DAY 22

Tuesday 2 August 2011

A group of canoers passing by

After some organizing of the camper (this was our first camp!), a very necessary task in such limited quarters, we walked into nearby Cesky Krumlov (1/2 hr) after breakfast. The shortest path was winding between the giant abandoned buildings, a stark contrast to the simple but shiny and well-maintained camp buildings, before coming into a residential zone running along the river. We crossed a long wooden bridge into the old town, defined by the horseshoe the river makes around it.

We enjoyed poking around into a couple of bookstores, one of which held the plum Nicole had been seeking: a Sir Arthur Conan Doyle novel, in English, used. The Hound of the Baskervilles. We had a good ice cream on the town square, and an exchange of currency where we were told the fee was 2% but were charged 50 kroner on a total of 361. And you thought US math was deficient. But it’s impossible to dispute these things in another language, and it wound up being a $1.20 rip-off, so never mind.

 As we crossed the bridge to climb the steep hill to the castle, we stopped to enjoy a flute-guitar duo. We were also entertained by watching all the river people float by on canoes and rafts, spilling through the manmade “rapids” and sometimes capsizing, to cheers from onlookers. The river is a big draw in this beautiful part of southern Czech Republic, and our camp was definitely filled with river people... with all their charms and faults.

We strolled the grounds and gardens and bridges and ramparts, but found the best treasure in a small marketplace of period costume-dressed vendors in front of the castle: Charles spotted some good-looking crispy potato chips, then saw a pile of freshly peeled potatoes sitting next to it. He observed the two guys throwing the potatoes into a cutter which spit them out straight into big mesh baskets lowered into a giant vat of hot oil, then out within a minute, a small amount of salt thrown in by hand, and presto – the Best Potato Chips in the Universe. A giant cone of perfectly crisp golden chips for 3 bucks, enough for all three of us to get our fill. When you got to the last few bites it became kind of potatoey, unlike “normal” chips that just crunch into nothingness. Heaven.

Heading home at dusk, on the return trip we laughed at the sound of a dog whose every bark had an echo. Simple pleasures. Back at camp, Charles was trying to figure out what the soup of the day was. The staff there, except for the managers, spoke almost no English and had little interest in trying to communicate with non-Czechs. A friendly guy in a checkered fedora tried to help. The woman behind the counter was trying to discourage him, saying it was made from innards and we wouldn’t like it. Our new friend Lukáš (Loo-kahsh) told us what she said, but said he thought we would like it. Maybe.

He apologized for his limited English (none necessary, we were glad for some friendly assistance) and said, My girlfriend speaks very good English, she has a certificate. Just then the girlfriend walked up and immediately apologized for her boyfriend’s having had too much to drink, introduced herself (Gabriela), and two sentences later, after finding out Charles was from Los Angeles, said, Los Angeles?! Will you marry me and take me there? Sure, Charles said, but you’ll have to ask my wife, she’s right there. We found this an interesting remark because it showed that despite the battered image and diminished standing of the US from decades ago on the world leadership stage, many people from around the world would trade everything to be in America.

We tried the soup – Dian liked the tripe a trifle, Nicole and Charles loved the rest – plus two long, thick grilled wursts, with Pilsner Urquell of course, a fine meal. Lucas and Gabriela joined us for good conversation and some insight into life in the Czech Republic today, then after a break we came back into the dining hall to finally give the European debut to our Boggle, an Andrews family word game fave. Gabriela and Lukáš and young friend Philip came over and asked if they could play. We all were slightly surprised, imagining how hard it must be in a language not your own, and were concerned they would fail dismally. They made a good team and scored points, then we looked up and they had another young member of their river group sitting there, then aspiring heavy metal rock star Jonaš (Yo-nahsh), then somebody’s mom. The six-member Czech team gained confidence and points until, in the last game – they won! I think we were almost as happy for them as they were. A great victory for international understanding and friendship.