Meira’s world

July 2001

Hey there!

First of all, my apologies to all of you who are owed
emails from me – I don’t get too much of a chance to
check into internet cafes. But thank you all so much
for writing! Much appreciated.

So, where am I? In Bratislava, the capital of
Slovakia. No comparison to Prague tho. Especially with
the weather all rainy… again… not much chance of
me staying here long. Got here this afternoon. Will do
sightseeing tomorrow then leave first thing Thursday
morning (hopefully) for Budapest in Hungary. I’m going
to splurge a bit and take the hydrofoil (some kind of
boat) down the Danube to get there. Should be awesome.

I left Prague last Thursday and went to this town/city
called Olomouc in the east part of the Czech Republic.
I stayed with a friend and her husband. I took it
really easy, not too much sightseeing. After rushing
around for 2 weeks, it was nice just to hang around.
On Saturday we did a lot of cycling which was
supercool. It’s been years since I’ve cycled, and you
know what, that cliche about riding a bicycle is
absolutely true! They stay in a village just outside
Olomouc and it was so amazing to ride past fields of
grass/barley/wheat and flours while the sun was
beating down. When we drove home it was after 7:30pm
but still so light. It was just too beautiful. People
in the villages are often very poor and unemployed. So
they have communal gardens where they grow vegetables.
In the early evening you see them tending to the
gardens. I learned a lot about what life is like for
Czech people – now and under the Communists.

Sunday I went to this little town called Kromeriz -
rained the whole time. Then went to Brno in the
evening. Got there after 8 (train broke down for an
hour – supposedly not an unusual thing – but no-one
tells you anything – and I can’t speak the language!
but I understand Kaput
Wasn’t sure how I was going to find a place to stay
for the night but luckily a really lovely couple
helped me by phoning a few places. People can be so
friendly and helpful. Ended up staying in students’
dorms – had a room of 3 beds all to myself. Lovely and
clean!

Did some touring of Brno yesterday. Saw this really
cool thing – a crypt with sort-of mummified bodies.
The bodies of monks and aristocrats who had died
(prior to 1780) were just allowed to dry out. So
they’re not quite mummies as such (not embalmed) but
have this blackened look about them – can sometimes
even see their nails! Their skin looks kinda papery.
Very odd. I mean, if I were an aristocrat, I wouldn’t
want my dessicated body on show for all to see… The
guide pointed out one body with tensed hands and feet.
It is believed that the person wasn’t quite dead when
they buried her and she had an epileptic fit, which
accounts for the position of her hands and feet.
Because of the danger of the plague and other
infectious diseases, they couldn’t wait that long
before burying the dead. So instead of waiting 3 days
or so, they buried them as soon as they THOUGHT they
were dead, like right away. So quite a few people were
probably buried alive centuries ago! Imagine waking up
in a coffin…. eeugh! Someone said that an Indian
person told them that in the villages, the doctor is
often just the smartest person around – no medical
training whatsoever. So how are they to really know
when someone is properly dead. Since they cremate the
dead, people have been known to wake up screaming on
the funeral pyres!

Otherwise, Brno is not that exciting. In fact, once
you’ve been to Prague it sort of spoils things for
you. But saying that, I’ve been to some cool towns.

When I last wrote I said I was going to visit the spa
towns of West Bohemia. I saw 2 spa towns and 2 little
towns in 2 days. Amazing how much can get done and
seen in such short spaces of time. I think I’m
becoming very good at doing places quickly. Armed with
Lonely Planet travelling is loads easier. The spa
towns of Marianske Lazne and Karlovy Vary were great.
I actually preferred the former cos it was smaller and
less touristy, but Karlovy Vary is the very famous
one. Got to taste some of the waters – usually a
little salty or rusty. And once again it rained. But
at least there were patches of sunshine good for
photos. There tends to be older people at the spa
towns and everyone walks around with these special spa
drinking containers. Imagine a mug with a spout. Now
squash it flat and there you have it.

Sunday (one and a half weeks ago) I went to Terezin,
or Theresinstad (sp?) in German. It was the Czech
concentration camp and ghetto for Czech and other
Eastern European Jews during the Second World War.
From here Jews were sent to the death camps, but loads
died here from starvation and executions. Thousands of
children passed through here and there is an
exhibition of their drawings. Terezin is a fortress
town from the late 18th century. It’s kind of how I
imagine the Pentagon to be – a walled garrison town.
Apart from the Museum of the Ghetto there’s not much
to see in the town itself (which is small), but just
next to it is the Lesser Fortress which was the
Gestapo headquarters. That’s a lot more eery to visit
cos of all the prisons. Just outside the main fortress
is the crematorium (4 ovens) next to the cemetary. It
was my first time to something like this and it’s
weird trying to imagine what went on.

2 days later I went to the very picturesque town of
Cesky Krumlov. It’s so touristy you wonder if any
locals actually live there!

And that now brings you up to date, albeit briefly, on
where I’ve been and what I’ve done. I know this hasn’t
been nearly as entertaining as my last letter. Sorry!
But I’ll be seeing so many of you so soon that you’ll
get to be entertained in the flesh! Speaking of flesh,
thanks to a few proper summer days, I’m developing a
very pleasant looking tan Just to make you jealous
of course when I get back to wintery SA! Tho from what
I’ve heard of the temperatures there, they’ve
generally been the same here!

Okay. Gotta love and leave ya.

Wishing you good health and loads of happiness
Meira

p.s. anyone just happen to have a spare car lying
around for me to use when I come to Joburg?