Times do not choose

Legendary Czech traveler Miroslav ZIKMUND: “When I was once again interrogated by representatives of the state security, I told them:“ I survived the skull hunt - I will survive your persecution as well ”

40 years ago, after the Prague Spring, travelers and writers Miroslav Zikmund and Jiri Hanzelka were “buried” alive by the new government of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic.

It was like a fairy tale: two young Czechs decide to see the world and, disdaining all the dangers, driving the Tatras, they cross entire continents! And when? Immediately after the nightmare war, when Europe was still in ruins. Having traveled across Africa from north to south and America from south to north in 1947-1950, Jiri Hanzelka and Miroslav Zikmund returned home to Czechoslovakia in a romantic halo of glory. Books about their adventures on the roads of continents sold out instantly - 120 thousand on the first day of sale. They were also printed in the USSR - for several generations of Soviet people, reliably closed with an iron curtain, the bestsellers of Zikmund and Hanzelka became a window into an unattainable world. And then came 1968, when Soviet tanks buried the hopes of Czechs and Slovaks for free choice and development. Jiri Hanzelka and Miroslav Zikmund were active participants in the Prague Spring, for which they paid - they were consigned to oblivion. What could be worse for people who were at the height of their fame? It was only after the fall of communism in 1989 that they began to appear again on television screens and on radio broadcasts. Miroslav Zikmund lives in the town of Zlín in the east of the Czech Republic. Just over four hours by train from Prague, an idyllic mountain landscape opens up. Zlin is a quiet town where Russian is not understood. The workers of the city museum come to the rescue: they proudly demonstrate the exposition "Through five parts of the world with engineers Hanzelka and Zikmund", and then explain in detail how to find the house of Miroslav Zikmund. Half an hour later, the legendary traveler meets me at the doorstep of his house, where, as it turned out, there is no computer, no Internet, but only books, books, books ...

"OUR 180-PAGE SECRET" SPECIAL REPORT No. 4 "I HAVE PERSONALLY HAS BEEN GIVEN TO LEONID Ilyich"

- How did it all begin, Pan Miroslav?

- Jiri and I were probably not unique in our dreams of seeing the world ... Every boy or girl wants to fly out of the family nest: learn about life, see other countries.

I met Hanzelka in 1938 at the economic school in Prague, where we studied. He turned out to be as romantic as I was, and we began to prepare the trip around the world, which we were going to go after graduation. The war interfered with our plans, but we did not give up our dream: we learned languages, read books, collected maps.

When peace returned to Europe, we decided to turn to the director of the Tatra automobile plant for help. They found out his name from the watchman and went straight to him. They showed their papers with a detailed travel plan. It was data about different countries, geographic Maps- just about 500 pages of text and pictures. And they asked: "Give us a car, and we will advertise Tatra all over the world." “People like you,” he said, “come almost every day and say:“ Give me a car for free, ”but it seems that you are not swindlers and really prepared.” This is how we got transportation and support on our travels.

- Did you meet the director's expectations about advertising?

“After crossing the Nubian Desert, the newspapers wrote about our Tatra as the vehicle best suited to African conditions. After all, she did not need water, but had air cooling. The contract, which we signed in Nairobi, provided for the supply of six thousand vehicles. But here in Czechoslovakia the communists came to power, who were no longer interested in contracts. Representatives from Nairobi were not even allowed to come to Prague.

- Your travels ended in the USSR, the most closed state in the world at that time. If you had not traveled through the expanses of the Land of the Soviets, perhaps your fate would have turned out differently ...

- Our trip to the Union was interrupted in 1964, when the Soviet leadership asked for our view of the situation in the country. We were already experienced travelers, visited many countries and could compare. We wrote "Special report No. 1" - about Indonesia, No. 2 - about Western Iran, No. 3 - about Japan. The fourth is about the USSR. We traveled through the USSR from Japan home to Europe, drove from Vladivostok to Moscow. Moreover, we had complete freedom of movement, we could even visit closed areas and gave a frank analysis of the political, economic and moral situation in the country. They wanted to help change something for the better - it seemed to us very important, because the reality of life in the USSR was the complete opposite of Soviet propaganda.

We gave our report to the then General Secretary of the Czechoslovak Communist Party, Novotny, and asked him to send one copy to Moscow. We were told that the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia could not send the document by party mail, since Moscow might think that the Czechoslovak Communist Party shares the opinion of Zikmund and Hanzelka. Then Brezhnev came to Prague as a guest of the XIII Congress of the CPC. I was invited to the Central Committee, where I handed over our 180-page secret "Special Report No. 4" personally to Leonid Ilyich.

We thought that our observations would give the authorities in Moscow and Prague material for thought and action, but Brezhnev did not want to delve into them. He handed the report to his subordinates, and they assessed him as anti-Soviet - the greatest sin in those days. Indeed, it followed from the document that socialism as a political and economic system is mediocre and hopeless. But then to express critical remarks about the Soviet Union was to sign a verdict for oneself. The words of Brezhnev reached us: they say, "Zikmund and Hanzelka need to be taught a lesson by hunger" ... Since then, we have been denied access to the USSR, although we were going to come at least one more time, and then write a big book about the Soviet Union.

"ONLY EVGENY EVTUSHENKO RESPONDED TO MY CALL TO STOP THE SOVIET INVASION IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA"

- The first lesson that the Soviet system taught you, you have not learned. The second was also neglected, since they became active participants in the Prague Spring of 1968 ...

- Jiri was even a presidential candidate in Czechoslovakia. After five days of Soviet occupation, I addressed the radio with an address in Russian to Brezhnev, Kosygin, academicians Keldysh, Lavrentyev, Kapitsa, my friend the poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko and said that I regard the entry of Soviet troops as the German occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1938.

I called for an end to the invasion that offends the honest people of both countries. The speech was recorded by Western radio stations and broadcast to the USSR. Only Yevgeny Yevtushenko responded by writing the poem "Tanks are marching in Prague". The rest were silent. And this is not surprising: fear pervaded all life in the Soviet Union.

- Where did you meet Yevgeny Yevtushenko?

- In Irkutsk - during our trip. At that time, the poet was in disgrace, he was not even published for some time. We went with him to his performance at the Bratsk hydroelectric power station. Yevtushenko made a very strong impression, and he read poetry as if a volcano was erupting.

By the way, Eugene recently sent me his new book, but I can't make out his dedication ... Could you help me? ( Unfortunately, I could not help - I was able to decipher only a few words. — Auth.).

- Pan Miroslav, did you really believe that your call to stop the invasion of Soviet troops could change something?

- We were naive. They thought that it was possible to convince the Soviet leadership to do what they declared in words. Now I understand that communism cannot be reformed. It is not suitable for the human community. It's a disease. And the introduction of Soviet troops into foreign territory aroused universal hatred of the USSR.

Judging by my observations, large people often show loyalty to their own mistakes and a tendency to complacency. Awareness of the greatness of a nation supplants respect for each individual. Small peoples do not have this: on the one hand, they more often experience an inferiority complex and worship abroad, on the other hand, they have more prerequisites for development.

- It's no secret that the new government, which cleared the way, subjected its opponents to persecution. Has it affected you?

- Gusak, with the support of Soviet troops, began a policy of so-called normalization, which ended in absolute isolation for Jiri and me. From travelers we turned into dissidents, we became restricted to travel abroad. Torn years out - I don't really like to talk about them. We were banned from publishing and social work, expelled from the Writers' Union, and the contract for a book about Ceylon was terminated.

They wanted to remove even our books from libraries and destroy, but then they left them, only they deleted them from the catalogs. The already printed edition of the book "Part of the World Under the Himalayas" was kept in the warehouse for a long time, they were going to be sent under the knife, but then they were put on sale through the "Book Lovers Club".

They demanded repentance from us, insisted that we publicly support the new government, renounce what was said earlier, but this was out of the question. In retaliation for our intransigence, we were constantly watched, summoned for interrogations. Once, when I was once again interrogated by representatives of the state security, I told them: "I survived the skull hunt - I will survive your persecution."

We couldn't find any work. We lived on the money received from the sale of our equipment, things, books ... Later Jiri got a job as a gardener, and I - as a stoker. Brezhnev destroyed us for 20 years: they didn’t print us, they didn’t let us on radio and television - we were like dead, although we could do so much ...

"GAGARIN SAID THAT HE ENVIES US BECAUSE WE CAN TRAVEL FREE"

- You did not think about emigrating, as, for example, the Czech writer Milan Kundera, who still lives in France ...

- Jiri and I traveled to different countries for nine years and knew very well the fate of many emigrants. These were sad stories of people who left their homeland for various reasons. On the one hand, we did not want to repeat their fate, on the other hand, we believed that we had to stay at home and work, fighting against the system, like dissidents.

- The Zlín Museum displays your self-published books created after 1968 ...

- Jiri and I have a lot of unpublished material left. Left out of work, we began to retype it on a typewriter, add photographs and drawings. It turned out books. In 1975, two books about Ceylon (Sri Lanka) were published in this way. Only in 1990, after the "Velvet Revolution", they were normally released by the publishing house.

For years we have been writing to the table without any feedback from readers, from publishers, and therefore no incentive. Therefore, they never appeared travel notes about the Soviet Union, about Japan, about Indonesia. And today, 40 years later, there is no point in returning to them: both the people and the country have completely changed.

- I read that in Russia there was an exhibition of materials collected by you, including four thousand previously banned photographs from the USSR. I called the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Ukraine, asked if the exhibition would be shown in Ukraine, they replied that no ...

- Exhibitions are held wherever they are invited. My photographs have been shown in Germany, Russia, Uzbekistan - in total in 20 countries. Nobody from Ukraine has shown any interest yet.

By the way, you are the first Ukrainian journalist with whom I communicate, although in my life you have given at least two thousand interviews for publications on five continents.

- In the museum, I drew attention to a photo where you and your brother, back in the 30s, were traveling around Subcarpathian Rus, which is now part of Ukraine and is called Transcarpathia.

- Before World War II, it was the territory of Czechoslovakia. We then walked through the cities and mountains of Subcarpathian Rus, quenching our thirst for travel. Once we approached the Polish border, I ran into Poland five steps and shouted to my brother: "I'm abroad!" So strong in me was the desire to see the world with which I went all my life ...

- I know that you met with Yuri Gagarin. Only not in Moscow and not even in Prague, but in Ceylon ...

- We met him quite by accident. This was the first trip of Yuri Gagarin to a capitalist country, if you can call it that Ceylon at that time. Prior to that, cosmonaut number one had only been to Czechoslovakia. And Jiri and I were just making our Asian trip and getting to know the island.

The people who received Gagarin told him that Zikmund and Hanzelka were nearby, and Yuri came to us. We had beer in the car, we treated it to him, got into a conversation ... Gagarin said that he had read all our books and was very jealous of us, since we can freely travel around the world, see different countries, communicate with the natives, but he does not have such an opportunity. In general, the first cosmonaut made the impression of a very good, pleasant young man.

- Which of the travelers was your idol?

- My ideal in childhood was the traveler Emil Golub, a contemporary of Henry Stanley and David Livingston. I still keep his books in German and Czech. He died young. After our first trip to Africa and America, Jiri and I met his widow, who at that time was already 89 years old.

"HUMAN JOURNEYS CHANGE: IT BECOMES TOLERANT"

- When the roads to the world reopened for you, where did you go?

- Until 1968, we visited all continents except Australia. Therefore, it is logical that in the 90s of the last century I visited there three times. Then there were other trips and new meetings: in 2000, in Sri Lanka, he met the science fiction writer Arthur Clark, and a year later he met with Thor Heyerdahl. We talked with him all day in Guimar at his house on the island of Tenerife.

- Now the world is becoming standard, everything is the same around. For example, in the United United Arab Emirates 30 years ago there were only sands and camels, but today you can hardly find both of them there ...

- Jiri and I saw the world in time: its former no longer exists, it has become less interesting. I recently visited several places where I was before - for example, I went to turkish city Hilt. When Hanzelka and I arrived there in 1959, there were only four tourists in the church - Jiri and I and two of our friends. And in 1998 there were 50 huge buses and thousands of tourists who pushed each other away to take pictures.

But progress cannot be stopped ... Every time, returning from a trip, people perceive everything that happens at home more sharply: they have something to compare with. In addition, what he sees in foreign lands changes a person: he becomes more tolerant of other peoples, cultures, religions, begins to understand them ...

- In your books you often and warmly mention Prague, the Vltava River ... Why did you leave the capital and moved to provincial Zlin?

- For the first time, Jiri and I came here in 1952 to a film studio to prepare a film. We spent seven to eight months here. It was a very snowy winter, we went skiing a lot. And I said to Jiri: "Listen, why do we live in Prague and not here?" Here nature, mountains, air, garden ... I like to work in the garden with my own hands. All this is inaccessible when you live in a city apartment. Therefore, we decided to relocate. I bought this house in Zlín from the director of the film studio, who went to work in Prague, and I still live there.

- What are you doing now, Pan Miroslav?

- When my friend Jiri died ( in 2003. — Auth.), I didn't think I would go back to work. I didn’t want to continue my literary activity any longer, but a journalist I knew found my unfinished manuscript in the archive and forced me to revise it. Therefore, now I am preparing another book for publication. In addition, our films with Hanzelka are coming out on DVD, and I am writing new comments to them - because in those difficult times, not everything could be told ...

Kiev - Prague - Zlin - Kiev

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Thank you very much for the stories about the trips sent to the contest “The Story of My Travel” to me by e-mail: [email protected] Today - a report on a trip to the Czech Republic from Alexei Batuev. Of all my life memories, which warm my soul most of all and awaken the best feelings in my heart, these are the memories of three trips to the absolutely amazing, fabulously beautiful country of the Czech Republic. […]

Thank you very much for the stories about the trips sent to the contest “The Story of My Travel” to me by e-mail: [email protected]
Today - a report on a trip to the Czech Republic from Alexei Batuev.

Of all my life memories, which warm my soul most of all and awaken the best feelings in my heart, these are the memories of three trips to the absolutely amazing, fabulously beautiful country of the Czech Republic.

This country was very lucky that it was almost not affected by the most destructive World War II in the history of mankind, and, thanks to this, everything that was built, starting from the early Middle Ages, remained unchanged on its territory. Of all European cities, the capital of the Czech Republic, Prague, has the largest Old city walking along and admiring beautiful buildings, you can see samples of absolutely all architectural styles.

More than two thousand medieval castles still stand on a relatively small territory of the Czech Republic.

The country annually hosts medieval festivals with colorful carnival processions and knightly tournaments. The most famous of these is the Five-Petal Rose Festival in Cesky Krumlov.

Celebration of the Five-Petal Rose in Cesky Krumlov

Lovers of medieval romance - this is the right place for you!
And yet, the most remarkable thing, in my opinion, is that the Czech state, not possessing reserves of oil and gas, as well as other natural resources, nevertheless provides its citizens with a very decent standard of living. The Chekhovs cannot be called workaholics, but the overwhelming majority of the population lives in abundance. Life here flows calmly and measuredly, order reigns in everything. The Czechs do not have that rocking prowess that is present among the Slavic brothers - Poles, Ukrainians, Russians. Perhaps the whole point is that Czechs, as a rule, do not draw inspiration from strong strong drinks.

In the Czech Republic, the influence of German culture is very strongly felt, which the country experienced on itself throughout its centuries-old history... Czech Republic was the only Slavic state that was part of the Holy Roman Empire of the German nation, and Czech kings were vassals of the German emperors. On the territory of the Czech Republic, starting from the XIII century, a lot of immigrants from Germany and Austria lived. Many Czech cities, as well as cities in other countries of Eastern Europe (Poland, Slovakia, Romanian Transylvania), were founded and settled by German colonists. The 400-year stay of the Czech Republic as part of the Austrian Habsburg Empire also left a big imprint on the Czech mentality. In Czech cuisine, as well as in German, pork dishes with sauerkraut are very popular. Czechs, like Germans, are tenderly and anxiously in love with beer, and in terms of per capita consumption they rank first in Europe.

They joke: "We can lose the primacy only in one case - if Bavaria leaves Germany and becomes an independent state." In general, the Czechs are such “Slavic Germans”. It is very noteworthy that this relationship between Czech and German cultures is also embodied by the most popular ruler in the history of the Czech Republic - the Czech king and, concurrently, the German emperor Charles IV of Luxembourg, who ruled the country in the middle of the 14th century. From his father's side, this monarch came from the family of the Dukes of Luxembourg, i.e. representatives of the Germanic world, and on the mother's side was a descendant of the most ancient Czech royal dynasty - the Přemyslids. It was under Charles IV that Prague became one of the most beautiful cities Europe, and remains so to this day.

Perhaps the introduction took too long. I proceed to describe the travels themselves. I will dwell on the first two very briefly - they were just a prelude to the third. So, first things first.

A long time ago, in 1981, the stars were so well positioned in the sky that I was incredibly lucky and got a ticket for a trip abroad. I would like to note right away that in those good old days, when the Soviet Union and the rest of the world were divided by the “Iron Curtain,” ordinary citizens, for obvious reasons, very rarely visited the borders of our glorious Fatherland, and when one of them had such a happy chance, our state carefully relieved citizens of the need to choose - where, when and for how many days to go. Indeed, why bother. In the era of historical materialism, Soviet citizens did not go where they most wanted, but where the party, the Komsomol and trade unions allocated vouchers.

So, the district committee of the Komsomol allocated the Komsomol organization of our enterprise a ticket to Czechoslovakia. Fortunately for me, it was to Czechoslovakia, where I went in October 1981. To be honest, after this trip there were not many truly vivid memories, because sightseeing for Soviet tourists was not the most important thing, for the sake of which they went abroad. In the first place, as a rule (I do not want to generalize and speak for all my fellow citizens), was shopping, in the second - meetings with the labor collectives of a fraternal socialist country and visits to places associated with the names of the leaders of the world communist movement, everything else is on a leftover principle.

Our group was lucky - the representative of the host side who accompanied the group on the route was a very sweet and very energetic woman who made every effort to ensure that we not only successfully spend the currency we have, but also learn as much as possible about the history and culture of the country ... The name of this lovely lady has been erased from my memory, I only remember that by her main profession she was a school teacher and during school holidays she worked part-time in the field of tourism. I am very grateful to her - she was the first person who discovered the Czech Republic for me.

If my first trip to the Czech Republic took place as a result of a not quite conscious choice, then the second, which happened already 24 years after the first, in 2005, was the product of a long discussion and reaching a consensus with all my children and household members. Being by that time a fully accomplished father of the family, I was determined in the most resolute manner to introduce my offspring to all the most beautiful and to feed them to their fill with spiritual food.

And then, one fine day, I announced to them my proposal for a bus tour to the Czech Republic. A student daughter, who had not been anywhere before, except for Moscow (we have relatives there) and the Black Sea resorts, said thoughtfully: “Excursions? It must be so boring ... This is not for me. " But the son accepted the offer with enthusiasm. Having inherited from me a craving for medieval romance (brave and magnanimous knights, beautiful ladies, noble robbers, troubadours ... the entourage in reality. The wife, who had traveled abroad for the last time as long as I did (she has trips to Poland, Spain and Portugal), agreed rather quickly, especially since I very convincingly and eloquently described the beauty of the Czech Republic to her based on the memories that remained from my first trip. The low cost of the tour, voiced by me, finally convinced her of the correctness of the choice, after which she could start packing her bags.
And then, in a nutshell, our first family voyage to the Czech Republic went simply with a bang, with only “pluses” without a single “minus”.

On a 10-day bus tour we saw Prague (2 sightseeing tours of the city), Karlovy Vary, Marianske Lazne, Cesky Krumlov, Kutna Hora, Orlik, Zvikov and Zleba castles, underground caves Moravian Beauty and, in addition, on the way back, Polish Krakow. "Gallop across Europe" swept at full speed.

I am very grateful to fate for the fact that on this tour I was lucky to meet an absolutely amazing person - Vyacheslav Borisovich Perepelitsa - who was our group leader, i.e. a representative of the tour operator accompanying the group on the route. I am absolutely sure that this person knows everything about the Czech Republic. And there is absolutely no doubt that he really loves this country and the people living in it. A man with a high level of erudition, an amazing sense of humor and self-irony, Vyacheslav Borisovich did everything so that those who were with him on the trip remained the most loyal fans of the Czech Republic until the end of their days. And he did it completely unobtrusively, as if gradually, without any pathos and false enthusiasm.

For those who want to learn more about the Czech Republic and the Czechs, I advise you to find and read the most interesting book by V.B. Perepelitsy “Watching the Czechs. Not by beer alone ... ". This book was presented to me by my son, who bought it as a souvenir when I was with friends on a trip to St. Petersburg in 2011, i.e. 6 years after the trip. He knew how to please me. And, by the way, my son took this book with him on our next trip to the Czech Republic, which we carried out in the same composition in August 2012, but already, almost independently, not as part of a group. How I planned and prepared this trip, as well as how it went, I will tell you in detail in the second part of my review.

Discount hotels here

Hello friends! We have recently implemented. Sorry if the feed on Social Networks and Instagram was packed with my photos - I wanted to show you a lot! Today I want to talk about our trip to the Czech Republic.

Photo 1. View of Prague. Our trip to the Czech Republic

Before I start describing our journey, I want to introduce you to the beautiful girl Lyudmila. With which we have introduced thanks to the blog. Luda has her own virtual Diary, where she writes about travels around the world, about the picturesque Czech Republic, in which she now lives, about fashion and creativity. We are both in love with travel and cannot imagine life without travel. Therefore, at the invitation of Luda, I did not really think about coming to visit, and gladly agreed. True, we did not go immediately, but after half a year, but everything that is not done, as they say, is for the better!

Photo 2. Prague. Our trip to the Czech Republic

Our independent travel we made it to the Czech Republic at the end of September. Romantic Prague greeted us with surprisingly warm weather.True, the day before the forecaster predicted rain, but the sun never tired of making us happy every day. The umbrella was in the backpack for the whole trip.

By the way, we have given up bulky suitcases and replaced them with backpacks. We felt the difference when we walked in Lviv. The fact is that there was plenty of time left before the bus to Prague, so we came up with an excursion program "". The walk promised to move with luggage along the central cobbled streets of the city, but with suitcases, you know, it was problematic, and since our backpacks were much simpler. Throw them on your back and forward!

The Czech Republic is rich in sights, we wanted to see more, but also not to miss the main thing, thereforeindependent travelwe tried to think over and made a list of the most important places to visit. As the saying goes, "Preparing for a trip is the beginning of a trip." Schengen visa to the Czech Republic was not received quickly expected. Two days later, we had passports with visas in our hands. We applied at the visa center ourselves. I already wrote about this, so read on to anyone who will be interested.

Now it is valid for Ukrainians, and there is no need to apply for a visa. Traveling has become much easier and more budgetary, since you do not need to pay for the Schengen. I have prepared and so that everyone can choose a suitable country for travel.

Travel to the Czech Republic. Prague

Our journey to the Czech Republic began in Kiev, but the most interesting was ahead of us. The bus arrived at the Florenc bus station, where Luda and Misha met us. We decided not to waste time on rest, but to quickly change clothes and go for a walk. Of course, it was not without tasting Czech beer, which we were treated to by the hospitable hosts. How nice it is to meet open people. It's so easy to communicate with them, as if you knew them a long time ago.

On this day, the guys spent us a wonderful sightseeing tour in Prague, which was very useful, since it was necessary to plan all the other days and to sort out a little what and where.

It will not be difficult to get to the city center from the central bus station. There is a metro nearby. If you are flying to the Czech Republic by plane, I have prepared a useful article "".

Photo 3. View of the Old Town Square. Our trip to the Czech Republic

Prague turned out to be very convenient from a tourist point of view. Almost all sights are close to each other and you can easily visit them on foot. But for those who do not like to walk a lot, help you.

Surprisingly, the most convenient way to travel in the capital of the Czech Republic is by tram. Every day we gladly took it to the center. For some reason, this type of movement, until then, I associated with inconvenience and slowness, probably, the signs were given to travel on Kiev trams, which, by the way, look one-on-one with the Prague ones. There are, of course, newer lineups, but there are many like ours. By tram you can get anywhere in the city very quickly and comfortably. Tickets can be bought at stops, but not all have them. The fines are not small, so it's better not to risk it and buy a ticket in advance. By the way, it is very convenient that for all types public transport one ticket is valid.

Photo 4. Old Town Square. Our trip to the Czech Republic

Traveling to the Czech Republic, as I already said, we thought out well, so there were no misunderstandings. The Czech language is understandable enough for Ukrainians, so we had no problems with understanding or communication. Moreover, we have compiled for ourselves, a small phrasebook of the Russian-Czech language. In independent travel, it greatly simplifies communication and understanding. In the Czech language there are quite funny words that cut themselves into the head and do not come out for a long time.

Photo 5. Czech chimes. Our trip to the Czech Republic

Prague landmarks are unique. They admire, I am sure, everyone! We walked around without getting tired of clicking the camera and turning our heads so as not to miss anything. What are the Czech chimes, or whatever I call them Orloi. This antique clock is housed in the Old Town Square (Staroměstskénáměstí)... Every day, crowds of people come to watch them, to listen to their amazing fight. At a certain time, all the figures on the clock begin to move, silently speaking to us. Each of them has its own deep meaning. We did not specially choose the time when to come to the clock, but we were lucky on the first day, to capture this grandiose event in our memory. it central square Prague, in addition to unique clocks, there are many interesting sights.

Photo 6. Dancing House. Our trip to the Czech Republic

In Prague, unique assets of various architectural styles, many interesting modern monuments, so beloved by tourists, are collected. For example, the extraordinary dancing House... At first, the residents did not like the building at all. In their opinion, it spoiled the view of old Prague, but after a little time, the Dancing House took root, I would even say, merged into the romantic atmosphere of the city. Now in its place the townspeople and tourists do not think of anything else.

Photo 7. View of the Vltava and Charles Bridge. Our trip to the Czech Republic

The capital of the Czech Republic is divided into two parts by the Vltava River. The name translates as "Wild River". At first glance, quiet and lazy, she sometimes turns into stormy, impetuous and indomitable. In 2002, this quiet man flooded central part Prague. During the flood, dams were destroyed, after which a huge stream of water rushed into the city center. The water rose to the second floor and flooded the subway. This was the largest flood in the last 500 years.

Photo 8. View of the Vltava and Charles Bridge from Malaya Strana. Our trip to the Czech Republic

Despite this, I really like it when there are rivers in cities. For example, in Kiev, the Dnieper, with Trukhanov Island, but in Prague - the Vltava with Streletsky (Střelecký ostrov). The island is shaped like a narrow boat and is the highlight of the city. Families with children like to come here, as well as everyone who wants to ride on a pedal catamaran. Pleasure boats-restaurants constantly run through the Vltava. Some of them are moored on the embankment, walking along which you can see many swans, which have become completely tame here. Without a doubt, we can say that the birds really like it here, they breed and do not want to fly away at all.
Two dozen bridges connect the two banks of the Vltava. Each of them is unique and has its own name. The most ancient and historically significant is the famous Charles Bridge. It connects the two legendary districts of Prague, Old Town Square, with Lesser Town.

Photo 9. Charles Bridge. Our trip to the Czech Republic

Prague Mala Strana differs from Old Town Square ( Old place ). I can say that the atmosphere here is completely different, more ancient or something!

Another attraction of Prague is located in Mala Strana - Prague Castle... We climbed the cobbled streets to it almost every day. It houses a masterpiece St. Vitus Cathedral... It is surprising that no matter where we were in Prague, almost everyone could see the tall spiers of this temple. To fit the cathedral into the lens, you have to try very hard.

Photo 10. St. Vitus Cathedral. Our trip to the Czech Republic

We went to the Vitus Cathedral most often, because we could not get inside in any way. The fact is that just at this time there was a unique exhibition where the crown of King Charlemagne was shown. This is extremely rare. The crown is very valuable and decorated with precious stones and pearls. Therefore, these days there was special attention to visitors. Yes, and there were a lot of them themselves. This made it possible to see a lot amazing places near.

Photo 11. The immense St. Vitus Cathedral. Prague. Our trip to the Czech Republic

Take a walk along the Golden Street, where goldsmiths, alchemists, seers and healers lived for a long time. Lot mystical legends envelops it which I will discuss in a separate article. Golden lane interesting place... It contains tiny houses with small rooms that have survived to our time. The entrance to the street is paid, but if you come after 18, like us, you can pay nothing and see, in principle, the same thing.

Photo 12. View of Mala Strana. Our trip to the Czech Republic

In addition to Golden Lane, there is another unique street - the narrowest I've ever seen. It is called Vinarna Devil(Vinárna Čertovka). Its width is only 70 centimeters. In order for people not to get stuck there for a long time, but to walk in turns from both sides, a traffic light is installed. Who is afraid of a confined space, be prepared for the extreme. I have no claustrophobia, but the feeling - I wish I could get out as soon as possible!

Near the Prague Castle, there are two dissimilar but very attractive places. This (Valdštejnská zahrada) and Petrin Hill(Petřín). They are both very picturesque and interesting. In the first there is a palace, where the Senate of the Czech Republic is now located, but it attracted us more with its stunning garden. Peacocks walk in it, and huge carps swim in the pond. The garden is decorated with sculptures and an amazing fountain of the goddess Venus.

Photo 13. Wallenstein Garden. Our trip to the Czech Republic

It was not by chance that we were brought to Petrin Hill. I really like these huge parks. On its territory there is an observatory, the Strahov Monastery, a mirror labyrinth, a tower that Prague residents call their own, the Eiffel, as well as apple orchards. Don't be intimidated by the high rise. For the lazy, there is a funicular that will take you to the very top. And for active people like us - and the hill is not so much. The walk was very impressive. You can take a blanket and sandwiches with you, lie down under a shady tree. Relax and enjoy looking at the nature and views around. The hill has been known since ancient times. According to the legend, it was from here that Princess Libuše predicted the appearance of the capital of the Czech Republic - Prague. If you are not too lazy to climb to the very top of the Hill, then a stunning view of the city will open before you.

Photo 14. Water Mill from the bridge of lovers in Prague. Our trip to the Czech Republic

Tourists are bred by species. The fact is that access to the towers that are offered are paid (about 100-200 CZK), but it is not at all necessary and even stupid to pay for it! After all, the city is full of places from where you can enjoy the best views, and for free. About one thing I have already said, as you understand. The second place is this. It is in itself very interesting to visit and is considered the oldest part of Prague. Everything, as they say, began with him. Vysehrad is located on the other side of the Vltava. It is given by the points of the towers of the Church of St. Peter and Paul, which are visible from afar. It is located just in Vysehrad. In addition, there is a calm park with sculptures of heroes, a memorial cemetery, which is also the most prestigious in Prague. In addition to historically valuable attractions, the Castle offers breathtaking views of the surroundings and the city itself.

Photo 15. Vysehrad. Our trip to the Czech Republic

Travel to the Czech Republic. Karlstein

Our independent trip to the Czech Republic did not stop only at the beautiful Prague. One day we went to. It is located 30 kilometers from the capital.

Photo 16. Karlštejn Castle. Our trip to the Czech Republic

We went by my favorite two-story train. Well, I like them madly. I remember how I squealed with joy when we went to Dresden on this one.

Photo 17. Karlštejn Castle. Our trip to the Czech Republic

I am very glad that it came out to go to the castle, and the weather did not disappoint. It so happened that we wanted to visit Karlovy Vary that day, but there were no tickets for the morning. Instead, we decided not to waste the day and take a look at the Karlštejn Castle. The prices there are cheaper than in Prague, so I was not left without new clothes. can also be bought there.

Travel to the Czech Republic. Karlovy Vary

We devoted a whole day to Karlovy Vary. The town was amazing! We drove from Prague for an hour and a half. Lucky to get tickets for a very comfortable bus, so the trip was easy and enjoyable.small tourist town... It is famous for its thermal waters. In this regard, the central part of the city is occupied by hotels. I was glad that all the spa facilities (springs) are open, and everyone can drink healing water absolutely free of charge.

Photo 18. Karlovy Vary. River Tepla. Our trip to the Czech Republic

The Tepla River flows in Karlovy Vary, which is why the water in the springs can reach 60 degrees. It tastes slightly salty and even slightly carbonated. By the Russian-speaking people around us, you don't feel at all in another country. Only when we moved away from the center, everything fell into place. Karlovy Vary is famous not only for its thermal waters. Probably very few people leave the city without Karlovy Vary waffles or paychecks and Becherovka, which originated here.

Fto 19. Karlovy Vary. River Tepla. Our trip to the Czech Republic

There are many interesting tourist moments associated with this city, so I will write in more detail further.

Czech sweets

Having visited a dozen of Prague establishments, we can proudly say that we have tried everything. Czech cuisine ... We liked many of them, but especially ribs in honey sauce prepared by the Beer Museum, Vepreve's knee at the Kozla restaurant, and an exquisite duck leg at our favorite restaurant At the Parachutist. Dishes are dishes, but what to do in the Czech Republic and not drink beer. Honestly, I haven't drank so tasty for a long time! If in Kiev we drink beer very rarely, then on this trip to the Czech Republic we drank a lot of it. Most of all we liked "Krushovitsa" and "Kozel".

Photo 20. Boar's knee. Beer Kozlovna. Our trip to the Czech Republic

I really liked the fact that the menu of each establishment hangs on the street, and you can see the range of dishes and prices without going to the restaurant. Basically it was that we wanted to try something specific, so it was very convenient.

In addition to the dishes that you can try in the institution, I would like to mention another delicious Czech Republic, thisTrdelnik... To tell you the truth, I didn’t want to try it at all before the trip, but one fine morning after buying coffee in the popular Starbucks, I wanted to chew on something. The way out was Trdelnik. In the Czech Republic, they are sold at every turn. And what can I say ?! I really liked him! One was enough for us with Vitya for two. They cook them right on the street. Trdelnik consists of yeast dough, sprinkled with sugar and nuts on top. Filler can be ordered inside if desired. Prices may differ, buy further from the center, then it will be the cheapest.

Review. We really enjoyed . This boundless greenery, an abundance of trees and all kinds of living creatures, and the air made the lungs green! It's just so clean and fresh, to the point of impossibility!

I can say that the trip to the Czech Republic was successful! How do you like our trip?

How to find budget accommodation in the Czech Republic
Cheap accommodation or hotels in the Czech Republic can be found through the hotellook booking system, we use it ourselves, checked. The convenience of the service is that it compares the prices of dozens of booking systems - you just have to choose the best offer for yourself and buy.

How to buy cheap flights to the Czech Republic
You can buy a flight to the Czech Republic directly on the website of the airlines, but it is most profitable to use the offers of flights in the direction of Aviasales, a unit that we use ourselves. The service selects the most advantageous offers in terms of prices and destinations - you just have to choose the best one for the price, departure time or your favorite airline.- buying travel insurance online for citizens of Russia and the CIS countries.

] Authors: Jiri Hanzelka, Miroslav Zikmund. Translated from Czech by S.I. Pink. Edited by I.I. Potekhin.
(Moscow: Publishing House of Foreign Literature, 1956)
Scan, OCR, processing, Djv-600,1200 format: krestik, 2019

• TABLE OF CONTENTS:
  Chapter XIX. With a machine gun in Addis Ababa (5).
  Border formalities under a tropical rainstorm. A pistol instead of a signal whistle with a Look into the Ethiopian's dwelling. At the Pass of Death. With "Tatra" to an altitude of 3200 meters. Addis Ababa.
  Chapter XX. One hour in the company of Emperor Haile Selassie? (25).
  "Tell him that I personally have nothing against him." King of kings and English language... "I sent a plane for your specialists." Leo the Conqueror from the tribe of Judah. 72 school soccer teams. Ethiopia outside and inside.
  Chapter XXI. In the Ethiopian trap (41).
  Game of motorists. Gallows at the market square. How to get out of Ethiopia? With Swedish pilots over Ethiopia.
  Chapter XXII. Is there oil in Ogaden? (50).
  Railway track in the air. "Here and there a small ford." We are building a road for ourselves. Tangier in East Africa. Third day without water. Refrigerators in the middle of the desert.
  Chapter XXIII. We are looking for the equator (67).
  Termite skyscrapers. Curious ostriches. Magic cat. Wife for 300 shillings. Direction - southern hemisphere. Where is the equator? Black cotton soil. Malaria.
  Chapter XXIV. Captured by the roads of Kenya (83).
  Another crash victim. 59 degrees in the shade. Bath in the middle of the road. Drinking water from elephant tracks. "Hear an overview of the latest news." Synthesis of Europe and India. With the blacks at the all-night vigil. A city without postmen.
  Chapter XXV. Czechoslovak flag over Kilimanjaro (101).
  Lions in front of the Tatra. "Are you smuggling flies?" Fighting for 6000 meters. Glittering mountain. Through coffee plantations and virgin forests. Hail over the Peters' Refuge. Before the night hike. The sun rises over Mawenzi. Glaciers at the equator. Leopard skeleton in the crater. Victory wreaths.
  Chapter XXVI. West of Mombasa (127).
  The Germans must leave Tanganyika. Under the coconut trees. Wholesale of elephants and rhinos. The pampered warriors? British colonial "democracy". The birth of the coffee bean.
  Chapter XXVII. To the source of the Nile (148).
  Locomotives on 28 wheels. Tanganyika - to the right, Uganda - straight. Once again across the equator. Was Herodotus right? 700 billion hectoliters of water. Crocodile for 120 CZK. 200 students on three million square kilometers.
  Chapter XXVIII. Through western Uganda to the Congo pygmies (169).
  Miracle road under Rwenzori. A black ruler ruled by his royal majesty. Night concert of hippos. "Never argue with them." The smallest people in the world. Among the bambutti dwarfs. A day with the pygmies. Pygmies hunting elephants.
  Chapter XXIX. 200 elephants in two hours (194).
  Two systems. Last night at the equator. First meeting with elephants. Race with the attacking hippopotamus. Grazing elephants. Gas! Gas! The hypnotized buffalo. Fossilized antelopes. "Chevrolet" on the teeth of an elephant.
  Chapter XXX. Fire rain on the Kivu (214).
  The land of volcanoes. 60 million cubic meters of lava per month. Throne of Hephaestus. A primeval forest on fire. The car is in a flaming trap. Dante's hell. Along the elephant trails to the volcano. Return to the early days of the Earth. 200 meters from the volcano. A bubbling lava cauldron. "We're leaving for New York now!"
  Chapter XXXI. The tom-toms sound (237).
  Kneeling blacks. "Enchanted castle" on the lake. Rubber devils in Nyondo. People in the vicinity of the "enchanted castle". Academic half an hour. A kilogram of ivory for 340 CZK. Jablonec gifts. "Quinine, master!"
  Chapter XXXII. "Scandal in Katanga" (259).
  Departure on Tuesday at 8.00 - arrival on Thursday at 21.30. "600 more or 600 less ..." Dinner under a mosquito net, 1000 kilometers alone on the road. Mass production of labor. Eight percent copper. A workshop without people. 250 tons of copper per day. The tallest factory chimney in Africa.
  Chapter XXXIII. Great North Road (277).
  Copper belt. 15 copper trains in a bath. Wandering lights underground. 12 equals 20. Large North road... A retreat in front of the ants.
  Chapter XXXIV. Night rainbow over the Zambezi (291).
  Decisive millimeters. On the edge of eternal rain. David Livingston. Lunar rainbow. Over the canyons of the Zambezi River. Double stripes. Rhodesian drivers. Cecil John Rhodes. Socrates from Zimbabwe. Across the Limpopo river. Again the land issue.