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Published: September 21st 2016
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On our way to Tanzania we opted to spend 2 nights in Amsterdam. The city of bikes, cheese, sex, drugs, canals, tulips, tourists and history.
Right off the bat you are shockingly aware that bicycles rule the roads in this city.You really have to be aware of your surroudings when you step off the curb or come to an interserction of bicycle traffic. They have the right of way in all situations and they make sure you know it. And these riders aren't the cycling-gear-wearing, multithousand-dollar-bike-owning riders who speed through Ottawa on closed streets embracing inner Olympic dreams . These are students, parents, kids, old, young, men in business suits, women in power outfits, grocery shopping, errand running, just getting to where they need to go cyclists on their upright commuter bikes. These riders are all business. So when you get ready to cross a path or intersection in Amsterdam...stop...look both ways, look for who might be turning your way, and look all directins again. Heed this warning, or your demise may find you quicker than you'd like.
A highlight for us was a walking tour of the Red Light District with
That Dam Guide (Mark). We spent 2 hours walking
through the area learning about how things operate. The sex workers (mostly women) are all independantly owned businesses, that market, advertise, uphold reputations and pay taxes! Our guide, Mark, spends time getting to know a number of these workers as well as the people who support them. He's knowledgable on all the ins and outs behind the curtains (pun intended). No question was too embarrassing to ask. He answered them factually and tactfully. It was a fun and enlightening learning experience.
Throughout our visit in Amsterdam we opted to stay at
Barangay B&B which is a really cool and small B&B that was ideally situated for arriving and exploring the city. We were able to walk everywhere. They serve an incredible breakfast (in bed!) and were super friendly. As an added bonus they had 2 resident cats (black beauties named Billy and Bossy) that made it the ideal accomodation for a Crazy Cat Lady and her spouse. ;-)
The city itself is beautiful and was made to be explored. Canals litter the entire central area and the architecture is unique and pictureasque. House boats line all the canals, some of them so large we have no clue how they
got in under the bridges that surround them. If you are a little walked out and you are looking for a cool place to have a drink and get an incredible view of the city then the
SkyLounge at The Hilton is the place to go. It's located on the 11th (top) floor the hotel and has seating inside and out. The cityscapes are fantastic!
One of the things we wanted to make sure we visited was the Anne Frank house. At the advice of our B&B hosts at our time of booking (months before our arrival to Amsterdam)we pre-purchased our tickets to this museum. The pre-purchasing tip was one of the best pieces of advice we were given. This museum is one of the most popular in all of Europe and tickets sell out almost as fast as they go on sale. Heed this advice: If The Anne Frank House is on your list of must see places, go online and buy entrance tickets for the day you want to visit as soon as they become available (well before you arrive in Amsterdam). Otherwise you will be disappointed as tickets generslly sell out months in advance. The museum
is worth a visit. In addition to the museum where visitors learn about how the Frank family attemted to escape the nazis you get to to walk through the rooms where Anne and her family lived while they were in hiding.
Recommended Eating: Brasserie Ambssade - Nice place for dinner. Not cheap. Go for the Chef's Surprise
Jacketz - Good and inexpensive lunch. Baked potatoes filled with the filling of your choice.
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