2 days in amsterdam

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On our fourth night in berlin, we gathered up our meager belongings for our overnight train trip to amsterdam. We went to the train station around 11:45pm in anticipation of our 12:35pm train. The traiN Station itself was open air, so there was not a single warm place to wait. We ended up splurging on a 2euro bottle of diet coke so that we could sit in a cafe that was maybe 10 deg warmer than the freezing temperatures outside. Around 12:30 we wandered reluctantly our of our warm nook onto the platform, only to find that the train was delayed 15 min. instead of freezing on the platform, we took the escalator to the station where we could at least hide out from the bitter wind. There were others who followed our lead, inclouding one guy who kept going up and down the escalator, perhaps unsure of when the train was actually coming. 15 min later, we learned that the train was delayed another 5 min. At this point, we were chilled to the bone, and honestly did not think the train would come... We have horrible luck! But, alas, we saw two bright lights in the distance five min later and rejoiced as our train pulled into the station. Our cabin was cozy with two bunk beds and a sink (where we sadly left our toothbrushes the next morning). we spent the night in restless sleep. While the room blocked most of the outside noise, we could still hear the banging of luggage from adjacent rooms and the noise of people getting off and on at subsequent stations.

In the morning, we finally arrived in amsterdam central station around 10am. We took the tram to our hotel, which was located in the idyllic jordaan neighborhood. Michael and I decided to splurge on a luxury hotel using his Starwood points and it was worth it! The room is very luxurious and the bed is huge! The wifi is only free in the lobby, but that is the only inconvenience. After settling into our hotel room, we embarked on another walking tour (our third one so far). Fortunately, the weather was not as bad as in berlin... At least it wasn't snowing. our tour guide took us to all of the memorable historic sites in berlin. We started out at Dam square and the royal palace (never used), followed by the old church, which was actually adjacent to the red light district. Oh yes, we walked by the red light district too. What they say about amsterdam is true--these prostitutes are everywhere! I admit that I blushed a little when I walked by their windows. Anyway, apparently the church used to get most of its donations from sailors who would stop at the harbor, have a fling with a prostitute, and then paid for his sins at the conveniently located church. Next, We walked by Chinatown (not much to see there), the amsterdam museum, and Begijnhof (a beautiful courtyard in a convent). Our tour guide also shared some interesting tidbits about Dutch history, such as its involvement in the slave trade and the nazi occupation during WWII. By the end of the walking tour, we were freezing again, so we rushed back to the hotel so we could warm up and use the wifi. In the evening, we headed out to get some Dutch pancakes and grab sime coffee. Afterwards, we stumbled onto a small shop that was snack heaven. We found the much elusive Tim tams, and ended the night doing tim tam slams in our hotel room. Not a bad way to end the day, if I say so myself.

Today (day 2), we slept in until around 10am in our extremely comfy bed. Around 11am, we managed to pull ourselves out of bed and go to cafe winkel for their famed apple pie. I got mine with a massive dollop of whipped cream. It was delicious! We were going to grab lunch at another restaurant, but it started snowing, so we picked up some necessities from a local supermarket and had a picnic in our hotel room. We bought two loaves of bread, a package of Gouda, salami, and a mini bottle of wine. The total was 5euro! No wonder we saw very few locals at restaurants--groceries are so much cheaper!! after a wine-induced nap, it had stopped snowing, so we ventured back into the town center. We first stopped at menneken for its famous Belgium fries. It was a few euro more expensive than neighboring fry places, but we decided to get some anyway because, after all, we were on vacation! The fries and our samurai sauce (siracha plus mayo?) was indeed delicious. The small was enough for the two of us. We then started walking back to our hotel. We stopped by designer clothing stores, cheese shops (so many free samples!), and souvenir shops (the cheapest ones are by the southern tip). It started snowing again, so we ducked into cafe hoppes for some famous Dutch bitterballen and Amstel beers. The bitterballen was actually gross and mushy on the inside, and the mustard sauce was too spicy! The idea sounds good, but in practice, not so much. that pretty much wraps it up for our second, and last, day in amsterdam. We've been in the lobby for the past few hours mooching off the hotel lobby wifi. We fly back tomorrow morning, and we are grateful for that because Michael and I are starting to crave some semblance of normality. I guess that's when you know you've had a good time--when you start missing home. Until next time...

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