Amsterdamming

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Dave and I were regretting not having payed a few more Euros and upgrading to the first class sleeper train cabin. Things had seemed fine when we had started out in Munich with a pair of Irish schoolteachers - these guys looked and acted more like frat boys than teachers. But, the cabin was small and crowded, and we had people come in from random stops to take up their beds. Aside from that, the loudspeakers would blare every half hour announcing each stop 4 times, and some parts of the room were ice cold, while others were really warm, which makes for a really weird feeling when you sleep. I daresay, that some of the sleeper trains in China were more comfortable.

We were feeling pretty disoriented when we finally made it into Centraal Station, and because everything had been booked or really expensive, our hostel was pretty far away and hard to find. Aside from hostel's in Amsterdam usually being pretty awful, to add insult to injury, the people at the hostel were pretty cold, and let us know that we couldn't check in until 1PM. We had several hours to kill, and all Dave and I wanted to do was take a nap.

So, we tried to get to the city center on foot to get our bearings, and wound up getting very lost. Dave was making fun of me the whole time because things looked kind of familiar, but then I would take another turn and be even more lost. Finally, we made it to the zone that I was familiar with, and I guided Dave to what is probably my favorite place for lunch in Amsterdam, this cafe that makes amazing crepes... I really, really love crepes. So much so, that I felt a lot better despite being exhausted afterwards.

We finally made it back to the hostel some hours later, and found some very fun British girls there as our roommates. We hung out with a bit, and then after showers, we went out exploring. The only place we made it though was the Heineken Experience, which aside from blatantly self-promoting, I think has subliminal messages all over the premises urging you to drink beer. We headed out that night for a wak around the Red Light District.

The next day, we visited museums, and wandered around the city. I love walking around Amsterdam. I've read several historical fiction novels that take place in the 'Dam, and although there are a few modern-looking signboards, it's easy to imagine that you're in the 1600s, with commericializing Burghers roaming the commodities exchange markets. Also, Amsterdam has this crazy energy, and you feel like there is a secret in every corner of the narrow, windy, high-walled streets just waiting to be discovered. It's very fun.

We decided to check out the pub crawl that another set of British girls on our Prague pub crawl a few days back had recommended. The guides were way "too cool for school" and were getting on Dave and my nerves. Additionally, the ratio of males to females was about 30:1, so Dave and I bailed before we had to pay the pub crawl fee. That was pretty disapointing, but Amsterdam also doesn't lack places to go out to...

On our last day, we headed out to Haarlem which is 20 minutes by train away, to ride bikes in the Dutch countryside and check out windmills. Unfortunately, all the bikes were already rented out in the main bike rental store, and Dave and I couldn't find the other rental spot for the life of us. We took it easy that night after we returned to Amsterams, as we would be flying out to our last stop on the trip early the next day.


For another spin on the events, check out Dave's blog: Having fun in the Dam

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The events in this blog occurred in the period when TravelBlog was down. Luckily, I kept a personal journal off which I am basing this write-up. Although writing in the moment is preferable, I think that the photos, people we met, and story are worth sharing.
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