Karmic Retribution

So I was in the Czech republic, which gave me my second reference to my theory that cheap is not free, I mean it is miles better than the cheap countries in Asia for one thing it seems to have a good old sensible birth rate.
But here is what is, 1. the commons is what makes you rich and 2. a country that has cheap prices has reasons for it.
Here I was cycling in picturesque Austria, how picturesque you ask, well for one thing I have pictures and can you see them? no. I probably wont hit a net cafe with decent bandwidth for a while now that I am tightening my arsehole in unexciting germany.
But to put it in perspective, I got up early in Linz, Austria and by 8.30 was on my way to Ceske Budovice or something, I gave up on roman alphabet in Czech you just can't trust it.
It was all uphill, 14 km of uphill, I had lost tire pressure probably due to the cold Austrian nights and had to pump up my rear tire, which involves taking off all my packs, in the rain on the side of the road on an incline with trucks slushing through puddles as they passed me.
I then continued up hill for whatever remained of my 14 km (about 12) in 1st gear because the incline must of been around 4 degrees. And it rained all the time, with no small towns inbetween to stop off at, (unless they were really small) and I took about 40 photos, they were beautiful and I really enjoyed the ride.
I then coasted at the top of the incline for 8km with no peddling at all, and that once you are soaked, is painful. Easy transport yes, but the windchill is deadly.
Then it was all picturesque countryside, just beautiful, I had a hailstorm and sunshine and took photos till my batteries went dead.
As such I unfortunately could not photograph the psuedo momentus bordercrossing from Austria into Czech republic.
Except I was wrong, I assumed that it was farms on one side of the border, and over the next side would be much of a muchness, just let the pleasentness role.
My assumption was so wrong, it was actually momentus, I crossed the border and all of a sudden, everything was shit.
Creepy looking gypsies looking at me from the woods and roadside stalls, 'American Casinoes' open 'Non-stop' that looked dingier and dodgier than the most dero zone 3 taberat. The Brunswick Club would look inviting by comparison, it would fucking look classy by comparison.
Billboards for strip clubs, planted in the middle of rundown derelict paddocks, derelict paddocks! fucking ill kempt grass and fences, there isn't much less you can actually neglect than a paddock.
The roads were wider that was a plus though, but everytime I wanted to stop, there was a prostitute waiting and I didn't want to talk to no eleventeen year old slavic trucker prostitutes.
I pulled into Kaplice thinking I was just going to hop a train straight to Prague, but wouldn't you know it the Kaplice station isn't in Kaplice, its about 10k out of town.
I get there and they only have cash payment, and foolish me hadn't exchanged my euros yet, which even though he could have ripped me off, the guard refused to take. blah blah blah, locals looked at me funny, got wrong train information, nobody cared, got stranded in some other town, found a nice hotel just barely, got to Prague and by then, Czech republic had well and truly failed to make a good first impression on me.
Prague is nice, its pretty cool, but if it gets just a bit more expensive it wont be worth going there. Thats my verdict.
It has that real, we'll fleece you and your the idiot attitude to pricing and contracts and descriptions of stuff.
Anyway by the time I got out of there I was glad and looking forward to a civilization that was at least straightforward to understand.
But in my carriage suddenly a guy appeared, and asked me if I spoke German in German, I said no English only.
Then he told me in english he had been on the train, fallen asleep, thieves had taken his bags while he slept taking his money and ticket. Then asked for help?
Knowing the worst way to help is to suggest what they could have done in hindsight and making people feel foolish I instead opted for 'How?'
He asked me to buy him a ticket to Germany.
I told him I didn't have the money.
And to be honest I didn't, but also because in Melbourne the sob stories of people needing to get to Bendigo but had their wallet stolen were familiar in my mind and I wasn't handing cash or buying tickets for anyone I couldn't verify, and furthermore I thought in the same predicament here is what I would try: 1. Police 2. Embassy 3. Reverse charge call to a friend 4. Desperately ask complete strangers on a train to have mercy on me and buy me a ticket or hand over cash.
I think the odds of actually needing no 4 are relatively small, small enough to make the guy suspicious. But he gave up quickly and moved on.
He could though have been telling the truth, and in his panic gone for the flight instinct of finding a way home as quickly as possible.
I don't know but knowing that there are police and embassies to help people out in these situations comforts me at night.
Ironically though when I got out at the station at Nueremberg, and went to withdraw some cash, and was refused I discovered my transaction of funds hadn't gone through as I thought it had when my earlier purchase of my train tickets went through, leaving me with no real funds for 24 hours. Fortunately I found a hostel that said I could pay at checkout rather than upfront and I had some yen I could exchange, and then good old options 2, 3, 4, 5. but still it could have been karma, stuffing up my transactions and delaying me a day.