quick stop in amsterdam

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Only 2 official days in Amsterdam we had to start right away!

We started the night off right with the red light district! That’s what everyone thinks about when they think of Amsterdam but its really not as big a deal or even everywhere…its basically on a few streets & that’s it. So we took our walking tour from a Xerox and headed in the direction. Before we got very far we stopped and got food at a pub & did the Amsterdam style with some sort of meat balls & fries…Katie got a beer of some sort. Then we started our walk. We passed so many interesting shops that you would never see in America unless you are in the “sketchy” part of town, but it was so normal there and no one made a fuss about it. Even the women in the windows was not really that obvious you really had to be paying attention or looking for them - and they are very protected…no pictures of any sort & they are in an actual building. They stand at big windows & have curtains in front of them. They are not completely exposed and if no one is standing in the window than it is covered with the curtain. They were also not the most gorgeous women you have ever seen. They looked like every day women, but I cant imagine that if that was your job and then the next day when you aren’t working that you might run into someone that saw you in the window. There were tons of sex shops & museums, but the whole area still felt safe & calm. As we headed back to our hotel so we could get a fresh start…early morning excursion we heard jazz music coming from a small little coffee shop. We popped in and couldn’t resist a coffee & just sitting there relaxing listening to the music. As we sat there for a little longer we realized that it might actually be a coffee shop connected to a church. There were passages on the wall & images that would be connected to a church. It was completely different that we had just seen in the red light district but really just around the corner from one another! We sat there for an hour or so but it went by so quickly and they didn’t rush us at all but were pleased that we were just enjoying the music…something else that doesn’t happen in America (we rush customers, or we want them to buy more…we don’t just let them enjoy their time).

The next morning came bright and early and it was going to be a day filled with physical work…canoeing! We had signed up to go on a wetland safari excursion. We didn’t know much about it except that it involved a bus ride, coffee, canoeing, lunch, more canoeing, coffee & bus home.
When we arrived to the meeting spot we figured that it would be a large group & we didn’t know whom we were meeting or who to pay, but we were ready. We even took the tops off our backpacks off so that we could have them more like belly bags instead of purses.
The person we met was completely dutch and so delightful. I could have listened to her speak all day which is good because that’s basically what we did. For some reason I was expecting a really large group, but in fact it was Katie & I and a family of 3 and our dutch guide. It was perfect. The plan was to take a bus out to the country and then have some coffee. It wasn’t really warm or sunny but it didn’t look like it was going to rain so we were all hoping for the best. We got to the restaurant for coffee & it was run by an older woman who spoke complete dutch but had anything you could possibly want. Our guide (heidi…not her real name) showed us where were going and we all got to know each other. After coffee the trip really started we loaded the boats into the water and headed out. Katie & I were partners and I was in the front. We didn’t have such a smooth start though. It had been a long time since I canoed & Katie really hadn’t done much so we did some bumping up against the canals for a while along the area where all the lovely houses were backed up along. In fact most of the houses facades were facing the canal…we were told its because that is how everyone gets around by water. It was so lovely we were really getting to see a small country town & the canals. For a while Katie & I were getting really frustrated because no matter what we did we weren’t going in the right direction and it was taking so much more work than what it should have been. Finally we got it figured out. and we started becoming pros. It was so different though than what I had ever canoed instead of being in a river where you have to watch out for rocks & rapids, the hardest part was when the wind would blow and you would really have to have control otherwise you would be pushed into the reeds and then have to figure out how to get out. we saw so many things and heidi was great she explained so much. We saw cows, goats, and all sorts of plants & birds. And there were no fences what so ever for the animals. They were carried out on boats to the little islands created by the canals so they were stuck on there. It was so beautiful but my arms were getting pretty tired after a while and when I thought I really needed a break soon it was time for lunch! We got out on one of the islands and heidi actually took us around a bit to explain what was going on including plants & why when you walked you were pretty much making the whole area around you bounce because it was on water. It was great. Then we got lunch. A true dutch lunch which consisted of so much food, I don’t know how we could have eaten it all. There was goat & cow cheese, meats, fresh strawberries & fruit, nutella, jams & spreads for 2 different kinds of bread, 4 different juices which were practically fresh squeezed and then dessert. It was ridiculous the amount of food she had brought for us. It was great too because we got to talk to everyone and really learn about Amsterdam and Holland & how everything really worked. After lunch we headed back towards the bus stop & coffee.
We still had the majority of the afternoon open so we did some walking tours around the city and saw all typical Amsterdam sites as well as the houses all along the canal. They were so skinny & tall. At one point the tax was based on how wide your house was because of how much room it took up on the canal so the houses were all so tiny and then expanded in the back! We also went to the market & talked to the merchants who really knew their products. We were all over the city that afternoon but enjoyed taking our time & seeing what we really wanted to see. Then we headed to the music store, which practically took a whole block, but it was closed, which was pretty surprising considering that Amsterdam doesn’t really close all that early. By this point we were pretty hungry even though we had such a wonderful lunch so we started our hunt for dinner. We wanted the Amsterdam pankcakes but had no idea where to find them so we ended up asking a flower shop that was closing and they pointed us in the direction of “the best pancakes” but they were closed so we would have to wait for Saturday. So we were still on the search. We found this really cute place that had sandwiches & looked rather inexpensive so we went on in and sat down…trying to European. Then they brought out the menu & it was completely different than what we had looked at and way more expensive but it was too late we had already started. I ordered one of the cheapest items on the list and one of the only things that really looked appetizing which was rice with tomato type sauce. I was not really all that impressed & the waiter was not all that great but it was the 2nd meal that I was disappointed with. And we were really surprised about the service there because so far everyone in Amsterdam had been so nice & welcoming. After dinner we headed back to the hostel to figure out the hostel for berlin & a few other things that we needed to plan out.
When we got back and began planning our hostel we had a very altering surprise. Instead of leaving on the train Sunday morning at 6:00 it was the next day at 6:30 which meant that we had thought we had a whole extra day in Amsterdam! We still had so much to see including the van gogh museum and a whole separate of Amsterdam that we hadn’t walked yet! We quickly found a hostel in berlin & headed out trying to accomplish everything we needed to and possibly changing our ticket for a later time. We were told at the train station that we would have to wait for the following morning to exchange the ticket & it opened at 6:00 we were going to be making it tight. We decided to try to do as many things as possible before the morning and pray that we could get our tickets changed. That evening we did another walking tour which was beautiful to see the city at night & walk along the canal. Then we tried to go to the ice bar where everything is made of ice including the furniture & glassware and you have to wear huge fur coats to keep warm. When we got there though no one was in the ice section so we quickly vetoed the event and headed back home for an early morning. The next morning came really quick and we headed out to exchange tickets. Thankfully everything worked out and we had our tickets for that afternoon out of Amsterdam so we had the morning & afternoon to finish up the last few things that were on our list.

the van gogh museum which was so interesting. Not only did I get to see some of his work but I learned so much history of his life. It was also interesting to see the works that he actually got inspiration from. They were displayed and had great explanations in English too, which was really helpful.

We walked through another area of the city and found our pancake shop. It was in an old house & you had to walk up some really steep stairs. It was more like a ladder than anything. When we reached the top it was a little place that a man ran…practically in his house. We sat down & looked at the menu. We were the only ones in the place and sat by the window where we could watch people pass. I ordered a banana & honey pancake, which was delicious. It was like a crepe but wasn’t folded up and I needed a fork! It didn’t take much and our morning/afternoon was gone & it was time to get on the train for berlin.
Overall though Amsterdam was pretty amazing even though it was a much shorter trip than expected. The people were wonderful & it was so beautiful. One thing that was slightly frustrating was the amount of construction that was going on throughout the entire city. They were putting an underground system in and so everything was in turmoil. And it was crazy how many people actually spoke English. It was almost like they had 2 languages dutch & English. And there were so many bikes. Everyone had told me there were tons of bikes but I didn’t really believe them until I got there. There was driving, biking, tram, & walking lanes and they went everywhere. You really had to pay attention to where you were going because you had to make sure you were in the right lane or you would get run over & they all overlapped. And there were parking spots for bikes too. And no one wore helmets & I am pretty sure its much more dangerous to ride there. And you saw people riding in heels & dresses & work attire. Very different than America, but overall the place was just delightful!

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