love love love Amsterdam

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The journey up to Amsterdam… well since Kristin had trouble with her card, I think the lady at the booth was all sorts of confused and booked us tickets for a later train! So changed it to the earlier one for 12 euros more and got bumped up to first class. The train was relaxing, we got free wifi, and little snacks. I enjoyed the train verse the airport.. there wasn't as much hussel and bussel.. trains are expensive though... way cheaper to fly! We finally got into Amsterdam station around 9 pm. I was in awe from the moment I got out of Central Station. Kristin and I jumped on a tram to our hostel and met Katie and her brother Ryan for dinner. Not many places were still serving food by the time we got out to eat. So we settled for an Argentinean restaurant, which to our surprise the waiters spoke Italiano! Amsterdam, Argentina, Italy? It was interesting to say the least! I just got chicken wings and a salad.

We ventured to the red light district after dinner. It was interesting…. FUN FACT! Did you know that prostitution was made legal so that the women could get health benefits? It also prevents the money going into the underground world and can be taxed. Betcha didn’t know that! Okay so I bet you’re wondering what it is actually like.. well there are red lights! Surprise! Just kidding, obviously. There are windows and girls just stand dance, try to get guys to come over, guys negotiate a price, and if it works I guess they go in and you know the rest… The red light district is two streets separated by a canal… Katie got distracted by the swans that hang out in there at night. But on both sides there are girls in practically every window, sex shops, and theaters… I didn’t go into any so if you’d like to know more I guess you will have to experience it for yourself!

Kristin and I stayed at the Anne Marie Hotel… it’s 1 star, really a hostel. We shared a quad with 2 random people both nights… the first night we came back in to a guy and a girl sleeping, the second to two women from Iowa traveling around Europe. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. The shower was actually clean and I could wash off all the disgust I felt from the hostel in Paris.

Sunday in Amsterdam we went on a bike tour! We left the center of the city around 11 and toured the countryside! Can’t say the last time I was one a bike before our little adventure… “It’s just like riding a bike?” I struggled a little at first especially trying to dodge people and follow our leader Stuart who sped off in the distance! Once we made it out of the city we saw a rowing competition, a windmill, and a dairy farm where they also made wooden clogs! At the dairy farm we got to try their homemade cheese! I tried mustard, garlic, smoked and plain. I wish I could have brought a hunk back! I didn’t end up buying and wooden clogs either but I have pictures! After that we made our way around the outskirts of the city, fed some cute deer at someone’s house, saw their dike system that helps with the canals in the city, the Olympic facilities, and field hockey! I had the urge to go run down and play! Then we made our way to a hippie park, where people just hang out and enjoy the beautiful scenery. Finally made it back to the bike shop around 4 pm.
After the bike tour we went through the Anne Frank museum. It was pretty intense. I was actually amazed at the size of the Annex however… I pictured it to be a lot smaller than it actually is. There are several rooms like a little apartment. I couldn’t imagine how they lived the way they did. It’s sad to think that Anne almost made it out, if she could have just held on for a couple more weeks.

To lighten the mood after Anne Frank we got lunch/dinner, bought some M&M’s and bottle of wine and went on a boat tour around the canals. It was nice to see the entire city from another view than I had been walking. I must say that I fell in love with Amsterdam… it gets such a bad rap for its drugs and prostitution but it is absolutely amazing! I would love to go back and spend more time there some day.

Monday was another travel day, but before we got going to London, Kristin and I went to Heineken World, where we experienced the “Heineken Experience.” It was so much fun! We got to tour the entire old brewery (they don’t brew there anymore). We saw their horses, tried wort which is disgusting and even “brewed ourselves.” There is a virtual world that simulates what it would be like if you were actually brewed. It was a totally different perspective on brewing. We then made it to the tasting part where we were the first ones. I met my love Storm the bartender hahaha. He pretty eyes and was funny. Kristin and I perked right up and got out of sleep mode when we met him. He took us across to this room where you can learn and be certified to pour Heineken beer. I passed and have a certificate to prove it! We hung out and talked to a couple of workers, got some advice about London, and were off to catch our flight!

But before we got back to the hostel we took a picture at the “I Amsterdam” site. There we watched a pour little Asian girl attempt to punt a soccer ball but hit herself in the face… I felt so bad, she was okay and ran around so Kristin and I felt that it was okay to chuckle. We then made our way to the Amsterdam airport and an hour flight later we were in London!

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