weight gain since moving to the Czech Republic with its delicious pastries, beer, potatoes, and other hearty delicacies. We came up with a new name for her: "fat a** in training."
Zdeni has a fascinating life story. She is part Czech, part Afro Cuban. Her father was a black Cuban who came here under the Communist government to study engineering. Zdeni is also a musician and has a rock band she performs with in town. She is a sociable hostess at the hostel, and seems to really enjoy chatting with the young backpackers and travellers who stay. The hostel is very much run like a home with free access to the kitchen, and a beautiful terrace overlooking the river.
But mostly, I'm glad that my husband and kids are ok. I hope to call them later today.
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