East of the wall

Well the last day in Berlin. Not a very happening morning, just getting stuff together, packed up and ready to check out by 11:00 am, which we did. Headed out the door and to the left to get a taxi...having NO idea how it's done in Berlin. I waved at the first one and he started pointing to the right...John said that meant he had a passenger in the cab and I said he meant to go across the street.

So as usual we just stood there. We finally did move across the street and low and behold there was a Taxi stand and of course we got right in!!! We headed to the Hautbanhof Station, the main station in Berlin which is brand new to replace the station destroyed in the war. It is now the largest rail station in Europe, and YOU SHOULD SEE IT!!! It is like being in the Galleria with long distance trains (Amtrak) on the lower of 5 levels and local trains (Dart) on the upper level. and all the levels in between are shops, restaurants, and service offices. The whole station is glass...except of course the floors. Surprisingly the food there was as cheap or cheaper than those places spread about the city. Great experience, once again we need to learn from the Germans on transportation problems.

We ate our way through the station waiting for our train to Prague and finally it was posted, right on time, on track 2. I keep forgetting I am traveling with a seasoned traveller so when the train came in I checked our tickets and they said carriage 292, seats 23 and 25. John said "We aren't sitting together?"...I explained they probably numbered the seats even on one side and odd on the other. Here comes the train.....I'm looking on the cars for any indication of carriage #292....nothing, not even a hint. The ONLY clue I had was that they had announced that first class would load at track 2, section A. Well "Calm, cool, and collected" John started as soon as the train came in...are you sure this is the car, I think we should go back here.....

I said "Let me get on and see if seats 23 and 25 are on here", which I did. Of course I had to wait for the old man (older than me) to put his bags up on the overhead, then I started down the aisle when I heard a familiar sound....CLANG!!!!! THE DOOR SHUT! i thought MY GOD, is this train moving!!! I went back to the door and sure'nuf, it was closed and John was banging on the door. I tried pulling it open...no good, I pushed...wouldn't open, there was John out the window with all the bags and me on the train with nothing. FINALLY, I was the red and green button and the door opened, I said "GIVE ME THE BAGS"....would you believe he said "Is that the right car!!"

He still wanted to go to the rear cars where people were still getting on but I told him to just get on the train before it left and we'd find the seats later. It turned out that we WERE on the right car and finally got settled into our seats, ticket checked and on our way down the tracks at well over 100 mph. But it WAS a nice station!!!!!

Now for the rest of the story, had nice scenery on the ride from Berlin to Prague, finally tore the trim off the seat that had a loose nail in it that I scratched my leg on and was bleeding, but other than that the ride was great. Look at this bridge in Czech...and Dallas can't even get a damn bridge across the Trinity River Bed!!

Went through Dresden...beautiful older city from what I could see from the train, and shortly after that the Czech SS was on board to check passports...luckily we passed cause 'she' looked like she would have torn us apart. Just past the border we had dinner on the train, was much nicer than Amtrak, tables were large enough to actually use your utensils.

After we returned to our seats, her comes our second encounter with Czech officialdom. I short girl, fairly nice looking..."must zee yur teeket"...I gave them to her, "Zes is not teeket, you must pay"! I told her I paid in Berlin...then in the back of my mind it seems I remember somewhere about having to pay cash on the train...but do you think anyone at RailEurope remotely mentioned that or brought it up when we made the reservations....nope. We bought the raileurope pass, paid for the reservations, and now must pay again on the train.

I said "no problem, here's my American Express", "zve do not accept, must be cash"....don't know what we would have done if we didn't have cash...there was another guy on the same car...said they'e probably arrest us. Anyway paid her and got her off our back.

We arrived at Holesvice station shortly after that and were met by a driver from the company I found the hotel through. Very nice guy, spoke great english. I told him I needed to get another Czech ticket to get out of the country before we left the station...no problem. The ticket counter appeared closed though, but he managed to get the girl to the counter.

REAL B___H!!! She was pretty though!! I told her I need a ticket to Vienna....silence. I said do you accept Amex.....stares at me. I shove it in the window...and she pushes card and ticket back out the window....I said "does that get me out of the country"...."it is zee teeket for which you asked!!".

Well that's that, we will do the walking tour or Prague tomorrow. We did make it to the hotel, and is a beautiful hotel. Will have pics tomorrow if we can figure how to work everything......