Ghosts of the past

The reason why I stopped basically was I got involved with the Buddhism part of it, read about buddha and from Kwan Um Zen guys, who were doctors mostly in hospices ... General vegan esoteric do-gooders. And I deemed it incompatible with the real world we live in really, that is build on pursuit of money, maximizing utility, goal setting etc. Because I'm not a monster by any means, but I'm a reasonably selfish modern person
But the psychopath book showed me that mindfulness doesn't have to be by any means tied into goodness or enlightenment, it can be used for completely sinister purposes and it's just a bias of Buddhists who happen to practice it that it leads to enlightenment and altruism, but it's completely applicable to capitalist society with a few tweaks. I've already started using all of the old meditative tricks again and see no reason why I'd stop now ever again

Anyways for months I have been taking a bus to visit my 91year old great grandaunt , and from afar I have always seen this strange building, wondering what the story behind it is and how to get there

Since I'm living in the present moment a lot more I'm looking for more experiences, and I've wikipedia'd a list of natural reserves, and searched for one max 40 minutes away from my flat to not disrupt my grind too much and found Barrandov Terraces.

Basically it's where the sea used to be some 170million years ago, and the cliffs you can see there were at the bottom of it. It's a very popular area for archaeologists it turns out, with trilobites being a common discovery there ( no luck).

So I walk along the path, and then see a tiny pathway leading through the bushes. Unbelievably a whole large area, completely hidden from sight was there, containing an abandoned swimming pool.


It was a really overwhelming feeling and I actually shouted out in amazement "what the fuck" with a huge grin on my face. This was how the kids most have felt when they entered the freaking Narnia for the first time.

I snooped around, and a long stairway from on the side of the hill that leads all the way to the main building



I've looked into it, and its a hell of a story. Basically, this complex was build in the 20s, and there is nothing else to compare it with than The Great Gatsby's mansion during the same era. The crème de la crème, the richest and most important people of Czechoslovakia would gather here in a bar open 365 days per year, and dance to the rhythm of swing, there was even a whole orchestra of the world famous R. A. Dvorsky playing there and the pompous guests would party until the morning, often staying for breakfast.

This is how the place looked in the heyday of it's glory



It was destined soon to change hands by none other than the Nazi's during the war. They again used for spoiling the heads of The Reich where they enjoyed their Czech courtesans. They even have build a rail-track to the place, just to to get the guests there more comfortably!

Of course when The Third Reich fell the complex was taken over by communists. Of course they nationalized it, and made a bold proclamation that it shall be returned to the common people. Unsurprisingly, that wasn't the case, and once more it was used to entertain the heads of The Party, and their foreign guests.

After the revolution the complex was returned to the descendants of the original mastermind and owner behind the project, Vaclav M. Havel (whom I personally imagine as The Czech Gatsby) but they've failed to take care of it. Soon it was closed forever, taken over by squatters and homeless people who eventually sent the wooden part of the complex, where for so many years people would drink lavishly until the morning, on fire.

Now when you walk through the desolate ghost town taken over by foliage and listen just hard enough, you can still hear the rhytm of swing, burlesque parties and moaning of courtesans distantly in the wind.

And that is the story, of Prague's Barrandov Terraces, and a time long gone.

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I sometimes feel disappointed for not being born in the beginning of the last century, its probably a dream brainwashed deep from hollywood movies in my conscious, but feels like quality overall mattered much more then ( music, relationship, morals and so on )

Don't know about that, pretty sure this is the best time in hostory to be alive.
But yeah there was something romantic about the 20s. That era didn't last very long in this country though, and I can't imagine anyone sane wanting to being born into it as it'd mean you'd live through terrible times and world wars.
To be there in 20s among high society for some time and then come back, hell yeah! The atmosphere still radiates from there

On September 18 2015 20:47 Spitfiree wrote: I sometimes feel disappointed for not being born in the beginning of the last century, its probably a dream brainwashed deep from hollywood movies in my conscious, but feels like quality overall mattered much more then ( music, relationship, morals and so on )

you should watch midnight in paris, woody allen (pedo) movie. I thought it was very good though.

On September 18 2015 21:12 LemOn[5thF] wrote: Don't know about that, pretty sure this is the best time in hostory to be alive. But yeah there was something romantic about the 20s. That era didn't last very long in this country though, and I can't imagine anyone sane wanting to being born into it as it'd mean you'd live through terrible times and world wars. To be there in 20s among high society for some time and then come back, hell yeah! The atmosphere still radiates from there

Yeah its exactly why i said I've been most likely brainwashed into the subject, they lacked so many things that we don't and went through 2 world wars :/ I doubt the every day person was having a great time during that period
Anyways the more you go to the east of Europe the less you see that culture, that period was almost non existent here sadly

On September 19 2015 00:10 hiems wrote: you should watch ... (pedo) movie. I thought it was very good though.