Praha

And then there was Prague, the capital city of the Czech Republic. I arrived in Prague hoping there were going to be minimal levels of tourists allowing me to navigate the city freely and without crowds holding me up. Dead wrong on this count. But the city still managed to charm me nonetheless. Owing to this is the fact that it went unscathed in World War II. Lucky as many believe it was the only capital city in Europe to do so.

The hostel I stayed in was filled with Americans, Brazilians, and Mexicans. With my pathetic Spanish, I communicated with many and had a wonderful time. But it was outside the rough and smelly hostel that I enjoyed myself the most.

Prague has been seeing tourism for a while, and many believe it still has not peaked yet. Hordes of people surrounded the central square of the old town to watch the lighting of the Christmas tree and observe the Astronomical Clock as it punched the hour with a small presentation of different objects popping out and back in.

As I watched so many people empty their wallets as they purchased coffee, hot wine, souvenirs, etc. in the square, I realized that Mr. Barnum was right: a sucker is born every minute. I had been warned to not purchase anything near the square as prices steeply inflate in the area.

Opting instead to venture into the lesser traveled parts of the city, I was delighted by the ingenuity of the Czechs (one bridge, which doesn't cross a river, rather a ravine, has a four lane highway on top. Below it was the subway line, which, as I stood under it, produced to most frightening sounds. I have to hand it to the Czechs, despite a slow economy (I ate like a king for under $10 with consistency, including a non-obligatory tip and a couple glasses of wine), the Czechs would seem to have the most coveted tourism destination in Europe right now.

Purchasing a copy of The Prague Post, the leading English-language paper in Prague, I read about the constant line of hundreds, often thousands of people who are applying for residency visas. They wait outside the Czech immigration office in Prague everyday, many camping out the night before to guarantee at least a start in their paperwork. What surprised me more? Many of them were Americans.

The tourism has had an interesting effect on the Czechs in Prague, though. They are happy to receive the vast amounts of new capital each year from Americans to Zambians, but their attitude would suggest otherwise. Often cold and a little irritated by the fact that they are slowly losing their own city to the world, their frustration with the massive amounts of tourism is sustained, but quiet. Just remember to speak English, don't insult them with a terribly hacked up Czech when saying hello and thank you.

What's more, while we continue to flood the city, more and more Czechs, being members of the European Union, are emigrating much like Poland's brain drain within the last few years. Better economies in other EU countries seem to suck talent away at an alarming pace. But so goes the boat of capitalism: it sinks or swims, be sure you're on the right boat.