Amsterdam and Even More Bicycles

---

After my taste of Belgium and all the chocolates and canals it had to offer, the time had come to say goodbye and move on to Amsterdam. We caught a morning train to Antwerp then another train on to Amsterdam, arriving about 2pm. The hotels and hostels that Intrepid use are really close to public transport, which makes getting around town on your own a lot easier. After a tram ride from the train station, we walked around the corner and found our hotel. The first thing that you notice is the stairs. Yes they go up, but the steepness of them is a surprise. It seems that the houses in Amsterdam have a narow street frontage but go up a few floors. It may have something to do with the historic taxation of properties as well, but all I know is that it was the closest I had come to climbing a ladder without actually being on a ladder. The other interesting things are the hooks sticking out from the rooflines. They are used to lift large pieces of furniture up to higher floors, because there is no chance of them fitting up the staircases.

After the briefing by Ola I walked around town for about two hours. Most of the group had arranged to meet at 8pm for an organised tour of the Red Light district. Now let me make it clear .... I didn't have any perverted interest or fantasy about the area, but like most people I was curious as to what it was all about. Once we met the guide and paid our money, we were given some historic information and led around the different areas of the Red Light District. It was made very clear from the start that we were not allowed to take any pictures, as the workers get very annoyed with any unwanted publicity. Being led around in a large group made me feel a bit safer, but with the amount of surveillance cameras they have it is apparently one of the safer areas in the city. Some of the things our guide told us were funny, and some of the things I saw were just plain degrading. I'm not going to take any high moral ground, but it says something that the Netherlands is one of, if not the only, with laws that permit districts like this one. Each to their own I guess. A bit of trivia too ... if anyone was wondering about the reference to Amsterdam in the movie Pulp Fiction ... Quentin Tarantino wrote the script while staying in the Red Light district.

The next morning I went to the Anne Frank Museum. It is in the origninal house that Anne Frank and her family hid in during the Second World War. The house is set up basically as it was when Otto Frank (Anne's father) arrived back after the war. All the furniture had been removed by the Nazis when they found the family, and Otto Frank wanted it kept that way. (He had a large part it setting up the museum.) The museum was really well set up and did well to try and convey the feelings and attitudes of those involved. I was lucky I went there at 10am, because once I left at about 11am the waiting line was fairly long. I found it well worth the visit and would encourage anyone else to do the same.

An important piece of information for the unsuspecting traveller. There are both cafes and coffee shops in Amsterdam. Cafes sell the usual coffee and food, while coffee shops offer that little extra. I made sure my food was from a cafe.

After I had some lunch in an Italian restaurant (hey, I like pasta), I made my way to The Dam, a sort of central square of the city. There were the usual street performers, some good and some bad. The bad performer was one of the worst I have ever seen. He did a type of juggling and balancing act, and tried really hard to get the crowd interested. The problem was, he was so crass and disgusting with what he said, none of the act was funny. In the end, the performer himself got so annoyed with everyone's lack of enthusiasm that, without any warning, he disconnected his microphone and started to abuse the crowd and told us all to go away. We were all dumbstruck, but didn't really care because he wasn't very good anyway. I was tempted to off him a critique of his act, but as he was in a pretty bad mood I thought better of it.

I then wandered across town to the Amsterdam Museum. They had the usual paintings, porcelain and glass figures, and other national historic artefacts. Although I'm not big on paintings, the pieces by Rembrandt did catch my eye. I admit that some of my brain's right side neurones may have been twinged. From the museum I went to one of the parks, sitting around watching the people go by. I ended up near the American Consulate, where a security guard got over-zealous and questioned why we ( I and a nearby Spanish man) were taking pictures of the building. I tried to explain that his building was one of many in the area, but I think he was just trying to justify his wage.

I have to say that Amsterdam didn't really do all that much for me. Maybe I would have got a better impression if I had stayed more than one and a half days, but I don't think so. The day we arrived we were told about the bicycles and their right of way on the road. I think there should be public signs at all railways and airports in the country alerting tourists to the bicycles. I accept that riding a bike is good for your health and environment, but the saftey of pedestrians then becomes an issue. There are dedicated bike lanes that are painted red, and if you aren't careful then chances are you'll get run over. By the end of my stay there I was hearing the ringing of bicycle bells in my sleep. It's a bit scary to see people riding bikes while they also use their mobile phones for talking and texting. We aren't talking about a nice slow speed here ... people ride them at a fair pace. Oh well, I guess that's one of the experiences you go there for.

That evening we went back to the hotel to collect our bags, then caught a train back to Brussels. The original plan was to then get an overnight bus from there to Berlin, but luckily Ola found us a sleeper train. Just before midnight we boarded the train for a nice night's sleep before arriving in Berlin.

---

Photos

Drug-taking paraphernalia.
There were many shops like this in the Red Light district.

An Australian Chocolate Shop
Although I had left Belgium, I still had chocolate on the brain.

The worst street performer.
If anyone encounters this man posing as a performer, run for your life. It was the most useless ten minutes of my life I have ever spent.

Oh, is that where I am.
A sign for the visually-impaired.

The hooks on the tops of houses.
The top of the house actually projects out into the street so the furniture won't hit the house.

Comments

[Jay]

chocolate
Stumbled upon your photo...by chance can you tell me where I can buy that brand of chocolate and have it shipped to the states!? It is the best!

[NickTravelling]

I didn't taste the chocolate myself, but I took the picture because the name stood out. Their website seems to only deliver to The Netherlands and Germany, however there are two stores in New York City ... maybe contact them and arrange something. http://www.australianhomemade.com/index.html