If you checked in today expecting to find this update addressing my time in India, sorry to disappoint you. I promise that I will post my impressions of India in the next day or two (I was working on it on the train earlier today), but I want to bllog about today's trip before I forget the details.
This morning I boarded ICE train #175 in the Berlin Hauptbahnhof, expecting a speedy trip of about 4 hours or so to Prague. Everything appeared to be going fine as we traveled through Germany to Dresden, arriving a few minutes late but more or less on time. As we traveled along we encountered sleet turning to snow and it was obvious that snow had fallen either overnight or earlier in the day. Shortly thereafter we crossed the border into the Czech Republic and continued on for about 30 minutes without any incident. But then the "fun" began.
The train started to slow down at this point and eventually came to a halt. After being stationary for what appeared to be about 15-20 minutes we were informed that trees had fallen across the track ahead and the train would have to back-track a ways, change locomotives, and proceed on a different route after crossing the river Elbe, whose valley we had been traveling along. The new route more or less followed the same valley for much of the time and the conductor came by to say that we would now be about 2 hours late getting into Prague (hah!!).
At about 4:00pm or 4:30pm (somewhere in there) the train came to a complete stop once again. For a while there was no indication what was going on but eventually the conductor came on the PA to say that there was no information about why the train had stopped but they were waiting on further information. Time passed with no action, but it was obvious something was wrong as a local train, heading in the opposite direction, was also waiting in the same place. It got progressively later, and dark, with only rumors to go by of more trouble on the tracks ahead. Eventually, at about 6:30pm, train finally began to move again, after the other train had departed and another train went by going in our direction.
As the train began moving, the conductor came on the PA again to say that the train was no longer going to Prague and all passengers going to Prague would have to get off at a station a little down the line and catch another regional train into Prague. Everyone was a little uncertain about this but, fortunately, my compartment mate was from Prague and was familiar with the station and what we would need to do. I followed him off the train and into the station, where he interpreted the notice board and pointed out which train we needed to catch. The train was delayed and eventually, about 10 minutes late, it's arrival platform was posted and we all rushed out to the platform. When the train finally pulled in a cheer went up from all assembled.
After getting on the train and finding seats, we settled in for the journey into Prague. Here, I lucked out again as sitting across from me was a girl from Berlin who was trying to settle in Australia with her partner and we talked about our travels for a while. Then, from across the aisle came a friendly dog who she made friends with and that led to striking up a conversation with the four people sitting across the aisle. One couple lived in Prague although the guy was from Canada but had been in Prague for 17 years - he and his partner owned the dogs. The other couple were American but lived in Berlin and were visiting Prague and Brno to see the architecture. Andrew (the Canadian) offered to help several of us find our ways through the Prague station and the metro to get to our hotels. I had planned to walk (it was only 0.5 miles according to the hotel) but it turned out that we were all going in the same direction and would get off the metro at the same station so I joined the group.
After getting some money from the ATM (the Czech Republic has not adopted the Euro as yet and still uses the Czech Crown), and buying a drink to break a 1000 crown note so I had change for the ticket machine, off we went to the Metro. We only had to travel for two stops and Andrew explained that I would need to cross two busy streets right outside the Metro station in order to reach my hotel. He and his partner got off one station earlier than the rest of us so we were a little uncertain about where to go but I recognized a street name on one of the exit signs and headed in that direction after wishing my companions good luck. After getting outside I pulled out my GPS (which I had pre-loaded with a Prague map) and checked to see where I was and found that Andrew had put me not more than 200 yards from my hotel!!. With the GPS in hand it took me less than 5 minutes to cross the roads and make my way to the hotel.
So, just under 6 hours late (at just on 9:00pm), I finally made it to the hotel. I have been very fortunate on this trip so far in that every time things go a little sideways there has always someone who has been willing to help. While I might have been able to puzzle through each situation by myself eventually, it has been so much easier with the help of kind strangers who have offered their help. As it turned out both Andrew and Lloyd (the American gentleman) were also University professors so we exchanged business cards before parting company and Lloyd's wife took my blog address (to check how accurate my account is and I think I have my facts straight).
That's my day and it's been one for the books. Next time, and in the next day or so, it will be all India.
Doc
This morning I boarded ICE train #175 in the Berlin Hauptbahnhof, expecting a speedy trip of about 4 hours or so to Prague. Everything appeared to be going fine as we traveled through Germany to Dresden, arriving a few minutes late but more or less on time. As we traveled along we encountered sleet turning to snow and it was obvious that snow had fallen either overnight or earlier in the day. Shortly thereafter we crossed the border into the Czech Republic and continued on for about 30 minutes without any incident. But then the "fun" began.
The train started to slow down at this point and eventually came to a halt. After being stationary for what appeared to be about 15-20 minutes we were informed that trees had fallen across the track ahead and the train would have to back-track a ways, change locomotives, and proceed on a different route after crossing the river Elbe, whose valley we had been traveling along. The new route more or less followed the same valley for much of the time and the conductor came by to say that we would now be about 2 hours late getting into Prague (hah!!).
At about 4:00pm or 4:30pm (somewhere in there) the train came to a complete stop once again. For a while there was no indication what was going on but eventually the conductor came on the PA to say that there was no information about why the train had stopped but they were waiting on further information. Time passed with no action, but it was obvious something was wrong as a local train, heading in the opposite direction, was also waiting in the same place. It got progressively later, and dark, with only rumors to go by of more trouble on the tracks ahead. Eventually, at about 6:30pm, train finally began to move again, after the other train had departed and another train went by going in our direction.
As the train began moving, the conductor came on the PA again to say that the train was no longer going to Prague and all passengers going to Prague would have to get off at a station a little down the line and catch another regional train into Prague. Everyone was a little uncertain about this but, fortunately, my compartment mate was from Prague and was familiar with the station and what we would need to do. I followed him off the train and into the station, where he interpreted the notice board and pointed out which train we needed to catch. The train was delayed and eventually, about 10 minutes late, it's arrival platform was posted and we all rushed out to the platform. When the train finally pulled in a cheer went up from all assembled.
After getting on the train and finding seats, we settled in for the journey into Prague. Here, I lucked out again as sitting across from me was a girl from Berlin who was trying to settle in Australia with her partner and we talked about our travels for a while. Then, from across the aisle came a friendly dog who she made friends with and that led to striking up a conversation with the four people sitting across the aisle. One couple lived in Prague although the guy was from Canada but had been in Prague for 17 years - he and his partner owned the dogs. The other couple were American but lived in Berlin and were visiting Prague and Brno to see the architecture. Andrew (the Canadian) offered to help several of us find our ways through the Prague station and the metro to get to our hotels. I had planned to walk (it was only 0.5 miles according to the hotel) but it turned out that we were all going in the same direction and would get off the metro at the same station so I joined the group.
After getting some money from the ATM (the Czech Republic has not adopted the Euro as yet and still uses the Czech Crown), and buying a drink to break a 1000 crown note so I had change for the ticket machine, off we went to the Metro. We only had to travel for two stops and Andrew explained that I would need to cross two busy streets right outside the Metro station in order to reach my hotel. He and his partner got off one station earlier than the rest of us so we were a little uncertain about where to go but I recognized a street name on one of the exit signs and headed in that direction after wishing my companions good luck. After getting outside I pulled out my GPS (which I had pre-loaded with a Prague map) and checked to see where I was and found that Andrew had put me not more than 200 yards from my hotel!!. With the GPS in hand it took me less than 5 minutes to cross the roads and make my way to the hotel.
So, just under 6 hours late (at just on 9:00pm), I finally made it to the hotel. I have been very fortunate on this trip so far in that every time things go a little sideways there has always someone who has been willing to help. While I might have been able to puzzle through each situation by myself eventually, it has been so much easier with the help of kind strangers who have offered their help. As it turned out both Andrew and Lloyd (the American gentleman) were also University professors so we exchanged business cards before parting company and Lloyd's wife took my blog address (to check how accurate my account is and I think I have my facts straight).
That's my day and it's been one for the books. Next time, and in the next day or so, it will be all India.
Doc
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