Enchanted by Bohemia

Author: Yang Lingzhang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: When I returned to the hotel, it was already past 8 p.m., and Kateryna was still busy at the front desk. I gave her the best Czech gold medal beer (Bodvar) I had bought on the way. She initially smiled and declined, but after my persistent insistence, she thanked me and accepted it. I told her I needed her to help me make a phone call to a hotel in Prague to book a room for the next day. She said if the other party spoke English, I should call myself to avoid misunderstandings and errors. It seemed she had received thorough training and was very professional. The call connected, and indeed, the other party spoke fluent English, so I easily booked the room for tomorrow in Prague. After thanking Kateryna, I went upstairs. Halfway there, I turned back and asked her casually, "You're so busy today, are there many guests?" To my shock, her reply made me break into a cold sweat. She said, "There's actually a group of ten people from France staying tonight, but because their flight was delayed, they won't arrive until tomorrow. Tonight, you're the hotel's only guest." At first, I thought Kateryna was joking, so I quickly returned to the front desk to ask if it was true. Maybe seeing the strange expression on my face, she covered her mouth and laughed, then said seriously, "It's true, and it's something that's never happened before. Are you scared?" Although I've visited over 60 countries and explored all the famous mountains and rivers in China, I've also encountered unexpected dangers along the way. But now, Kateryna told me I would be sleeping alone in this medieval hotel tonight, and the first thing that came to mind was the German movie "The Ghost of the Castle" I watched in my student days. To be honest, I was indeed a bit lost at that moment. But for the sake of dignity, I pretended to be unfazed and said to Kateryna, "I'm fine, but do you have someone on duty at night?" To my astonishment, her reply was even more surprising: "We don't have anyone on duty at night, and I'm about to finish my shift. See you tomorrow." Then she added, "You have a big key on your room keychain—it's the hotel's main door key. If you go out at night, just lock the door, and you can open it yourself when you come back." With that, I had to pretend to be cool and said goodnight to Kateryna, then made my way upstairs with heavy steps. Walking through the first, second, and third floors, I noticed the corridors were unusually dark, and the stairs seemed endless. Finally, I returned to my room, but my heart grew even more restless. I had paid only $60-70 for the night, and they were treating the entire hotel as a plaything. This was a joke taken too far—I didn't know how to handle it. My mind was in turmoil, but my stomach started growling. So, I decided to eat first and deal with the rest later. When I went downstairs, except for a few dim wall lights by the stairs, the front desk and lobby were already dark, and the main door was locked. After opening the door and stepping outside, the streetlights were on. According to the information I had, I went to a restaurant called "Krcna Satlava." It was originally a local prison, but the mysterious medieval decor and waiters in medieval attire gave the restaurant a unique charm, making the dining experience even more intriguing. The main dishes here were grilled meats, including chicken wings, chicken legs, beef, pork, lamb, and sausages. At this transitional period between spring and summer, sitting at an outdoor table, drinking beer and eating grilled meats, was truly the best choice. When the pure, large-batch gold medal beer (Bodvar) and a large plate of fragrant grilled meats were served, listening to the beautiful melodies of Dvo?ák playing in the restaurant, and gazing at the starry sky, I felt as if I were floating on clouds. Only when I was full and drunk did I suddenly realize that I would be sleeping alone in that medieval hotel tonight. Perhaps the three 500-milliliter glasses of beer and two glasses of red wine had something to do with it, and my nerves began to buzz. So, I told myself, "Since I'm here, I might as well enjoy this VIP treatment alone tonight—probably even Bill Clinton wouldn't get a chance to stay in such a large hotel alone!" Driven by alcohol and the spirit of A-Q, I returned to the dark medieval castle hotel. As soon as I entered the room, I used a coffee table and two chairs to block the door firmly. To be honest, I wasn't afraid of ghosts but of people. After washing up, I checked the sports news on CNN. After climbing the castle and walking for at least five or six hours, I was indeed exhausted and quickly fell asleep dreaming of the Jade Emperor. However, in the middle of the night, I clearly remember hearing heavy footsteps and the sound of doors opening and closing. But too drunk to care, I turned over and went back to sleep. The next morning, when I woke up and thought about the footsteps and door sounds from the night before, I felt a bit eerie. Going downstairs, Kateryna was already at the front desk. I asked her, "Did a new guest check in last night?" She looked at me puzzled, "No! What happened?" I told her I had heard footsteps and doors opening and closing last night. To my surprise, she replied calmly, "David, you know this is a 17th-century building. Over the centuries, everything has happened here. Honestly, none of our staff would want to stay alone here at night." Hearing this, I was utterly speechless! But then, I thought about how I had passed the unforgettable night unharmed and even gained some courage. It was an unexpected reward in this Czech town. P37-P41