<a href="http://blog.taipanpublishinggroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/teplice.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-147" title="teplice" src="http://blog.taipanpublishinggroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/teplice-300x224.jpg" alt="Sandstone Cliffs at Teplice mad Metuji" width="300" height="224" /></a>I've taken some time to get away from the fabulous city of Prague, the cultural and financial center of the Czech Republic, to dig into the wilder side of the country.

I took a three hour train ride to Teplice mab Metuji, right on the border with Poland. This little town is known for its sandstone monoliths, which are very similar to the formations in Bryce Canyon, Utah. The park was really beautiful, especially with the mist and drizzle hanging deep in the pine trees.

Anyone taking a trip to Prague should set aside the time to get up here and unwind...

After a nice hike, I hit the restaurant, or resterace, of my hotel. There I hooked up with some fellow travelers for a game of cards. They taught me how to play "Screw Your Neighbor".

It's not a hard game to learn, and I did well, but as I sat and thought about it, I found it very ironic that I was playing a game called "Screw Your Neighbor" and in the morning I would be heading on to Krakow, Poland.

You see, Poland's being given the evil eye right now. Russia is a bit peeved that the former Soviet state agreed to the U.S. plan for a <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7571660.stm" target="_blank">defensive missile shield</a>. The Czech Republic will also build a radar system the will link in the the missile shield technology.

<!--more-->Of course, Russia believes these installments are aggressive moves, rather than defensive, and they have promised to react with force.

But this situation isn't like Georgia. Russia will not be liberating a region... They will be invading a solid member of the European Union. Personally, I don't think this will be happening in the least. The EU is Russia's top customer, and the relationship, no matter how sour, is mutually necessary for the moment.

Russia seems to think that the West is trying to push the country back behind the "<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7625211.stm" target="_blank">Iron Curtain</a>."

All these new EU countries - Poland, Hungary, and the Czech and Slovak Republics - that have just come out from behind the Iron Curtain are allying themselves with Western countries, and Russia is finding itself with fewer and fewer friends.

So much for a nice game of "Screw Your Neighbor"...

I'll be chatting with locals about how they feel about this missile shield and how the Motherland is reacting to it.

Until then, enjoy a nice Slivovica - a tasty plum brandy - and the rest of the weekend.