Venice
Here we are at an Internet cafe in Venice, just behind our hotel. Our flight here was safe and sound. However, we both decided that we would call yesterday D-Day - for the day of delays. It was a complete write-off yesterday.
We left the apt in Prague a few hours early since we have decided to take the public transportation to the airport instead of a taxi (40 Crowns vs 400 Crowns). We got to the airport 4 hrs early so we just hung out, read, played scrabble, ate our packed sandwich, and roamed around the airport.
Our flight, as it turned out, was combined with anothe flight - a stopover at Rome. We were not aware of this and so changes were made, obviously, much after we had booked the flight. Never mind that, there was also a 50 min delay as well. Great. We go to our departure gate and learn that there is another flight departing from that same gate. We are very confused right now and so we kept waiting. (I am also finished my book that I just started 2 days ago - mostly reading at the airport. Naomi, thanks a lot for the recommendation of a great book, The Kite Runner!). We finally hear our boarding call - at another gate and we finally take off.
Flight was going well, we land in Rome, pick up some more people, who are also going to Venice, and continue on our flight. We even met a really nice couple from California, Ron and Judy, who were sitting in front of us. They gave us some tips about places in Prague to go see and eat at, as well as a hidden laundromat.
Everything was going well until another passenger sat in front of us and the stench was so horrible I was gagging. Can you imagine withstanding a smell for a flight over an hour long?
Phew! We landed finally and I was glad to be our of that plane and smell some new air - even if meant I smelled the canals. A water taxi, we found out, costs 140 Euros from the airport so we opted for the water bus instead, which cost us 22 Euros. Much more affordable. The bus made many stops and we did not know how much longer or many more stops till ours - San Marco. Finally, at 11:50 pm, we arrived at the San Marco docks.
Looking for our hotel proved to be a small challenge, partly because of all the hidden calles, some of which are so narrow you would not even know they were there if you did not look. We stopped in a nice hotel to ask for directions and finally found our hotel. The front desk was unoccupied though so I started getting worried that we might have arrived too late and would have to stay out till the next morning.
We had heard some cutlieries clanging upstairs so I went up to investigate. I found an Indian man and it turns out that he was on night duty at the desk so he came down to help us. Getting into our room, we find 2 single beds on oppsite sides of the room and the door frame was broken. We unpacked anyway and decided to go for a walk - in search of some air and some food.
We were so starving and we walked around but did not find anything open except for a couple of bars. One pizzeria, we walked by were just starting to close up. Too bad for us. We walked to the bar in the San Marco Square, ordered a Fanta and a Coke, had some of the nibblies out, and sat in the patio to enjoy our found food. 6 Euros for 2 glasses of pop. We figured having some sugar would at least give us some energy and eating the nibblies (japanese rice crackers which had gone sticky from the humidity in the air,dried fruits and nuts, and corn nibs) was better than nothing. In fact, it felt satisfying for us.
Sleep last night was almost restful - except Michael was too hot and kept feeling itchy even though there were not any mosquitoes around. This morning, on our way out, we asked the desk if we could switch rooms, and they happily said yes. We are excited at the prospoects of a cooler room.
Off to see more of Venice!
We left the apt in Prague a few hours early since we have decided to take the public transportation to the airport instead of a taxi (40 Crowns vs 400 Crowns). We got to the airport 4 hrs early so we just hung out, read, played scrabble, ate our packed sandwich, and roamed around the airport.
Our flight, as it turned out, was combined with anothe flight - a stopover at Rome. We were not aware of this and so changes were made, obviously, much after we had booked the flight. Never mind that, there was also a 50 min delay as well. Great. We go to our departure gate and learn that there is another flight departing from that same gate. We are very confused right now and so we kept waiting. (I am also finished my book that I just started 2 days ago - mostly reading at the airport. Naomi, thanks a lot for the recommendation of a great book, The Kite Runner!). We finally hear our boarding call - at another gate and we finally take off.
Flight was going well, we land in Rome, pick up some more people, who are also going to Venice, and continue on our flight. We even met a really nice couple from California, Ron and Judy, who were sitting in front of us. They gave us some tips about places in Prague to go see and eat at, as well as a hidden laundromat.
Everything was going well until another passenger sat in front of us and the stench was so horrible I was gagging. Can you imagine withstanding a smell for a flight over an hour long?
Phew! We landed finally and I was glad to be our of that plane and smell some new air - even if meant I smelled the canals. A water taxi, we found out, costs 140 Euros from the airport so we opted for the water bus instead, which cost us 22 Euros. Much more affordable. The bus made many stops and we did not know how much longer or many more stops till ours - San Marco. Finally, at 11:50 pm, we arrived at the San Marco docks.
Looking for our hotel proved to be a small challenge, partly because of all the hidden calles, some of which are so narrow you would not even know they were there if you did not look. We stopped in a nice hotel to ask for directions and finally found our hotel. The front desk was unoccupied though so I started getting worried that we might have arrived too late and would have to stay out till the next morning.
We had heard some cutlieries clanging upstairs so I went up to investigate. I found an Indian man and it turns out that he was on night duty at the desk so he came down to help us. Getting into our room, we find 2 single beds on oppsite sides of the room and the door frame was broken. We unpacked anyway and decided to go for a walk - in search of some air and some food.
We were so starving and we walked around but did not find anything open except for a couple of bars. One pizzeria, we walked by were just starting to close up. Too bad for us. We walked to the bar in the San Marco Square, ordered a Fanta and a Coke, had some of the nibblies out, and sat in the patio to enjoy our found food. 6 Euros for 2 glasses of pop. We figured having some sugar would at least give us some energy and eating the nibblies (japanese rice crackers which had gone sticky from the humidity in the air,dried fruits and nuts, and corn nibs) was better than nothing. In fact, it felt satisfying for us.
Sleep last night was almost restful - except Michael was too hot and kept feeling itchy even though there were not any mosquitoes around. This morning, on our way out, we asked the desk if we could switch rooms, and they happily said yes. We are excited at the prospoects of a cooler room.
Off to see more of Venice!
posted by Michael and Lewelyn at
2:17 AM
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