Nazdar from the Czech Republic! Nazdar (pronounced "NAH-zda") means hello. (For more basic Czech words and phrases, see the translation links in our resource section.) We left off last week (here's the link to the archives) on an SAS flight from Newark to Praha (Prague, in English) with a connection in Copenhagen. I could have flown nonstop on Czech Airlines, but my last-minute ticket was much cheaper on SAS. When I landed in the Czech Republic a medley of emotions raced through my head. Fear of a new place -- including its communist history -- was one. But excitement quickly took over as I explored the first nation on a four-country jaunt. If you're up for something new, hop on � we're on my maiden Central/Eastern Europe tour! If you're in a hurry or have ADD, don't worry; there's a 2-minute Johnny Jet video at the end of this week's story.

COPENHAGEN TO PRAHA
Not many people get upset when their airport layover is too short. I'm an exception, because that's how I felt when I had to run from one flight to the next. It wasn't that I wanted to wander around Copenhagen's sleek airport, shop duty free or check out the beautiful Scandinavian women. The reason was because the last time I was in this airport was with my mom, back in 1999. It was our last trip together, and one of the best times of my life. Although I did not get to sit down and reflect, the little bit that I saw brought back many pleasant memories � and that made the 387-mile (1 hour and 10 minute) flight to Praha even more enjoyable.

RUZYNE AIRPORT
I quickly cleared customs, bypassed baggage claim and went straight to the lost baggage counter. Because my connection was so tight I was sure there was no way my bag would make it on time. Unfortunately, I was right. The good news: I was first in line to fill out the form, and my bag was delivered to my hotel five hours later. Before leaving the airport I hit the ATM machine. TIP: It's always a good idea to do that -- but find out before you board the plane what your exchange rate will be (I use Xe.com as my currency converter). Right now, $1 USD equals 22 CZK. CZK is an acronym for Czech Republic koruny, but most people call the Czech money "crowns." It always freaks me out when I'm in a foreign country and am about to press a button to withdraw thousands of whatever the local currency is. My brain can't comprehend that it's only a couple of hundred dollars. For more click HERE.