They Really Are High in Amsterdam!

by Iva Skoch on

You have probably all heard it by now. Americans are no longer the world’s tallest people. How much bad news can one take? The dollar is worth close to nothing. Everyone makes fun of Bush. Now Americans are not only the fattest nation but also one of the few that’s actually getting short? Good grief.

The new “tallest people” order goes like this:

  1. The Netherlands (average man is almost 6’1″; average American man is about 2″ shorter)
  2. Denmark (6′)
  3. The Czech Republic (5’11”)

Something tells me the result of this statistic has more to do with strict immigration policies than nutrition…

Prague’s Hotel for Hipsters

by Iva Skoch on

The days when Prague was the mecca of backpackers are long gone. They have slowly been out-priced and replaced with the “weekend-trip city-dwellers” from Western Europe, especially the UK. Few new hotels have been quick to respond to this trend and cater to the semi-affluent Western hipster who comes just for a few days (and doesn’t mind that virtually everything in the hotel is branded.)

At the chic Icon Hotel in Prague’s city center (where you get into the room with a fingerprint) the staff wears Diesel clothes, gushes over the oh-so-comfy Hastens beds, guests are encouraged to use Apple computers and iPods and bring the Navirent GPS systems when walking around town.

Friends recently stayed there when visiting Prague and loved the 120 Euro Urban Secrets package, complete with champagne breakfast and the above-mentioned GPS system. They also confessed they would run and buy a pair of Diesel jeans immediately because they liked it so much. Just kidding. At least I hope so.

Watch for The Gap/IBM hotel in the neighborhood near you. It’s only a matter of time.

Word for the Travel Wise (07/01/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

Just spent a short amount of time poking around the Czech Rep tourism site and came across some eye-popping photos used to suck tourists in like a vacuum. Places like Domazlice, Cheb, or the Kopic Estate weren’t on my mind before, but I’m sure they’ll somehow find themselves in my late night dreams.

Today’s word is a Czech word used in the Czech Republic:

panelák – apartment block

Hit up Wikipedia for the background details on the Czech language. It is consider one of the world’s most difficult languages to learn due to the extensive morphology and free word order. Bohemica is a great, extensive, online starting point for new students. Their site is free from what I can tell and includes additional sources to helpful books and offline learning. Also, check out Amazon to purchase the Lonely Planet phrasebook and other beginner’s guides.

Past Czech words: zmrzl