It is hard to imagine that I have been through so much in one twenty-four hour period, and the next two days will be just as eventful. It's exhausting, but exhilarating. Today, we voyaged to explore the castle on the hill. Anymore, the word, "Castle" is instantly associated with a deadly hike. Our guides, Yan and Martine, either have experienced the hike many times over, (which they have) or they are in remarkably good shape. Martine has long legs which means long strides. Naturally, before long, we were left in the dust. Constantly, they had to stop and wait for the rest of us to catch up. On the way up, we passed, at least, 163 shops. Whatever you can think of, Prague, more than likely, has it. Jewelry, clothing, hats, souvenirs, sketches, different cultural apparel, and much much more. Some ideas are so idiotic, I still can't believe they would open a shop. Anyway, once we got to the top, we had to get our special passes into the castle. You see, this castle is not a traditional castle you might see in the movies. Due to the numerous changes of possession this country has had, this castle is more of an amalgamation of many different buildings, each with its own unique style and characteristics. Our first stop was the Cathedral. Buildings like these fascinate me to no end. The long columns, the gigantic class pictures, the buttresses, the altars, the tombstones on the wall, the chandeliers, the pews--it all just consumed me. With this trip, one rarely has time to stop and process anything. We were, constantly, on the go, due to other tour groups coming and going. If I could have spent five hours there, I would have. There was so much more for me to see and experience that I missed out on. I only have pictures to look back on, and even then, those pictures are an injustice to the truth and pristine beauty that that building masked. Once we left the Cathedral, (that was the hardest thing I have ever had to do) we went out into the courtyard. It was about 11:50, so we headed back to the Castle entrance for the Ceremonial "Change of the Guard." At the gate, there are two guards stationed on both sides. Every hour, there is a change of the guards, but the one at noon is bigger and much more festive. They played trumpets, they marched, they twirled their fancy rifle. Once that was over, we headed back to the castle interior, and we toured a medieval building. It was the oldest part of the castle, and it was a place where meetings, events, tournaments, etc took place. There was even a staircase made specifically for horses to access. We saw the throne where the King would preside, we saw replicas of the royal jewels, and other rooms of Gothic themed interior. After that, we visited the Servants quarters. Honestly, it consisted of a narrow street with houses along one side, and they were about the size of a mini-garage. Their location was for the convenience of the royal family, but such cramped quarters would have driven me insane. After the servants quarters, our guided tour concluded, and we split off. I, however, stuck with Yan and Martine, and we continued to tour Prague. One place we stopped off at was a Chocolate Cafe. Of course, that made the day for most. It had every kind of chocolate, every kind of cake, and just about every kind of pie. It was unreal. Of course, in a chocolate cafe with so many choices, I got a strawberry milkshake. So like me. Anyway, after that, the day ended for me. My back was shrieking in protest from god-knows-what. As I wrap up this session, I must reflect on a few interesting things. First and foremost, last night, I awoke to the sound of talking and murmuring. It was one of my roommates, and he was talking in his sleep. He kept saying, "Eli! Eli! Who are you?" I asked him this morning who the hell Eli was, and he had no idea. Hmm. Another interesting thing is, (for those who know a little about history) the odd structures I found today. Once, I found a golden pyramid atop a column, and another time, I found an obelisk, or a lofty pyramid. Both of those, I thought, were symbols of the ancient Illuminati organization. However, I asked Martine, and he declared that the Illuminati had little influence in Prague at all. I still wonder. They were masters of deception and infiltration after all. Hell, it was rumored that Sir Isaac Newton was a member. I will have to commit to some digging to get any real answers. Anyway, that is all I have for today. Tomorrow, we leave early for Dresden in Germany, so expect something special for tomorrow. Fare thee well faithful followers. "May The Odds Be Ever In Your Favor!"
                                                                                                    -Anthony