Day 11-Prague, Czech Republic

Last night was one of the best nights I've had on tour, and so this morning we slept in a little to rest up a bit for our last day. On my agenda were souvenirs for my family, since out of all the countries on tour this was were they had never been before. Elise, Liz, Erika, Krystina, Simmy and I all went into the city and decided to see the city from a new perspective, paddle boats! Yesterday we had seen yellow paddle boats floating around the Vltava River, so we wanted to do it ourselves. It was so relaxing and it kept us active and outside like in Austria. After paddle boating we went into the city for some browsing and stopped at a street cart for lunch. We ordered what we thought was a thin potato pancake but it ended up being chicken inside a potato, but it was really good.

Everything in Prague was so cheap which definately made it one of my favorite cities. The conversion was kind of confusing though since they use krouna, but they are soon changing to Euros. **Travel Tip: The Czech Republic is now part of the EU, so they will soon switch to the Euro, but in the mean time they do accept Euros in most locations for payment.** After getting presents for my parents and sister, we all headed back to the hotel to get ready for a final farewell dinner with our whole tour group, Ryan, and Andy. The dinner was also special because it was another cultural dinner featuring Czech food, music, and dancing. The dinner was fun because everyone was just having a good time, taking pictures, and talking about the great times of the trip; no one wanted it to end.

After dinner some people headed out to a bar for some farewell drinks, however I wasn't feeling good so I headed back with Andy, Nicole and a few others. Back at the hotel I did some packing so that I was ready for the early rip to the airport tomorrow. Prague was great fun, but sadly its a final farewell tomorrow and the end of my European Contiki. Contiki was an amazing experience for me, I've met so many new people and have made great friends that I can wait to visit with and travel with in the future. So the final question is...when is my next contiki??and who is coming with??

Day 10-Prague, Czech Republic

Arriving in Prague today was bittersweet, I had been so excited to get to Prague because it was the most unique country and the furtherest into Eastern Europe that we were going to, but it was also our last city. Our first stop in Prague was this beautiful castle and a church; standing outside the castle were guards, similar to the ones outside Buckingham Palace in England; great for photo ops. Ryan gave us all the history and info on the castle and churched then led us to this area with amazing views of the city of Prague, also know as the city of spires. The views were great and the city looked so different from the places we had been, it was like a sea of red roofs. Then we headed into the city by the Charles Bridge along the Vltava River. It was amazing seeing such old architecture surviving and still being used today. After some free time in the city and shopping and snacks, we headed back to our hotel.

Tonight we had a free night for dinner, but Ryan was heading into the city early for dinner and some drinks at this hotel with a rooftop bar. He offered us to go in with him on the train system and then we could all meet up and go to the largest night club in Europe. Elise and I were roommates for the night and we decided to take a nap when we got back since tonite would be a long night. After a quick nap we started getting ready for tonight, Erika and Liz joined us and we had dinner from the local supermarket instead of going into the city early. A group of us who had stayed at the hotel for dinner met down in the lobby to all navigate into the city to me the others at the rooftop bar.

When we got out of the train station in the city, it started down pouring, and of course no one had umbrellas. At first we started running and ducking under canopies, overhangs, and awnings; then we just all let loose and started running through the rainy streets of Prague. It was great, like being kids playing in puddles. Unfortunately when we got to the hotel to meet the rest of the group the rain had caused the outside bar to be closed so we headed down the street to another bar, and met up with the others later at the nightclub, Karlovy Lazne. The club was 5 floors with all different styles of music and dancing on each floor. Everyone was having a great time, after tons of dancing and hanging out a group of us to some cabs back to the hotel. Me, Elise, Liz, Danielle and Kevin got some bagettes and headed back to our room for a snack before getting some sleep. After some laughs and stories, we headed to bed to be ready for our last day of Contiki!

Day 9-Munich, Germany

It was so sad to leave Hopfgarten this morning, Austria was so much fun, from the Contiki staff to the awesome outdoor activities we got to do. In order to stay in Austria a little longer, Ryan took us on a special stop to the Swarovski Crystal Factory. Inside the shop it was gorgeous everything was sparkling and glittering, there was this amazing spinning globe in bright, beautiful colors. Most of the girls picked up some jewelry for themselves and the guys took care of the presents for their moms. The factory wasn't just a store though, there was a hilltop lookout, labrinth garden maze, playground, and a "Yes to All" sign, which created some interesting photo ops.

After the Swarovski factory it was back to the coach and on our way to another special stop. As we crossed over the border into Germany we arrived at the Dachau Concentration Camp, which was the first Nazi concentration camp in Germany. Here we were given time on our own to see the museum, barracks, memorials, and other areas of the camp. Being here was unreal, you read the plaques on the walls, and the descriptions in the rooms, but its so hard to believe the things that went on here. It was definately a moving experience being able to come to a place where such history has happened. Back on the coach there was a quite, reflective mood, and Ryan pasted out rocks from the grounds of the camp to each us, giving us a reminder of what people have been through and this would be a reminder to us to be strong when we need to be. This stop will definately be remembered forever by me and probably all my tourmates as well, it was a great opportunity we had to be able to see this kind of history.

Shortly after the concentration camp we were dropped off in the center of Munich at the Glockenspiel, a famous clock that is like a giant cuckoo clock with moving figures inside. We had sometime to sightsee, eat lunch, and shop. Erika and I headed straight for the closest Bratwurst place we could find, what else could you want for lunch in Germany; and it was amazing. We then browsed around the market place we were at, and just spent time people watching a relaxing in the city center. Before heading back to the coach we stopped in at a Church that was said to have the devil's foot print in one of the floor tiles of the entrance way. Luckily Erika's and my foot didn't fit the mold so we aren't the devil! ...are you??

Tonight dinner was at the famous Hofbrauhaus, one of the most famous beer halls in the world. The upstairs dining room was full of long wooden tables filled with people, and all the staff was wearing traditional German attire. As soon as we sat down almost everyone order the famous beer, which are huge! And we learned that cheers in German is Prost! It took me and Elise the entire dinner to finish our beer, but we were proud of our accomplishment in the end. Similar to Switzerland, tonite was a cultural dinner, so on stage there were performers throughout dinner, even one of our own got in on the action. Kevin got dressed in lederhosen and a hat and danced alongside the traditional men, it was hysterical. After dinner some people went downstairs for some more beers, while some of us headed back to the hotel.

Today was amazing because we had so many experiences and saw so many places all in one day. The crystals were beautiful, the concentration camp was moving, the brats and beer were yummy! Tomorrow we arrive in our final city, Prague! can't wait to see what is in store for us there.