The Cube

Pre-travel
Here's some Yugoslavia history in small bite to get you into the mood.
And breakdown of travel days and links to accommodation.


Qatar: Doha
Day 0 - transit on the way to Zagreb and back from Warsaw, because I travelled with Qatar Airways.


Croatia: Zagreb
Day 1 - Half day in Zagreb before taking another flight to Sarajevo at night


BiH: Sarajevo
Day 2 - Walk around Sarajevo city
Day 3 - Historical Museum of BiH and Tunnel of Hope


BiH: Mostar
Day 4 - around Mostar


BiH: Blagaj, Pocitelj, Kravice, Hum Hill
Day 5 - Day trip from Mostar


Croatia: Split
Day 6 - A day in Split


Hungary: Budapest
Day 7 - Travel / Rest day
Day 8, 9 and 10 - Things to do in Budapest


Czech Republic: Prague
Day 11 - Travel / Rest day
Day 12, 14 and 15 - Things to do in Prague
Day 13- Day trip to Kutna Hora


Poland: Krakow and Warsaw
Day 16 - Wieliczka Salt Mine
Day 17 - Around Krakow including Kazimierz (Jewish Quarter)
Day 18 - Auschwitz-Birkenau
Day 19 - Wawel Hill


Day 20 and 22 - Around Warsaw
Day 21 - Warsaw Uprising Museum and Centrum Nauki Kopernik


Till then Europe, I shall return!


Side note: Do you feel ticklish when had a massage?

The hospital is behind the trees :P

After my first bout of medications bought in Budapest, I had went to two different pharmacist on separate days to get different medications to cure the marathon cough that went even crazier at night. So on the third morning in Prague, I asked the receptionist at Hostel Mango to recommend a doctor. That day was also a Friday, bearing in mind that doctors are not available over the weekend. The nearest hospital was in Jewish Quarter.

Armed with a trdelník (or trdlo) and a hot cappuccino, I walked towards to Jewish Quarter. Maybe I have not met the hapy people but somehow the women in Central Europe are on the grumpier side, the men were ok. Anyway, we were told that this was due to the past communist era, where people generally don't show their happiness in public.

I don't have much experience of consulting a doctor in public hospital, let alone in Prague so I was rather blur. After asking a nurse at the reception, she said, "Third door on the left." I heard, "Third floor on my left," to which coincidentally, there was a flight of stairs on my left. I climbed up three storeys and knocked on the only door available. A lady opened the door and I explained that I wanted to see a doctor for outpatient consultation. It must've been a big joke because at least she laughed (grin!) and told me it was the third door on the left. Of course if I could read Czech this would be all unavoidable but was all good.

I went down the stairs and knocked on the correct door. A grumpy female nurse opened the door. I explained that I was hoping to see a doctor for an outpatient consultation. She closed the door and I waited outside the door. Then a female doctor opened the door. I repeated myself and all she said was, "Passport".

I was a little fazed and didn't pass her my passport straightaway, the level of annoyance on her face went up another notch and she repeated, "I'm a doctor. Give me your passport." I apologised and handed her my passport. She closed the door and I continued my wait outside the door. This time a male doctor opened the door and told me to follow him. I was quite glad that the doctor who would see me was a male doctor. At least he did not look grumpy!

After asking for the related medical history, he took my temperature by putting the thermometer under the arm. Medical history were jotted down in Czech but diagnosis was in English - as expected, it was only viral infection. At the very least, he prescribed me with codein to aid with my sleep at night (yay!). That night was the first good night sleep I had since Budapest, the same goes with the rest of my dorm mates. It was probably by luck that nobody smothered with a pillow at night... though they probably can't as I was wide awake every night. :P

Consultation costs 370 Kč (appx €14 / AUD 20), meds 180 Kč (appx €7 / AUD 10)

Side note: Do you make any new year resolutions?

Kutna Hora was once Europe's largest silver mine. In the past, Kutna Hora was known as the city of silver. It is about 70 km east of Prague, and the trip takes approximately an hour.

Our first stop upon reaching Kutna Hora was the "Bone Church" itself. The "Bone Church" or ossuary ('Kostnice' in Czech) is in the underground chapel of the Church of All Saints. The ossuary is estimated to contain the skeletons of between 40,000 and 70,000 people.

Urban legend has it that a monk went mad made things from the bones. Decorations and sculptures were created by a woodcarver name Frantisek Rint. He was commissioned by the landowners at that time, in 1870 to decorate the chapel with bones as a reminder human life is not immortal, and death is inescapable.




The guide then arranged for minivan services to pick us up to the next stop, St. Barbara's Cathedral (Chram Sv. Barbory). This cathedral was founded in 1388 by rich miners of Kutna Hora. So, St Barbara is the patron saint of miners, and many of the interior has mining related adornments.



Lunch was at Pivnice Dacicky but I was still coughing my lungs out and much to K's disapproval, I was popping Fisherman's Friend like tic tac, so I only had some potato soup and lemonade as drink.


We continued our walk after lunch, though I think it was a little rush, next stop - Italian Court (Vlassky Dvur). This was where Czech currency was once made and became Europe's most important mint and the main residence of Czech kings in the 1400s.


Scenery from across the Italian Mint.



Side note: Cherries are so addictive! The only consolation is they are considered a type of fruit. ^ ^ 

Wedding photo or advertisement shooting?

Ham sold by weight

Touch for luck or to return to Prague?

Apparently if touch the doggie, will bring bad luck...

Pinkas Synagogue

Old Jewish Cemetery from street level

Memorial to Franz Kafka

See the four men in suits? They are the architects and builders who finished the church

Stained-glass window by Master Alfons Mucha

I wanted a photo under "I'm a dreamer too... " but the busker didn't move away so I took one of him instead

The bakery does sells a whole lot of other pastries/cakes/breads too

15. Absinthe
Made from wormwood and herbs, is historically described as a distilled, highly alcoholic beverage. It was described as a watered down version of a hallucinogenic drink. I only had a drink (distilled absinthe), and really enjoyed it.


16. Shopping
Though to be honest, I didn't buy any of the two below, at least not in Prague, I bought a pashmina shawl though :P

Czech crystal and glass

Cheesy matryoshka doll