Blood, Sweat and Tears

Today started off pretty good. I've been keeping late hours--which aren't really that late 12:00ish--after I get home and do my homework. I got up at 5:30--my usual time to get showered and ready for the day. I have my Mon.-Weds.-Fri. tram and bus schedule pretty much figured out. I made it to our workshop class with plenty of time to spare. As always, that has been very enjoyable. Each of the women in the writing group have such unique stories to tell. Alison has also been giving us some homework to do. We are to focus on something and write about it--observe it daily.

I of course wanted to do dogs since I am seeing them everywhere. I wonder about them, that they are so well behaved (most of them), they can be taken on the tram (but they need to be muzzeled) and into many shops and restaurants. The breeds are varied--but their aren't as many "mutts". I'd love to visit their animal shelter--but I won't because I know I will want to bring home a "Prague dog!" Though friendly, they aren't in-your-face kind of dogs. If you want to pet them they will politely come over and not jump on you or even try to lick you. It's kind of amazing. There are lots of them who aren't on leashes and they follow their masters right along. I've never seen one roaming the street alone.

After class I was going to go to this big department store called My. I had to take a #3 Tram from the university (or so I thought) to get there. So I went to the median bus stop to look at the posted schedule--and there wasn't a #3 there. It happened to be a scorching hot day here (in the 90's) and there is no cover from the heat. I was getting so hot--like seven inches from the mid-day sun!! (that was for you honey) So, I decided to trek across the bridge to the other stop instead--and just go home. So I got over to that platform (it's about a half a mile away--but over cobble stones and tram tracks) I looked for Tram 20 because according to my schedule--it was supposed to be here at 14:20 (they use the military time here)--but it never came. Then the sweetest little old Czech lady came up to me. She was just alittle taller than I am sitting down. She had a very large bag in which she was carrying in little pooch. She asked me (I think--since she didn't really speak english) what tram I was waiting for. I told her #20 and showed her the schedule--but she didn't think that tram would come on the side I was waiting. She went around asking others--I think trying to find someone who spoke english to tell me. She was so worried about me--it was touching. I was sitting there melting--just feeling miserable, as I felt sweat drops slide down my back and chest. I ended up waiting about 45 minutes for the #22 tram to take me to my next stop. When it finally came--I was half delirious with heat--and I waved at the driver so he could see I wanted on but he didn't look. I ran over to the door where the handicapped button was and pushed it. I was so afraid that he was going to take off and I was already ready to faint from heat exhaustion. He wasn't getting out of his cab so I just popped my front wheels up and implored a little help with gestures from a guy to help pull me in. What is it with these tram drivers? The bus drivers seem fine about taking me but these Tram guys can be such jerks. When I got to the stop I wanted I pushed the blue button that indicates a wheelchair wants to get off--so get off your duff and let the ramp down. I could have popped myself down and should have, because he came storming out with a pissed look on his face and just helped me down without the ramp.

By this time I was ready to cry. As a matter of fact, I was sort of crying but you couldn't tell it from my sweat drenched face. I checked the schedule for the bus home--and one said 50 minutes. I almost really cried then. There isn't a bit of shade at this stop--no cute coffee places or shops. Luckily, I have two choices of buses to take so I checked the other one. It was only a 20 minute wait. I sat there in that blazing sun --and when I went to touch my handrims to move around a little--they were too hot to touch!! It was almost like touching a hot stove! I had to pour some of my warm water on them so I would be able to push myself up the bus ramp. No one was around there--and it worried me that maybe it wasn't coming. But at the scheduled time--it came. The driver did let me on--and wasn't mad about it. I made my way home--but almost got lost. I had never been so happy to get back!! I just stayed here today to rest. I have the weekend to recuperate from my ordeal. The sad thing is anytime I want to go somewhere--it takes at least 1 and a half to two hours. It'd be nice if I didn't have to waste so much of my time sitting around waiting. But I need to remember (it's kind of hard to forget here) that I'm not in America.
There is no ADA here. If I did live here--I'd definitely go down to the tram transportation and have a talk with the big bosses about those lazy tram drivers.

PS I posted a few pictures from my trip to the Charles Bridge.