The Cambias Digression

Notes and thoughts on everything from what I had for breakfast to the fate of the Universe.

  • Random Encounters: 1890s Manaus

    In the late 19th Century, the industrialized world's demand for rubber shot up exponentially. Suddenly poor jungle regions had a valuable cash crop — and that quickly attracted ruthless men eager to cash in on the boom. Manaus, on the Amazon, grew from a remote outpost into one of Brazil's biggest cities. It was a…

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  • Vacation in Prague: Day 7

    Over the past forty years of travel I've learned that one should always build in one or two unscheduled days when planning a trip. That way, if something's closed, or it's pouring rain, or someone gets a kidney stone, you have a little cushion so there's still time for all the things you wanted to…

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  • Vacation in Prague: Day 6

    Another late start on Friday the 19th — didn't leave the flat until past 11 a.m. The adventurers crossed the river again and braved the Prague light-rail transit system for the first time. Since most of our previous explorations had been within the rail-less Old Town section, we hadn't bothered. One purchases tickets at tobacconist…

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  • Vacation in Prague: Day 5

    On Thursday morning we ventured down along the riverbank south of the Charles Bridge, admiring the gorgeous Beaux-Arts buildings. We wandered as far as Prague's newest (and, in my personal opinion, most over-rated) architectural landmark, the "Dancing Houses." If you haven't seen pictures, it's a pair of vaguely whimsical modern structures made to give the…

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  • Random Encounters: Derelict Space Colony

    When new, it was a glittering gem of the heavens: a rotating cylinder four kilometers across and ten kilometers long, with great mirrors to focus sunlight inside. It boasted towns, farms, schools, factories — a city in space. But time and economics haven't been kind to the colony. The resource ran out or the trade…

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  • Vacation in Prague, Day 4

    After all the activity of the first few days, we took it easy on Wednesday. Got up late and had breakfast even later, with the result that we didn't even leave the apartment until past noon. Following a suggestion from a Prague native (see below) we crossed the river to the lovely Letna/Letenska Park on…

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  • Vacation in Prague, Day 3

    On Tuesday the 16th we slept until nine and breakfasted on croissants and scrambled eggs, then set out to see the sights of the Jewish Quarter. This meant much less walking, as our flat was right in the middle of that part of town. We began at the Old New Synagogue, which follows the international…

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  • Vacation in Prague, Day 2

    We woke early and set out for Prague's biggest tourist attraction: The Castle. And when I say biggest, I'm being utterly literal. Prague Castle is a third of a mile long and includes four palaces, a cathedral, a basilica, the President of the Czech Republic, an art museum, a street market, and a TORTURE MUSEUM.…

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  • Vacation in Prague, Day 1

    A note to the reader: because I am too lazy to hunt around the option keys on my laptop to find the right characters, I am spelling all Czech words without accents or other diacritical marks. We flew to Prague via Philadelphia, with a five-hour wait between landing in the hometown of W.C. Fields and…

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  • Random Encounters: Prague

    The ancient capital of Bohemia, Prague boasts one of the world's most beautiful city centers. Since the fall of Communism, millions of people from all over the world have flocked to Prague to enjoy the city's beauty and amazing historical and cultural sights. Roll 1d20 every 15 minutes of walking around Prague to see what…

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