Czech Republic - 30 May to 2 June 2008

Ahoj! - from a country that has only really been around since 1993! But this ancient land has a proud heritage despite the tides of war that have washed through Bohemia and Moravia for centuries. The Habsburg Empire again controlled the country for 4 centuries until 1918 when Czechoslovakia was created and after the overthrow of communism in 1989, the divorce in 1993 split the 2 republics.

After crossing the unmanned border we were struck by the immediate contrast of the green wooded countryside, buildings and people – reminding us of a bit of Africa ! Further west we bush camped in a typical forest just outside Cesky Krumlov. This medieval town on a looping arc of the Vltava River was a delight to wander through, with its cobblestone narrow streets, old footbridges and elegant old town square, Nam Svornosti – ringed by outdoor cafes. Crowning this delight was the obligatory hilltop castle with superb views.

GR3 had a rather interesting experience. Armed with a map, they strolled through the old town which was really beautiful, working their way up the castle steps to the Bear Pit, where Troy had his head stuck in the vertical bars, having pushed it through in order to see the bears below, he was unable to pull his head back through the bars and started crying as all attempts to pull his head out of the bars failed, but with the help of some fellow tourist, who saw the distress, they pushed the rest of his body through the bars and lifted him out over the top while checking to see where the bears were roaming at the time. Troy was safe and they all recovered well from this episode. GR1 enjoyed a proper “sit-down” lunch, while GR3 opted for sandwiches in 'My Van'.

By late afternoon we were off north via Ceske Budejovice - the true home of Budweiser, and numerous quiet towns along country roads dotted with lakes. We spent another free camping night along the river 20km south of Prague and after being told that this was private property, we merely moved a few hundred meters away and stayed the night. The next morning we checked into camping Praha for 2 nights.

Nestling in a bend of the Vltava River , the capitals architectural heritage from gothic and renaissance to art nouveau had us in awe. Prague castle founded in the 9 th century as home of the kings of Bohemia now is the seat of the republics president. It encloses St Vitus Cathedral with an imposing tower of 287 steps showing off surreal cityscapes at the top. After GR1 sampled Bohemian bread dumplings and beef goulash they dived into the baroque Little Quarter and across 14 th century Charles Bridge into the old town with its impressive town hall and dominated by the fairytale 14 th century Tyn Church and its twin gothic spires. Prague must rate as one of Europe 's most picturesque capitals and thankfully, it escaped unscathed during WWII.

GR1's last full day in Czech was a mix of teaching and catching up on labeling photos at the campsite while GR3 got the football signed, visited the SA Embassy and decided to see more of Prague's sights. Their plan was to walk back down the hill and head for camp but this was not to be. First, they happened to walk pass a cozy Austrian restaurant and spotted the prices of the traditional cuisine, at which point they immediately decided to settle in for supper. Supper was fantastic - Goulash, Steak and Beer!! Second, they spotted Charles Bridge as the sun was setting and could not resist another look, not to mention the opportunity for ‘Night Shots'!! The streets seemed to come alive after dark, with live musicians and hordes of tourists roaming the streets and enjoying meals in the many al fresco restaurants. Five hours later they were still in Prague - falling more and more in love with this amazing city. They finally got to camp around 12 that evening with Gary and Jo ready to contact the police to search for them. Surprisingly the kids handled the day quite well as they were clearly taken in by this city, but then again, maybe they're just tough!!

On the 3 rd June we were back on the road to Germany via Teplice through more of this lush green land of rolling hills and quiet small villages.

Na shledanou from the Globeriders