Lost and found photos: the road to Prague
In the late eighties, three Czech girls we had met in Nîmes, France while hitchhiking invited us to come to Czechoslovakia. The paperwork took a bit of doing, but off we went. To Prague!
First we had to cross the border (at Waidhaus/Rozvadov), of course, an elaborate affair with four consecutive checkpoints, tank barriers, barbed wire, floodlights, and a great many young soldiers with Kalashnikovs. Everybody was quite friendly though, and I actually enjoyed it; at least such a border gives you the real feeling of going and being abroad. After all, you travel to see how things are done differently elsewhere, not to eat at McDonalds and see the same shops you see everywhere.
After the border, things immediately calmed down: there was almost no traffic, it was very quiet, and the scenery was pleasant, a small country road as a main road to Prague (I don't think the E50 was there yet, or we missed it completely). :
Praktica B200, 50mm, Ilford FP4+
The scenery wasn't as nice near Plzeň (Pilsen), many grey factories, but they make great beer there, so they are excused, and the city itself is rather nice.
We also noticed the Prague metro was relatively quiet outside of rush hour:
Praktica B200, 50mm, Ilford FP4+
After the hustle and bustle of The Netherlands and Germany, it was a nice change.
After the horror stories we had been told about communist oppression, we were surprised to find that Prague was not only beautiful, but also calm, clean, free of crime and poverty compared to, say, Amsterdam or Berlin (you could safely go anywhere at night), and the people were quiet, very nice and moved around freely and seemingly at ease, unlike some people I met in other countries behind the Iron Curtain, who looked over their shoulders a lot.
Still, when asked, many would talk about the lack of freedom and the decidedly un-Czech government they were under. They only had to hang in there for a few more years, but we didn't know that yet.
Edit: I sometimes wonder what people find more oppressive, Europe-enforced neo-liberal capitalism or communism Czech-style.
Every Czechoslovak citizen was obliged to carry ID than going out of home. There was stated your employer and employed from date. Not being employed was criminal offense "social parasitism". You would be caught in prison for a few years very quickly.
Having to carry IDs is common almost everywhere these days, but prison for being unemployed? Wow. Rather nasty way of enforcing full employment. Not the government you would wish for.
I do remember the Czechs being happier, or at least looking happier to me, than the Poles or the East Germans in those days, but I don't know if that had anything to do with the circumstances or with the Czechs being a cheerful people 8-).
i love Pilsner****
Don't we all! The real deal, not the watered-down American varieties 8-). At the time, we paid about 5 guilder cents (less cents in dollars) for half a liter (a little over a pint) of beer in Prague, outside of the tourist areas.
nice post
Thank you.
Good Post,@ocrdu!
Thank you!