Welcome back! Let me guess, you wanna hear about how my spa day went after getting negative hours of sleep?!
If you haven’t read the previous post yet, I recommend you do that first. The context is important!
My day started —more like continued— at 6 am when I hopped in some random guys’ taxi, zoomed back to my hostel, changed out of my clubbing clothes and into something more comfortable, and SPRINTED to the metro station.
I made it to the platform just as the train was pulling up. I rode a few stops to Florenc and then made my way to the Central Bus Station from there. The bus schedules are displayed on screens throughout the station, so I found the correct bus and hopped on. I had pre-booked tickets in advance on FlixBus (which is definitely necessary for trips like this), so I had a pdf file on my phone with the QR code. My phone was at 13%, but luckily putting it in airplane mode saved the battery enough to be able to board the bus! I had learned to carry my adapter and charger with me everywhere, so I just plugged in my phone when I got on the bus.
I wish I could tell you how beautiful the Czech countryside is, but the second I sat down in my seat, I clocked out.
I woke up just in time to arrive at the bus station in Karlovy Vary! The ride was just under 2 hours long, so we arrived at about 9am.
I must’ve hit REM sleep during my nap because I woke up feeling AWFUL. Everything hurt, and all I wanted to do was lay down and sleep on a bench. I fought the urge 1. Because it was really cold and 2. Because I didn’t wanna be that tourist.
Oh, and 3. Because I probably wouldn’t wake up in time to leave town at 6:30 pm.
I made my way to Starbucks, where I had a bite to eat for breakfast. I usually don’t love Starbucks, but it was the only place that was open. I sat there, regretting my life decisions, convinced I was about to pass away. Thankfully, my sweet brother was still awake (I can always count on him to be awake!) and texted with me for over an hour. I’m pretty sure I told him I thought I would die due to half marathon + a ton of caffeine + no sleep + chest pains, but he reassured me that I’d be just fine. Rather than drinking the latte I had ordered, I just sipped some water and pulled myself together. I told him about the funny taxi story along with the rest of my wild night, and he seemed to think it was pretty funny! Before I knew it, it was time for me to head to the spa. I was feeling so much better! THANK YOU, NATE!!! You saved the day!!!!
I walked a few minutes to Alžbětiny Lázně, where I had pre-booked a few different appointments. First up was a hot stone massage!
The outside of the building was magnificent. It looked like a royal palace! The inside was beautiful too, with red carpets and chandeliers.
My massage was located in the basement of the building. I headed down to wait and found the hallways to be completely empty. A woman came out and motioned for me to come into the room. She pointed to a changing room and said “dress down”. There was no robe or anything, which felt a little funny. When I walked to the massage room, she was already standing there waiting for me. Usually, you have some time to get under the sheet before the masseuse comes into the room, but that was not the case here! There wasn’t even a sheet to get under 😂. So, I just lay down, fully exposed to this random Czech lady. By the way, the room was not at all what you would imagine a massage room to be. It closely resembled a hospital room, with white, sterile walls. Or, perhaps, the type of room you’d wake up in after getting your kidney stolen. Unlike most spas that I’ve been to, which play calming music, this spa had the Czech radio on in the background!
Don’t get me wrong, though — I loved this experience! And I had totally seen it coming. All of the reviews for this place described it as such, so I went in with a very open mind.
Next, I made my way to the salt cave. This is a room filled with Himalayan salt. It covered the ceiling, walls, and floors! I sat in a comfy lawn chair with a blanket, listening to the little waterfall dripping in the corner.
All of a sudden, I jerked awake. The one other lady who had been in the room with me was gone, and the salt cave overseer was standing in the doorway. For a second, I couldn’t remember where I was. I looked around and gasped, “Oh my god! Did I fall asleep?!?!”
The overseer just laughed and motioned for me to follow her.
She guided me to my next appointment: oxygen therapy. I sat there for the next hour hooked up to an oxygen tank and sipping on some vitamin c water. I felt pretty refreshed after! Whether it was actually the oxygen or a placebo effect, I’m not sure. But I would definitely do it again!
I spent the rest of the afternoon wandering the streets of Karlovy Vary. I went to the Mill Colonnade and drank some of the hot mineral water from the fountain. The mineral water is thought to have lots of health benefits, which is why Karlovy Vary is so well known for its spa culture!
If I were to return to Karlovy Vary someday, I would love to try the thermal baths there. I almost went to a place called Saunia Thermal this time, but I decided it would be too rushed.
I spent the last hour of my day at a coffee shop near the bus station. I had already had way too much caffeine, so I ordered a fruit tea instead. The second I ordered, I knew I had messed up.
“Do you take card?”, I asked the barista.
Nope. Not an option. They did take koruna, euro, or PayPal though.
I had a PayPal account but hadn’t linked my bank info to it yet. I am just so used to using Venmo. Damn it! I also couldn’t really go to an ATM because I forgot to tell my bank that I was leaving the country. Luckily, the guy told me I could sit and enjoy my tea while I set up my PayPal account. It all worked out in the end, but this was a good lesson learned… don’t just rely on credit cards / contactless payment!
While I was waiting for the bus to arrive, I was approached THREE TIMES and asked for help with finding the right bus. After giving instructions, someone asked me if I was “from here”. Another just simply thought I was Czech and only switched to English after I did. Interestingly, this wasn’t the only time this kind of thing happened on this trip! I’m gonna take it as a sign that I belong in the Czech Republic 😉
I have to say, it felt really good to have people trust me in helping them catch the correct bus! It reminded me that I have learned so much from my travel experiences. I’m proud of myself for being able to navigate public transportation on my own and solve problems as they arise!
Although I left the Czech Republic feeling like I never wanted to leave, I am happy to share that I made it home yesterday, just two hours later than expected. The plane was grounded for 2 hrs in Frankfurt due to thunderstorms, but it was honestly fine because I slept for 8 hrs on the plane!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this journey to the Czech Republic with me! I already can’t wait for our next adventure together.
Until next time,
Clara