Czech and German explore the world

Another year has come to an end. I'm not typically the one to claim that time slips away unnoticed. To me, each year tends to feel quite substantial, full, and distinct from the others. Every year brings something noteworthy – a new addition to the family, a change of residence, venturing into online business, completing a PhD thesis, securing the first project and establishing a team, or initiating a seminar for high school students. There was always a defining element that set each year apart, making them significant. Something where I invested my energy, something I explored, something I built. However, the year 2023 was different. For the first time in my life, I found myself lacking life energy. While I've always had my share of ups and downs, this time I settled on a level that I would mark "below borderline" in the review process. Not terrible, but certainly not filled with awe and enthusiasm. Two years of COVID with a full-time job and a small kid, night shift

"And where do you have a seat for the kid?" asks me the bus driver. "Sorry?" I look at him with an open mouth. "Seat for the kid. For your kid. It is not possible to travel in the bus with a kid without a seat. Since the accident of buses in Brno, they stop and check the buses. One driver got a fine and might get one year driving suspension for having on board a kid without seat." Really?" I am stunned. We really do this to ourselves? After coming back from Ladakh last week it feels even more ridiculous. We just came from a country where people can decide if to take a seat belt or not. From a country, where they can still hitchhike with their kids on a lap without fear from police. From a country where police and army is present everywhere - to protect independence of the country and help to recover towns after floods, but not to fine people for not having their belts. This is left on everyone decision if they want or don't want to use t

Every country has its taste. For me Ladakh tastes after milk tea and momo dumplings. This is the taste that I feel on my tongue when I think about Ladakh. If I want to be honest, I must also add bread and bananas.  But we tried much more. Local apricots from the old women who sell vegetables at the Main bazaar. Egg and veg thali plates from Ladakhi restaurant. Apricot jam in Dzomsa. Thukpa, tasty thick soup with pasta and vegetables. Yoghurt. Dhal with rice in different variations. Meggi soup in tea tents. Bread omelet with vegetable. Masala chai. Chapati with marmalade. Cookies from bakery in Hunder. There is a lot more you could taste in Ladakh if you came here to eat. However, we didn’t come here because of food. We wanted just to eat as locals do, which often means to eat good but simple…   We pass through the back alley behind the Main Bazaar in Leh and open the entrance curtain to one of the "restaurants" without windows. After two days in Ladakh, we dared to walk int

  “It is amazing that you took your kid with you,” tells us with some admiration one couple in the Markha valley.   “Well, the borderline between amazing and stupid is quite thin,” I answer, still having in a clear memory how we spent yesterday one or two hours sitting on the side of the road in Leh, trying to persuade our little one by respectful and nice approach to finally move home and in the end were anyway carrying the screaming, kicking and hitting hedgehog on our hands, happy that we have sunglasses so we at least keep our eyes healthy. “I think that it is not contradictory. It can be both amazing and stupid,” smiles at me the guy in response. And that ’s it. It is amazing and stupid in parallel to take your three years old kid to Himalaya. Sometimes, you will want to bounce with your head to the wall, trying to understand, why, for the Gods sake, you did such a stupidity. For example, after hearing everyday several times increasingly annoying demanding voice screamin

„Julley,“ the old woman welcomes us back to our house after we came back from the Markha valley trek. „Julley,“ we answer with a smile. Julley is the only word we share with locals. But it is incredibly powerful word. Word that can express almost everything. It is a greeting when you come, it is a greeting when you leave, it is a good wish, namaste , it is to ask for a help. It is a word that brings hearts of people together. It has grown from the Ladakhi culture and it is a manifestation of their values. It works because there is a respect between people in the country. When I think about the word „Julley“, I recall the smiling faces of Ladakhi people. Honestly smiling faces behind which there is only the good heart, good intention, and trust. Trust in the good in people. As soon as we arrived from Srinagar to Leh, I felt the change. The streets of Leh are busy and very international, but you already feel that there is more calmness, less stress, less hunting of tourists, more s