asphaltjunkie

I love Muskoka. I haven’t been able to get up to the cottage in the last few years since I moved abroad, but it’s still the best place I know to just go and hang out with my friends and have a few beers and BBQed burgers, go for a swim, take the boat out and generally chill out!

I went to Cardiff with a couple of friends on a whim to see the Wales v. Russia World Cup 2010 qualifier. I was there three days and absolutely LOVED the city. It’s a beautiful place, a really walkable city, the bay is a really good time and the people were amazing from the moment I landed. I was very impressed with Cardiff. Can’t wait to go back!

A few notes for visitors:

1. The locals can be aloof. It’s just how they are until you get to know them. Don’t be put off by it.

2. Wenceslas Square (Vaclavske Namesti) is a giant tourist trap full of hustlers and pimps. They all want to sell you something. I’d recommend spending as little time there as possible.

3. Nothing is air conditioned.

4. The first two weeks in July are cold and rainy. That’s just a normal intro to Czech summers.

5. There are quite a few people here who don’t wear deodorant. You’ll get used to it.

6. If you get caught without a metro ticket, you can talk your way out of it. I do, however, recommend getting a three day pass.

7. If you’re intent on getting drugs while you’re here, be careful of who you buy from. There are clubs that are more reputable than others for the acquisition of such things. Ask around and you’ll find them fairly easily.

8. There are places, even in Old Town, where the food and beer are fairly cheap. They’re not in your guide books. Wander about the back streets and you’ll find them.

9. Don’t go to the Charles Bridge on Saturdays ever. It’s a nightmare. Go early or late, but definitely not at mid-day unless you want to deal with a throng of people just like you.

10. Don’t go to the National Museum at the top of Wencelas Square except to check out the bullet hole repairs in the facade (from the Prague Spring) and the memorial to Jan Palach. Unless you really like rocks and stuffed animals that have been dead for at least twice as long as you’ve been alive, in which case, knock yourself out.

11. Take the tram rather than the metro if you can figure it out. You get a much better view of the city that way.

12. Go to Vysehrad.

13. Be cautious of the myriad homeless people. Especially if you’re carrying a beer bottle. They will want it so they can collect the 3kc refund.

14. If you can, and you like football, try to see a match. Especially if it’s the Slavia/Sparta derby. It’s very cool — though be warned that it can escalate quickly…at the last one, we got shot at with rubber bullets.

15. There are new rules for the open liquor laws. The cops won’t likely care, but be aware of where you can and cannot drink.

16. Go to the beer garden in Letna one night. It has an amazing view of the city.

17. All of the Irish pubs in the city are overpriced — but the atmosphere is cool.

18. See Don Giovanni at the Estates Theatre if you’re into opera. It was first staged on that stage.

19. The best time to see the Astronomical Clock is early in the morning before everyone else floods the old town.

20. Look for Cream and Dream ice cream. It’s genius!

21. If you’re a girl and you’re in Wenceslas Square in anything low-ish cut and without a guy, expect someone to grab your ass and/or comment on your tits. It just comes with the territory. This is not to say you can’t threaten bodily harm like I tend to do.

22. As a woman, I have never felt unsafe walking the streets alone at night, but if you don’t know the city well, it’s probably not the best choice.

23. The cops don’t care what you do unless you’re doing something to disrupt other people.

24. NEVER get your money changed at a place that charges a commission. You’ll be ripped off. Go to a bank if you can.

25. It’s not recommended (apparently,) but there are places where one can go swimming in the river and get out fairly easily. I tend to do it off the side of a boat, but it’s not the safest way to go about it. If you really want to swim, go to Zlute Lazne.

26. Always take either City Taxi or AAA Taxi. And never pay more than 400 kc to get anywhere from the centre. You might have to haggle, but the cabbies will rip you off if you don’t know how much you should pay.