PragueBuzz!

What can one say about the country which has the highest beer consumption per-capita (~ 160 litters per year) in the world? Beers are sold and drunk everywhere, on the streets, in the cinemas, in public transports. Prague might be the only capital where beers are cheaper than soft drink and sometimes even coffee. Tourists from expensive UK flew to Czech for the weekends just to take advantages of the power of their English pounds at local Czech pubs.

Budvar

(www.budvar.cz/en/index.html) Brewed in Ceske Budejovice since 1295, Budvar, Budweiser in German, is nothing like its American Budweiser. To many Europeans, Budweiser is plain but water, incomparable to its big brother Budwar. When the American started to call their beer Budweiser, they did not have any trouble since the two countries were too far away, and Budweiser was not much a competitor. Once this American beer grows into an international hit; however, lawsuits begin pouring into courts, fighting for the exclusive use of the name. Neither side has really won. American Budweiser can not sell their beers under the same name in Czech’s market territory and vice versa. In America, Budvar is sold under Czechvar.

Gambrinus: (www.gambrinus.cz) Brewed in Plzen. Gambrinus is a lighter and cheaper version of Pilsner Urquell. Mainly consummated locally.	Pilsner Urquell : (www.pilsner-urquell.com) The best known Czech beer, a premium brand, in both international and local markets. Book a trip to Pilsner Urquell Brewery.
Radegast - Read a beer lover’s “Dancing Under the Moon” experience.	Staropramen: (www.pivovary-staropramen.cz) Staropramen is the second biggest beer producer in the Czech Republic.
Staropramen: (www.pivovary-staropramen.cz) Staropramen is the second biggest beer producer in the Czech Republic.	Svijany - Very cheap and good Beer for budget travelers. Read my Svijany night out

You don’t come to Czech to eat. There are many things to experience here, but unfortunately food is not one of them. Now, if you still insist, here are the top seven typical Czech foods.

1. Dumpling / Svícková s knedlík: Look and taste like heavy white bread, served with beef steak, cream vegetable sauce and a little bit of cranberry flavor on top. Dumplings are prepared in many flavor, either flour or potato.

2. Fruit Dumpling / Ovocný s knedlíky: These round-shaped dumplings are filled with a variety of fruits: peach, apricot, or plump and served as a dessert or even main course. Some Czech sprinkle cacao and pour butter over the dumplings. This meal is very economical and common during the summer as there are plenty of fruits in the garden.

3. Beef Goulash: The Hungarians claimed they invented this beef-stew with tender beef simmered in a thick soup. But who cares? Czech eat i a lot and so will you.

4. Fried cheese with tartar sauce / Smazený sýr: Deep-fried cheese coated in flour, egg and breadcrumbs, served with side salad or red cabbage and fried potatoes. According to Prague.tv, the best Smažený sýr restaurant is Restaurace Doba - Nám. Míru, Prague 2; Tel: 222 322 022.

5. Soup / Polévky: Usually served at lunch time or after the people are wasted. This typical soup is made of beef and vegetable.

6. Fried Potatoes / Bramboráky: This simple but yummy snack is a national Belorussian dish. It made it way to Poland, and the Polish called it “their” food. Somehow this heavenly fried potato meal traveled westward to the Czech Republic, and guess what it became Czech food. Shredded potatoes are mixed with flour and eggs and fried on a pan with little or no oil.

7. Sausage: You can spot these fast-food sausage (hot dog) stands every where in Prague. They are cheap and come quick to the rescue when your hunger suddenly strikes.

Do you know that only few Czech heard of this large Vietnamese community in the south of Prague?

This wholesale and retail market supplies products to smaller Vietnamese retailers in Prague and, perhaps, from surrounding cities. Most items sold here are imported from China; hint hint, they are very cheap. If you are a shameless and skillful bargainer, you can snatch a good deal.

Goodies you can find there
-Clothing and Wears: jeans, shirts, t-shirts, socks, gloves, hats, accessories…
-Vietnamese groceries: vegetables, rice, noodle, herbs, spices, meat, dry products, and many items you might not find at regular Czech markets.
-Handmade willow products: Some are made in Czech, some are exports from neighboring post-communist countries, Slovakia and Poland. Many of these products are sold for half the prices in regular markets.
-Household and personal items.
-Toys and typical Chinese imports.
-Vietnamese DVDs and CDs
-Vietnamese food: Delicious noodle soups, rice plates of various kinds, snacks, and much more.

Even if you don’t buy anything, do yourselves a huge favor by eating noodle soups in one of the many restaurants. There are many kinds of noodle soups beside the more popular Pho. I already tried three restaurants: Hai Phong, Thang Long, and Hue Xua. The first two serve Northern cuisine while the latter, Hue Xua, prepares food in Central style. A bowl of noodle costs from 70 Kc to 80 Kc.

Eat eat eat. I’m sure you won’t find these deliciously yummy noodles anywhere else in Prague.

How to get there: Sapa Market Center - Sidliste Pisnice, Prague 4; Hours: daily
There are three ways to get to Sapa: from Kacerov (metro C, red line) and Smíchovské nádrazí (metro B, yellow line)

From Kacerov (bus goes even on the weekend)
-Hop on bus no. 113, 333 and more buses during the week days.

From Smíchovské nádrazí
-Walk about 5 minutes to the bus station, from point 1 to point 4 on the map. [Map]
-Hop on bus no. 198 or any bus going to Sidlisce Pisnice.

Get out at Sidlisce Pisnice. Sapa will be on the left. You won’t miss the big sign. Cross the street and enter the market.

Use this [link] to work out your own schedule and route.

If you are still not sure, grab any Asian you met at the station or on the bus and ask for direction. He or she is likely to be a Vietnamese going to the market.

Read an article from radio.cz about this “Little Hanoi”

Graffiti has its root all the way back to 1968 when the Soviet Union invaded Czechoslovakia. The Czechs painted graffiti ridiculing the Soviet government, to show their non-violent resistance. When the Velvet Revolution was over and Communism officially collapsed in Czechoslovakia, graffiti fought its way back into society as the youngsters felt the urge to express themselves. These kinds of behaviors, to me, make sense given these people had lived for years under the oppressing communist regime. [link]

Today, when you travel around the Czech Republic, you will see graffiti painted every where. This has become a nuisance to the Czech people and the government; however this street-art never ceases to amuse me.

The Czech government passed a tough law to punish these graffiti artists, imposing a one-year sentence or a fine ($80) to minor and up to eight years in prison to those who do serious damages to the buildings. Still people keep doing it and risking fines and arrest. You can not help wondering why. Perhaps:

A city is an egotistical thing and making graffiti is just the same as building cities. In my view, this is a perfectly natural means of expression for city people…

Read the interview with former graffiti artist. [link]

Photos of graffiti in Prague and around the world.