Adventure Accounting

Getting Czech Koruna For BPI ATM cardholders, call 89-100 to activate your international withdrawal. (If you’ve previously done this, no need to do this again).     Remember to inform your bank if you will be using your card overseas. Toilets No free flushes. You don’t enter an establishment and use the toilet for free. Toilets have this doorknobs with buttons. The pin code can be found in the receipt of your purchase – you have to purchase something. A sneaky and frown-able method to go around this is to inconspicuously wait for someone to walk out of the restroom and then nonchalantly enter (Pinoy-style). The toilet code is 5525 Some public toilets require you to put a CZK 5-10 coin in the doorknob.

I knew Prague would be a relatively cheap country. There were hostels that cost for only EUR €15-18/ night! Hostels in the Old Town cost around € 23-25 for a standard dorm bed. I went with the highest-rated review in Tripadvisor: Miss Sophie’s. We availed of the shuttle service recommended by Miss Sophies. The ride cost us CZK 550 for the both of us. Pricier than using an efficient public transportation system. But coming in a foreign country after a 21-hour flight, I can use some convenience. I have a travel buddy anyway.  We left our luggage while we waited for our rooms to be ready. You have to use your own lock. The baggage room They have a bathroom you can use if you wanna freshen up. After 23 hours, yes please! Miss Sophies is not located in the Old Town area, it is located in Melanouva 3. No worries, the efficient transportation system and the 72-hour pass will let you roam around without any hassle. Beerlicious!

Sampling the local cuisine is part of having an authentic experience. But I am not a foodie. I came to this realization when I started travelling alone. I would not walk to a recommended restaurant when I think that it is too far, or impractical to go there, and I already have a rumbling stomach. I like eating, but I don’t really like choosing food. I get overwhelmed with too many choices. Di ba kaya ka nga nag-aral, para magkaroon ng magandang kinabusan, para makakuha ng magandang trabaho at para hindi magutom? So bakit ako magpapagutom? Bakeeeeet? – my usual thought when I am really hungry. My travel buddy for this trip is a foodie. My job is to research about the place, find the place on the map, and just plan the day. Marj’s role is to decide where we will eat. That’s why I gained weight during this trip, despite all the walking. I lost some inches during my Europe 2011 trip. After finding our hostel, we asked where we could eat good affordable local food. Th...

Warning: This is gonna be a long picture-filled post. There’s so much to share - in words and in pictures- about Prague. But I don’t want to spoil your trip. So this is the condensed version of my Prague adventure.   For the itinerary, please check days 2-4 of my EU II Itinerary . DAY ACTIVITY Day 2 AM - Arrival in Prague. Explore Old Town Square, Charles Square and Wenceslas Square Day 3 Prague Castle. Watched music concert. Prague Food Festival outside Prague Castle Day 4 Petrin Hill and Jewish Quarters. Old Town Again. Souvenir Shopping. Fred and Ginger Dancing House. Getting Around The hostel is in Melounouva 3, one tram ride away from the hostel. Riding the tram was no hassle at all, it was very convenient. We bought the 72-hour pass upon arrival inRuzyne airport – CZK 310. It was a gloomy day. Prague’s weather wasn’t smiling with us. Practicing the smiles and poses We...

My EU II departure day began with a meeting at the office. I finally closed my laptop and let the out-of-office reply do its job. It will tell people that for the next 28 days – passing my work to the other members of my team. (And I guess sanay na rin sila :P ) Babawi na lang ako sa pasalubong. Despite having the visa two months earlier, I still did some last-minute packing.  There's still space for shopping and pasalubong. Sa lagay na yan. NAIA Terminal 1 is losing its ugliness. Maybe I’m getting used to it? “Getting used to it” means I set foot in T1 once a year. Hahahaha! It still functions as an airport. Come to think of it, it is not really "ugly". I think "old" is the appropriate word. I arrived less than two hours before my departure time. Horrible traffic. Haggards na mejo . Marj, my travel buddy, was already waiting for me (taking work-related calls, sinong adik? Harharhar). May photographer ako for this trip! Our flight wa...