We figured it out

Our ride to Prague was comfortable. The scenery was flat and nondescript most of the way. We logged two countries we had never visited as we crossed Slovakia and entered the Czech Republic. The two borders we passed did not give us more passport stamps like the entry into Hungary.  As we headed north, the ride became noticeably smoother, although trouble on a track forced a detour near Prague and we arrived nearly an hour late. 

We planned to find the taxi stand as we had at Budapest, Cluj and Bucharest. But when we found a taxi he gave us a price of 20 euros which seemed way out of line for a ride of 3 kilometers. Our back was up and we resolved to find a better way. 

We started by calling the hotel who said he'd call a more trustworthy taxi, but then suggested the tram. The line 9 came near the hotel and was easy to reach from the train station. Rather than setting us back almost $25 we could make the trip for $2.  We took the challenge. Peter was determined to figure it out.  

We started by finding an ATM and arming ourselves with local currency. Then we went to the front of the station to find the tram line the hotel clerk had indicated. Nothing was obvious as we had thought. So we began to ask for help. We found a string of very kind and helpful citizens who gave us the information we needed in small doses. 

First one young man in horn rimmed glasses explained that we had to take the underpass to reach the walkway to the tram. Next a young red headed woman explained where to get tickets and how much we needed to spend. When we started to examine the ticket machine a young student type told us where to get change for the machine.  Armed with our tickets we followed a stream of other travelers who led us to the tram stop for number 9. As we looked around we realized we needed to pick the right direction, so we asked again. Sure enough we had to cross the street to get the tram going to the inner city. Finally, after we crammed ourselves into the car, a friendly young man promised to tell me where to descend. He pointed us in the right direction and we finally found the Unitas Hotel

We arrived to a warm welcome. The clerk who had given us directions was beginning to get worried at how long it was taking, but we assured him that it was a puzzle we has solved successfully.  Our lovely, comfortable room was waiting.   Tomorrow we explore Prague.