Europe Trip - Alternative way to leave Terezin

On my previous blog at Terezin, Europe Trip - Day 3 Terezin, Czech Republic I mentioned about how to get to Terezin. This blog will be about how to get OUT of Terezin if you ever miss the last bus of returning to Prague and what happened to my journey during my time at Terezin.

After visiting the Terezin Concentration Camp due to the camp was about to close, my friend and I decided to walk back to the Terezin Ghetta Muzeum and take the last bus back to Prague. We started to rush ourselves because the time was getting closer by the second!

We finally figured that we couldn't make it to the main bus stop, we saw 5 people were standing at the bus stop that was nearer to the concentration camp, so we decided to head over there to ask whether the bus was going to be there. The people there wasn't sure because the day we were there was Easter Day and was thinking the bus company may close early and it did.

Stuck in Terezin? Take the train back to Prague!

Since we the bus company closed early, we decided to go back to Terezin ghetto and find the hotel. The hotel was closed too. Then we headed to the police station and it was closed as well.

Tip: Don't go to a place during a holiday festival. If you do decide to go make sure to ask the bus driver when is the last bus and the information centre.

Luckily there was an convenient store and we were lucky enough to find ourselves a driver at the town after 2 hours in the deserted town.

The driver took us to the nearest train station Bohušovice nad Ohří and we could take the train from there back to Prague.

Tip: Taxis do not come very often after business hours at Terezin. Prepare a taxi number to call. If you do find a taxi it will be located right outside the Police Station. If you do not have a phone with you, there is a phone booth next to the Police Station as well. There will be a toll free number to call the taxi and an emergency number.

It is just a 5 minutes ride to the train station by car. It will take about 30 mins to walk to the station from Terezin.

We were very lucky that we found the taxi and the staff at the station gave us a group discount for 7 tickets back to Prague. It was 455CZK total, 65CZK per person. It was a good deal.

Tip: Ask the driver how much the trip to the train station first before getting on it. For me, it was 150CZK for the 5 minutes for 4 people.

The train takes about an hour to get back to Prague. You can get off at the main train station Hlavni Nadrazi. After that you can walk, take the tram or bus back to your hotel or roam around the city! 

Next blog... Day 4 Prague Czech Republic! Off to Brno!!!

Shopping Haul - Double side earrings

The double side earring is a popular hit for this Spring/Summer fashion. Super trendy!!! As a girly girl I couldn't resist of getting a pair myself! It is simple and classy with fashion! This can be an every day accessory look or a night out for a classy dinner look.

I personally had to buy 2 pairs. A hot pink and a classic pearl white double sided earring.

The 2 pairs we not expensive at all. As a clumsy clutz & budget person that I am I didn't want to purchase a pair of earring that is expensive with real pearls and end up loosing one of them or both. It happens all the time! 

Each pair of earring cost less about 5 USD so both was just 10 USD! I did went to look around and found 1 shop that sells it but it was 6-7USD a pair, so I decided to look at other stores and ended finding a good deal!

Pretty cute huh!

I got these earrings in Argyle Centre, Mong Kok Hong Kong. Argyle Centre is best know on really cheap clothes and accessories! The building inside had different little stores where you can find the best deals on clothes, bags, shoes, beauty products and accessories. The majority of people who go there are girls that are in their teens, 20's and 30's.

There are many stores that will have stacks and stacks of items for your selection! This particular store located inside the Argyle Centre 1/F or 2/F had the cheapest earrings among the others. The owner was really nice and pleasant. She had a beautiful smile and told us it was the cheapest when other stores prices can go up to as 20USD a pair. I was sold when she told me the price.

Wide ranges of different earrings for your selection! Some earring are less than 1USD a pair! and they have about 1.5USD for 2 pairs of studs. It's cheaper than shopping at forever 21 and H&M accessories!

Photo Credit: Cooking Meow

Where is Argyle Center?

• Get off on Mong Kok MTR Station
• Get out on Exit B2.
• Argyle Centre is on the right.

Around Argyle Centre there will be different Korean Stores like, Innisfree and Missha. Etude House isn't far from there either! 

Europe Trip - Day 3 Terezin, Czech Republic

Day 3 in Czech Republic! After roaming around the Prague city the whole day and spent my time sightseeing most of the tourist attractions, there weren't much I would want to see.

Read more on my Arrival Day, Day 1 and Day 2 trip in Prague! Tips, informational and reviews while I was there!

Let's continue... Knowing that during WW2 the Nazi occupied Prague, I googled anything related to WW2 and I found out there is a place called Terezin. It was a Ghetto/Concentration Camp.

As a holocaust enthusiast since I was 11 years when I first laid my eyes on Stephen Spielberg's documentary DVD "The Last Days" I couldn't grasp the concept on how the mass murder took place. Years gone by, more and more movies and documentaries that I watched I grew more fondly into this part of the history.

Map of the Ghetto and Small Fortress of Terezin

Not knowing much about Terezin Concentration Camp (Theresienstadt Concentration Camp) except it was a ghetto and there was the small fortress I didn't know anything about it. Also, it was sort of a preparation for myself before heading to Auschwitz Concentration Camp, so I went online to search how to get to Terezin.

Tip: Suggest you to go there as early as possible. You will need a day to see the entire Ghetto and Fortress.

Terezin was a propaganda ghetto and concentration camp during the 1940 - 1945. It was made to show the public on during the occupation how well they treated the Jews. It was also a labour camp too. Eventually it became a transport place allowing tens and thousands of Jews to enter and get sent off by cattle trains to other death camps, like Auschwitz. Read more about Terezin.

Where is Terezin? How to get to Terezin?

Terezin is located an hour outside of Prague. You will have to take the metro and exchange a bus to get there. The method I used was pretty easy and I got there on time! If you would like to know how to get to Terezin, read the bulletins below:

Do you research on the time for the bus:

• Check the Holesovice Bus Station Schedule to Terezin.
  Timetable: Bus
  From: Praha, Nadrazi Holesovice
  To: Terezin, Litmoerice (***Note: It must be in Litmoerice (LT), if not you will be going to wrong place)
• Check the time on when will the bus arrive. I suggest you to be there a bit earlier to just incase.

The next day...

• Take the metro and get off at Nadrazi Holesovice (Line C)
• Bus logos will direct you to the Holesovice Bus Station.
• Look for Bus 16 or Bus 17
• Check the bus schedule and see if it goes to Litmoerice (LT). 
• Pay your bus fare to the driver.
• Bus fare is 62CKZ (from the website), it is best to ask the driver how much it is. 
• There is an express bus and a slow bus. Ask the driver.

Free Wifi is available on the bus.

There will be 2 stops at Terezin. Do not miss them if not you will be heading to the next town Litmoerice.

• The first stop will be at the memorial field. You will see a huge Star of David, once you pass the field, you can get off and head to the Theresienstadt Concentration Camp. 
• The second stop will be at the Muzeum Ghetta (Ghetto Museum).
• You can purchase the tickets in both the concentration camp and the Muzeum Ghetta.

Tip 1 : Get the full ticket to see the ghetto, small fortress and the concentration camp 180CZK Full/140 CZK Reduced.

Tip 2 : Get a map! You will have to walk to different buildings and locations to see the site. It is best to get a few maps because the ticket has a map but it isn't very help due to no street names only location number you need. The map you have may not have the same street name on what the map on the board says. Also, there aren't signs telling you where the exhibition on other things are. The only signs you can see are stands at the entrance. You will have to find your way yourself. If not, just wait for the tour that is available for you.

I hope the information above helps! Now read more on my day at Terezin and know there is!

I arrived at Terezin about 11:30am (Easter Day). Checked the last bus back to Prague was at 6:30pm. As my friend and I thought we will have plenty of time! YES! 

The Ghetto Map

Then we realised something... This town is really small and it's really really really really EMPTY! I am not kidding you, this town is really eery. You will feel like you have just entered some teen horror flick where a serial killer is going to come out with his chainsaw.  

The deserted town

See what I mean! No one and just a few cars parked. I think they are just by passer and tourists. I only see some locals here and there but not much. I guess after the flood people just didn't come back.

Anyway our first stop was at the Muzeum Ghetta. We purchased our tickets and started our tour. There will be tour guides available at certain times. Please at the staff there.

Museum about Terezin during the Occupation

Names of children that was in Terezin and passed away.

Painting and drawing by children about their daily lives inside the ghetto.

Post cards that was sent to Terezin during the Occupation.

The first few rooms on the ground floor it was mainly about the children that was inside the ghetto. Poems, drawings, painting and news articles that they made during their time there. There is a room where it is filled with all the children names that passed on. It was very emotional for me to see so many innocent lives that suffered and perished. The upper floor was about the occupation and how the Nazi transported the people to Terezin and to other parts of the camps. You will also see what sort of things they used during their time at the ghetto etc.

Replica of the Magdeburg Barracks

Replica of the Magdeburg Barracks

Replica of the theater

The next stop was the Magdeburg Barracks. There was flood in and everything was wiped out, so now they created a replica on how the barracks looked like inside the Ghetto. Honestly, when I saw the barrack it looked really new. Everything was new and it even smell new but with some imagination you can totally grasp the time when it was packed with people and lack of hygiene, it was a horrible place to live in. You will also see politicians, artists, musician artworks inside. Most of them were sent off the Auschwitz in The Final Solution. 

The next stop was to the small fortress and the crematorium. Terezin wasn't made as a death camp. People did die to due lack of nutrients, sick and labor.

Walking to the Small Fortress

Small Fortress

Crematorium

The Crematorium was really creepy! I am not sure if it was how the brick house that made the room super cold or it is some supernatural thing going on. The coldest room I have ever been in. It didn't felt like you were in a freezer. The cold started from your spine and up to your ears. I even had goosebumps. The moment I got in, I wanted to cry. There are 2 other rooms inside. 1 is the operation room and the other was just a storage room.

Please pay your respect by lighting a candle and placing where you can see other candles are places. It's only 5 CZK (less than 1 Euro)

After the Small Fortress it was time to sit back and relax a bit before heading to the Main Fortress where the Concentration Camp located. Just before entering the Crematorium you will pass by a Pension. Stop by and have a local beer! The owner is really friendly. He may not know English but he has an English menu! There are plenty of selection on the menu. If not you can go back to the town and find a pizzeria.

Where is the Pension?

After relaxing our legs it was time to check out how families lived inside the ghetto. The living condition and daily things during WW2.

The place may look decent for a family for 4-6 people live in it but if you think during the time when hundreds or even thousands of Jews were coming into Terezin, this place will be packed with 5 families or even more in other rooms.

Memorial Monument

Ohre River

The Ohre River, where over 20 thousand Jewish victims ashes were thrown into the river. I don't know if the locals even know what happened here as the opposite from me, it was a golf course. Anyway, a 10 minutes walk to the Concentration Camp.

Burial Cemetery before entering the gate of the concentration camp. 

The entrance of the Terezin Concentration Camp

The camp was big! Everything inside the camp was open to visitors. No door was closed! Which was kind of creepy and most of all there weren't many people there, so when you are looking at one of the barracks you are by yourself. Each room inside was very cold too but not as cold as the one in the Crematorium. 

Work will set you free

General Population Court Yard

Shower room

Individual Barracks

This was creepy to me. Each door in this barrack was opened!

General Population Barrack.

Where the SS guards can see the camp on both side

This whole experience was very really awesome! If you would like to see other things outside Prague and educated yourself you can visit Terezin! If you are a history junkie, then this is definitely a place for you! Also, if you are a supernatural junkie this is really a place for you!

Hope this helps everyone and letting you see a glimpse of Terezin!

Next blog... Stuck in Terezin at night! How to get out & back to Prague!

Europe Trip - Day 2 Prague, Czech Republic

Day 2 in Prague! The weather was super awesome! The sun came out and every one was out soaking up the sun! The weather changes really fast! One day it was gloomy and the next day the sun was out! Read my 1st day of blog!

During the weekend on the Vltava River market stalls will be opened and many locals and tourists will be there finding themselves some nice treats! There are many stalls and even food trucks along the river. You can buy flowers, fresh vegetables, drinks and food too! Once you purchase your meal you can sit on a parked boat and just take in what the beautiful city of Prague is giving to you.

I am absolutely amazed on how Czech people love their dogs! Dogs are everywhere and they are super friendly! People some walking up to the dogs and locals mingling with each other. Super friendly country!

Just relaxing on a parked boat with the locals on Vltava River

Food Truck!

After soaking up some sun it was lunch time! My friend and I decided to go back to the old town square and grab some lunch! While we were walking back to the old town square we saw plenty of street artists performing! The different variety and culture that you can experience is amazing! Though in Hong Kong there are street performers but mainly are singers, but here I got to see more!

Most street performers will be where the tourists attractions are, you will not miss them!

While walking towards the old square we passed by The Powder Tower. Another amazing 14th Century city gate. You can go inside the tower for 90 CZK entrance fee.

The Powder Tower

Where is The Powder Tower?

Just a few minutes walk we were back at The Old Town Square! It's time to get some food! 

Inside The Old Square there will be so many stalls that are little shops that you can purchase souvenirs or grab something traditional food to eat! That was where our lunch will be!

After looking around we decided to settle with the famous sausages and ham! It was delicious!

Although our food was really delicious and the guys at the food stall spoke English well and was nice beware of getting ripped off! After all, it is a tourist attraction place. There will be menu on a board where you can choose what you like. What you need to be aware of is the "ham". 

We got ripped off by the amount of ham we got. We didn't tell them how much we would like assuming they wouldn't give us much since it was 2 person. When we saw how much ham they were cutting off we asked how much and the guy simply answered, "I am not sure. I have to weight on the meat first." In the end we ended up paying 500 CZK - 700 CZK for 2 sausages, a whole lot of ham and bread, which we couldn't finish and took it with us during the day. 

Tip: Let the staff there know how much you want and look at the guy who's in charge on cutting the ham on your plate. Letting him know where to stop so, you won't get so much that you're not able to finish it. 

The ham was well smoked and flavored. It was probably one of the best smoked ham I have had! Also, the sausage was so juicy and crisped! Around the square you can't really find a place to sit except standing, we just went to a near by park which was behind the square sat there and ate out meal! Yum!

Another kind of food I recommend to try is the Trdelnik. It's a Hungarian snack which passed on to Czech. The snack is a rolled dough and wrapped around a steel. Added cinnamon, nuts and sugar around it for taste. Inside the old town square it will be 60 CZK for 1pc (4 slices - 5 slices), not the whole roll. If you are outside the square it will be 50 CZK. The snack was really good. It's sweet, crispy & very moist from the inside. A snack that I had to have it twice! 

While munching on the snacks you can walk towards to the astronomical clock. Since you were there you can take photos and wait for every hour to strike and something will happen. There will be figures coming out from each side greeting the city. 

After we ate, we just wanted to explore outside the tourist attraction and we walked really far to the upper part of the Vltava River. 

The red located was where we stopped and rested at a local park. We didn't really took that walking route. It was much longer as we didn't use a google map to help us. We just used the local map that the hotel gave us. We wanted to know what was the Stvanice was so we hiked all the way up there and found that it was just a stadium and decided to walk back. We walked around some more and found ourselves at another local resting area where locals chill at.

When we got to this resting away we just decided to sit down and relax. By the time we were back to the tourist areas, it was nearly 6:00pm. We decided to grab some salad at Tesco and head back to the hotel early. We needed some vegetables in our system since we had so much meat during lunch and we didn't want to waste our left over ham.

Our dinner! Hmm hmm vegetables and fruits! Something healthy resting at the hotel and finding what to do our 3rd Day in Prague!

At the hotel there were flyers about the Nazi Occupation, so I took one and googled online to see what's there to see during that time in Prague. I found out there is a little town call "Terezin". It was a formal Ghetto and Concentration Camp during the war. So, the 3rd day of our trip will be a day in Terezin!

Oh boy! What an amazing and unforgettable adventure at Terezin!

Next blog... The unforgettable Journey to Terezin!