Anyone here from Eastern Europe?

[enlisted person]

Hello, some of you guys might remember me because its been a while since I have been on here. I used to hang out at TNZ quite a bit but sort of migrated away from that to another site. Still, I pop in here and look around every once in a while even though I don't log in and post. Anyways, my company is sending me to the Czech republic for a littl over 2 weeks and I was wondering if there are any trekkies in that area. I don't know anything about the country and the I won't be going there until the end of September, but I just thought I wold check and see.

 

[Lookingglassman]

When I was in the Army I was sent to Macedonia for 6 months as part of Operation Able Sentry. During that time we got invited by the Serbian border commander to visit them. Me and the other officers of my battalion met the Serbs at their border checkpoint in our HMMWVs and were escorted into Serbia.

We stayed for about two hours and talked to our counterparts and drank cokes and orange juice and traded items. I got a cool Serbian Border Guard's badge and I still have it.

Serbia was pretty much a dump. Trash was blowing all over the streets, the people looked hateful and eveybody looked fat. I didnt see one hot chick the whole time we were in that dump.

Macedonia was also run down, but Skopje, their capital was nice, though old. At least there were pretty girls to hang with.

All I know abotu the Czech republic is you can get really cheap, but nice crystal stuff there. I had a buddy whose wife would go on trips there and come back with all kinds of crystal dishes and stuff for very little money.

 

[enlisted person]

This is not sounding good.

 

[enlisted person]

ahoy, yak see ma tee

 

[Canadave]

Never been there, but by all accounts Prague is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.

 

[gturner]

One of my old housemates spent the summer in the Czech Republic a few years ago. He said one of the neatest cities was where they filmed the spooky slasher movies Hostel and Hostel II. It was an old city and the Soviets had no use for it, so it was left abandoned and never upgraded "Soviet style".

ETA: Cesky Krumlov

 

[Zulu Romeo]

by all accounts Prague is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.

I can confirm this. Yes.

 

[Geckothan]

In Soviet Russia, thread posts you!

 

[Admiral Shran]

Back in college, I had a crush on a Czech girl. Does that count?

 

[JRS]

Anyways, my company is sending me to the Czech republic for a littl over 2 weeks and I was wondering if there are any trekkies in that area. I don't know anything about the country and the I won't be going there until the end of September, but I just thought I wold check and see.

Im at Czech..im orginally from Finland but ive been here about three years now
But I have allready met even the President himself.
Im also dating a Czech woman
To where in Czech are you going excatly?
What yould you like to know about Czech?
BTW.. the Czech Republic is actually in central Europe..
not in eastern

 

[iguana_tonante]

by all accounts Prague is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.

I can confirm this. Yes.

It is indeed. I've been there a couple of times, and it is wonderful. Wonderful. Never been in the rest of Czechia, but from picture I've seen it should be very nice and charming.

However, I'm sure some people will say it's trash just because there isn't a drive-in McDonald every two blocks.

 

[Roger Wilco]

It is indeed. I've been there a couple of times, and it is wonderful. Wonderful. Never been in the rest of Czechia, but from picture I've seen it should be very nice and charming.

Prague is special of course, but Czech Republic is very pretty in general, the cities at least, they cleaned up very nicely since the fall of the iron curtain - Olomouc, Budweis, Brno, Liberec, etc. I remember travelling in Czechoslovakia with my parents before 1990 and in the years after and it's really remarkable how much has changed since then.

This is not sounding good.

Don't worry, Czech Republic is incomparable to Serbia and Macedonia economically.

One of my old housemates spent the summer in the Czech Republic a few years ago. He said one of the neatest cities was where they filmed the spooky slasher movies Hostel and Hostel II. It was an old city and the Soviets had no use for it, so it was left abandoned and never upgraded "Soviet style".

ETA: Cesky Krumlov

Ha, that's exactly one of the places I meant, I totally forgot about that, I was there at least twice when I was a kid I think. There's an artificial lake close to there that's somewhat touristic, swimming etc - that was a very strange experience (still during communist times).
Total dump. But only a couple years later the city was hardly recognisable anymore, it looked so good.

 

[O'Dib]

When I was in the Army I was sent to Macedonia for 6 months as part of Operation Able Sentry. During that time we got invited by the Serbian border commander to visit them. Me and the other officers of my battalion met the Serbs at their border checkpoint in our HMMWVs and were escorted into Serbia.

We stayed for about two hours and talked to our counterparts and drank cokes and orange juice and traded items. I got a cool Serbian Border Guard's badge and I still have it.

Serbia was pretty much a dump. Trash was blowing all over the streets, the people looked hateful and eveybody looked fat. I didnt see one hot chick the whole time we were in that dump.

Macedonia was also run down, but Skopje, their capital was nice, though old. At least there were pretty girls to hang with.

Serbia is highly centralized in Belgrade, the capital, in that most of the country's tax income gets spent there. We tend to say that things are worse the further south you go, and this was true in former Yugoslavia as well, thus being pretty much par for the course in Macedonia. Belgrade itself isn't as clean or pretty as West European capitals, but I do think it has more hot chicks per capita than any other place I've ever lived or visited, which are many. It's also famous for the night life, and odds are high you wouldn't run into the primitive mindsets you encountered at the border city.

 

[Zulu Romeo]

by all accounts Prague is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.

I can confirm this. Yes.

It is indeed. I've been there a couple of times, and it is wonderful. Wonderful. Never been in the rest of Czechia, but from picture I've seen it should be very nice and charming.

However, I'm sure some people will say it's trash just because there isn't a drive-in McDonald every two blocks.

Funny you mention that. When I visited Prague in 1998, we were bemused precisely because of the presence of said Macca-Ds in the city.

There was even a Tesco near the centre.

 

[iguana_tonante]

^ Yeah, the city centre is pretty much a tourists' trap, especially around Wenceslas Square. But as you wander a little afar from that, you can see the real city, with taverns and such.

 

[Zulu Romeo]

^ Yeah, the city centre is pretty much a tourists' trap, especially around Wenceslas Square. But as you wander a little afar from that, you can see the real city, with taverns and such.

And, in my case, jazz clubs.

 

[enlisted person]

I won't be near Prague. The place I will be working will be west of there in a town called Jaromer. Its not far from Poland. I doubt it will be tourist trap there.

 

[Roger Wilco]

Surely you'll be able to make day-trips on the weekend or so? Or even just half a day would be worth it for Prague, the distances are nothing anyway.

 

[Count Zero]

If you're using a car, don't leave anything of value in it when you leave the car unattended. Everyone I know got his car broken into at least once while in the Czech Republic.
I've only been to Prague, myself. Like the others in this thread, I highly recommend going there. Trains are cheap and it really doesn't take that long to get anywhere within the country. The people are nice and polite, too.

You should also try the beer.

 

[JRS]

I won't be near Prague. The place I will be working will be west of there in a town called Jaromer. Its not far from Poland. I doubt it will be tourist trap there.

Looks like nice place:
http://www.jaromer-josefov.cz/fotogalerie.php?iSekce=1&iTema=1
I havent been there personally..but like someone else said,Czech is generally very beautiful
and also a modern European country.
Here are some general tips for you:

• Czech are more formal than American. People use the words: Good day, good bye, excuse me and im sorry, often. When you go, for exsample, to a shop you should greet when you enter. Remember when greeting people you yet know, you should use the more formal greeting "dobry den" rather than the less formal "ahoj", wich means "Hi there" in english.
• Respect the local laws. For exsample, all Nazi materials and greetings are strickly forbidden. The Czech police is very efficent but also very friendly. Dont be afraid of asking them for an advice.
• Dont presume that everybody in Czech speaks English. Learning few basic greetings in Czech is a good idea..and helps the break the ice with the locals. Czechs are very proud of their own langue and of their country, so generally respecting the traditions is a good idea.
• Czechs are generally very friendly and open people. They are very hospitable and might just ask you for a drink or dinner. Czech cooking is very tasty and especially the beer very delicous. Czech is also a wine producer.
• The prizes in the public transport are cheap and the system is efficent. Remember to stamp your bus/tram ticket on the maachine, right after boarding the vehicle.
• The prices are generally lower than in some other European countries. You should exchange some dollars for Czech crowns. Euro is also accepted but its not yet the offcial currence. In short: using crowns is easier.
• Czech is generally very safe country. Using common sense is enough, whem walking around.
• The weather is still quite warm in September but dont forget to pack some warm clothes and umberella is good to take with you.
• You should explore the surroundings and sights, I promise you wont be disappointed I would recommed you to visit Brno, the capital of the Moravian region. Its bit more easier to walk around than Prague and has much to see. But Prague is something you also should see.

Here are some sites to help you:
http://www.czechtourism.com/eng/uk/docs/holiday-tips/news/index.html
http://www.czech.cz/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Czech_Republic
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaroměř

Feel free to ask, if you have any questions