Last night was a disaster. Things have been going pretty well so far. No major complaints. The cold was no fun, but that kind of stuff is to be expected. So I guess I was due for some bad luck... I am going to skip ahead in Prague a little bit to my adventures last night, but I’ll return to the fun stuff later.

This was my first time using Airbnb. I wanted to get a room to myself, as I was still recovering from the flu/ cold (or maybe I am just not interested in sharing a room with strangers anymore...), so I found a nice apartment on the back side of the castle. Decent location, pretty easy to get around everywhere. Katka, the owner of the flat is really friendly and helpful, but she was heading out of town for a few weeks to lead some tourists around Iran, so she wouldn’t be on site in case of any problems.

For the past four nights it had been Katka, myself and Maxim from Siberia, an computer systems programmer from Irkutsk. Really nice down to earth guy who I enjoyed talking with. Maxim’s vacation had come to an end and Saturday (yesterday) morning he was heading back home. Typically Katka would be in the flat, but her job called, so I was in the flat with a new guy renting a room Saturday, Luca from Italy.

I had left early that day to meet my friend Marek who interned with BCJ years ago. He was taking me around to some of his favorite architecture, galleries and bars throughout the city, so I was gone most of the day (you’ll hear more about Marek later). While I was out, Luca arrived and was checking into the flat. Katka left some pretty clear instructions for protocol: where keys would be left, where amenities resided and how to lock up the house. So Luca got in, dropped his stuff off and headed on out to do a quick tour of Prague (or this is what I’ve gathered of this nightmare...). So on his way out the door he left a spare key in the inside lock, which jambs the lock on the outside making it impossible to unlock when returning. While he was out he got lost and immediately began text bombing Katka saying he was lost, so she had to guide him in from Iran! (I’ve gathered all of this from communication with Katka today). Then when he returned to the house, he started text bombing her again saying the lock was broken... it wasn’t broken, he had jammed it by leaving the interior key in the keyhole. It was probably 10:00pm now, and Katka was able to contact her neighbor to help Luca force the key out and engage the lock properly (again... I have learned this information recently).

Meanwhile, across town in Vrsovice, I was enjoying some pivo (beer) with Marek, but at about 12:30/ 1:00am, I started thinking I better get on back. I was getting tired and I wanted to catch a train to Gdansk fairly early the next morning. After picking up a microwavable feast of goualsh (Marek gets kind of distracted by architecture and forgets about things like food) and pasta and a pastry for the morning, I waited for a while to catch a tram back across town. I took the tram stop too far and had to double back in the rain, getting me back to the house around 2:15am. I just kept thinking how much I looked forward to getting in the warm house so I could relax and settle down. I had done a lot of sightseeing with Marek the last few days, and I was exhausted.

I walked up the five flights of stairs, put the key in the lock, and nothing happened. It wouldn’t budge. The key was stuck. (Note that I had no idea of the shenanigans Luca had been up to... ). I was flooded with all kinds of questions: Was the lock was broken? Was the lock changed because I had been thinking of leaving the day before (...but that would have been ridiculous)?  Had someone broken into the flat jamming the lock? Did I lock the door the right way? I was getting kind of worried... I was just thinking that when something is wrong, often there is a reason for it... Luckily, I realized from where I was standing I could get wifi from the apartment, so I checked in to see if there was a note from Katka that might explain what was happening... and there it was!

An email:

Hey Dennis are u still there??

And a facebook message:

Hi Denis, are you still in the flat? If so, I need to get hold of you!

So I responded right away:

hello katja. at your house but can't get back in???

And then my phone died... So I knocked on the door and rang the bell. I think I knew that a new person was staying there for the night, but I had no idea if he was in the house or out. I had no idea what was happening, but I gathered there was some kind of issue with the lock. Nobody ever answered the door, and I could hear the neighbors waking from the buzzer and I felt terrible, so I said to myself ‘Well... roll with the punches”... I walked back down the five flights, then down another two and found a dark little alcove with a gross little mattress in the corner leaning up against the wall. Looks like I’d found a home for the night. I managed to get a few hours of sleep, but as you might imagine, it wasn’t the most restful... It was cold and damp, and I was wearing khakis and my blue velvet sports coat that I'd been wearing all day... luckily I had my hat and scarf with me and I could use my backpack for a pillow. I woke around 4:30 (having to pee like crazy) and in the very pitch black. It took me five minutes to feel my way around and find the stair... it was a freaky five minutes... I went up the steps again and gave the lock another try and rang the buzzer... again I got nothing.

I decided to head out into the misty Prague morning and walk the city until I could find some internet access to try and see what was going on. I walked up and around the castle, down into the old town, over the Charles Bridge, all over Stare Mesto (Old Town) and Jesevof, waiting for a cafe to open so I could get some tea and maybe borrow some internet access. Everything I owned except the clothes on my back and the stuff in my backpack (sketchbook, camera, microwavable goulash) was in that apartment... my computer, my chargers, my passports, my clothes, everything... I walked from 4:45 until 7:30 when I found a cafe I could site down in. I was having some tea when I remembered there was a hostel around the corner. So I headed there at 8:30 wondering if I could use the internet. The woman at the counter was a saint and I was able to log on, where I found this note from Katka:

Oh my gosh Denis :-((((.

Well the thing is that Luca left a key from inside when you were gone. He finally managed to get inside, but obviously left the key in the door!! Some people should not travel alone around the world, cause they cannot take care of themselves!! Let me know if you got in, Im worried about you ... I don’t want any payment for this last night, and if you need, you can reach me at: 0098 930 836 8914

and the number for the guy is: 0039 348 102 4755 Luca

He is inside, I know that, he just left the keys in and went to sleep ... IDIOT!!!

Apparently the bonehead, after jamming himself out, still didn’t take the key out of the door when he got back in, so he jammed me out when I got home at 2:00am... and then he didn’t even get up to let me in. What a nightmare. I headed back to the apartment at 10:00 and was able to get in. Luca was there and he kindly opened the door for me, standing there in his tighty whities... then he asked me if I left a key in the door preventing him from being able to get in. I was too tired to deal with his stupid shit and wanted to get some sleep. We both know very well he fucked up, but I’ll deal with him later... I was just too tired. (He has since admitted that perhaps me might have put the spare key in the door and left it there...).

So I am back to the house and safe now. Just a bit tired. The whole ordeal could have been a lot worse... I’ll be heading out early tomorrow and looking forward to seeing Sylwia, Michau and Hania in Gdansk! And I must admit... It was really nice to walk the Charles Bridge by myself at 5:30 in the morning... that is a pretty rare feat.