Amsterdam: the city of boat-lined canals, a multitude of restaurants and a variety of food, a destination for laid-back travelers come to enjoy the coffee, and where there are more bikes than there are people. That is a fact.
Soon after realized my iPod touch was lost...drats. I called Carrie's hostel in Salamanca (didn’t have it, but they did have my shampoo); called the bus station (didn’t understand my Spanish); and tried calling the cab company (couldn’t find the phone number). Fail. Very frustrated. Because it has my music, email, internet, games, and notes (where I write thoughts, observations, etc), and keeps me entertained when I’m alone, it has been a travel essential. I figured, oh well, better to lose that than my computer, camera, passport. When traveling, I’ve learned it’s best to not get terribly upset when things go wrong, because that can easily ruin a weekend. And I was not about to let anything ruin my weekend in Amsterdam!
Took the train from the airport to Amsterdam Central Station. Took a 16 euro train the completely wrong direction. That was dumb. Retraced our steps and caught the tram (#2) to our hostel. “Amsterdam Hostel Leidseplein,” it was called, right around the corner the pancake house! Yum!
Friday night, Carrie and I enjoyed a cup of coffee from a coffeehouse by our hostel, and fell asleep early in the room, tired from all our traveling. I was supposed to meet my friend Anna that night, who had studied in Salamanca and is from nearby Amsterdam, but, stupid me, I was so tired I missed her phone calls! (No worries Anna, I am sure I will be back again someday!).
Woke up early Saturday morning, left Carrie a note to meet me later that afternoon, ate a toast and coffee breakfast downstairs in the kitchen with some Spaniards from the hostel, and set off. On a side note, I always love meeting Spaniards because it makes me realize how well I understand Spanish. As opposed to Dutch, which, as a guy I met called it, “jumbled English.” After breakfast, camera and notebook in hand, I wandered through a couple parks, admired all the people running and biking, took photos on the bridges over the canals, and eventually made my way to the Anne Frank museum.
The line for the museum was about 40 minutes long, the ticket cost 9 euro, but it was very much worth it. The apartment that hid Anne Frank and her family and friends was unfurnished and simple. On the walls were large quotes (in English), from the writings of Anne Frank. Most striking to me was the size of the apartment. In my middle school mind, when I read the book, I had imagined it as being extremely small, like my attic at home where you have to stay hunched over or crawl around on your knees. Rather, the annex that housed 8 people had multiple rooms with high ceilings, wooden floors, and windows (though they had to stay covered at all times).
Not to say that the accommodations were comfortable. To spend almost two years in that space with 8 people, I cannot imagine how frustrating that must have been!
That evening was another early night, since we wanted to wake up early and enjoy the city before leaving. But first we made sure to visit the Red Light District, a well known area of Amsterdam for prostitution. We were told that there would be girls advertising themselves in shop windows. I said, "I won't believe it until I see it!" Well, I saw it alright. Girls dancing and posing behind the glass of shop windows in just their underwear and bras while the people stroll by was most certainly a strange sight. I remember one girl in particular; she must have been about my age, with a friend next to her, both posing practically naked. As I walked by, she stuck her head in the window next to hers and shared a joke with her friend, and they laughed, then went back to dancing. I wondered to myself, "why are they there? Do they want to be there??" Interestingly enough, I read that if one does chose to partake in this nighttime activity, that you should be sure to look for stickers on the windows stating that the girls are there by their own will and have not been exploited as part of illegal human trafficking.
Took the train from the airport to Amsterdam Central Station. Took a 16 euro train the completely wrong direction. That was dumb. Retraced our steps and caught the tram (#2) to our hostel. “Amsterdam Hostel Leidseplein,” it was called, right around the corner the pancake house! Yum!
Friday night, Carrie and I enjoyed a cup of coffee from a coffeehouse by our hostel, and fell asleep early in the room, tired from all our traveling. I was supposed to meet my friend Anna that night, who had studied in Salamanca and is from nearby Amsterdam, but, stupid me, I was so tired I missed her phone calls! (No worries Anna, I am sure I will be back again someday!).
Woke up early Saturday morning, left Carrie a note to meet me later that afternoon, ate a toast and coffee breakfast downstairs in the kitchen with some Spaniards from the hostel, and set off. On a side note, I always love meeting Spaniards because it makes me realize how well I understand Spanish. As opposed to Dutch, which, as a guy I met called it, “jumbled English.” After breakfast, camera and notebook in hand, I wandered through a couple parks, admired all the people running and biking, took photos on the bridges over the canals, and eventually made my way to the Anne Frank museum.
The line for the museum was about 40 minutes long, the ticket cost 9 euro, but it was very much worth it. The apartment that hid Anne Frank and her family and friends was unfurnished and simple. On the walls were large quotes (in English), from the writings of Anne Frank. Most striking to me was the size of the apartment. In my middle school mind, when I read the book, I had imagined it as being extremely small, like my attic at home where you have to stay hunched over or crawl around on your knees. Rather, the annex that housed 8 people had multiple rooms with high ceilings, wooden floors, and windows (though they had to stay covered at all times).
Not to say that the accommodations were comfortable. To spend almost two years in that space with 8 people, I cannot imagine how frustrating that must have been!
That evening was another early night, since we wanted to wake up early and enjoy the city before leaving. But first we made sure to visit the Red Light District, a well known area of Amsterdam for prostitution. We were told that there would be girls advertising themselves in shop windows. I said, "I won't believe it until I see it!" Well, I saw it alright. Girls dancing and posing behind the glass of shop windows in just their underwear and bras while the people stroll by was most certainly a strange sight. I remember one girl in particular; she must have been about my age, with a friend next to her, both posing practically naked. As I walked by, she stuck her head in the window next to hers and shared a joke with her friend, and they laughed, then went back to dancing. I wondered to myself, "why are they there? Do they want to be there??" Interestingly enough, I read that if one does chose to partake in this nighttime activity, that you should be sure to look for stickers on the windows stating that the girls are there by their own will and have not been exploited as part of illegal human trafficking.
Later that night fell asleep to the soft snoring of my bunkmates...woke up, showered (in the disgusting shower, must remember to bring flip flops on my next trip!!). After breakfast, we rented a couple bikes, found a coffee shop along the river, and started out our morning seeking adventure.
Did I mention there are more bikes than people in the Netherlands?? That means that the city is extremely bike friendly. Melissa, you would love it here! I saw all kinds of bikes: there were mothers with children on the handlebars, obviously confident in their bike riding ability; businessmen with briefcases slung over the back tire; children with adult-sized bikes they will soon grow into; teenagers listening to their ipods and texting on their cellphones while biking (!); tourists with two-man bikes, laughing and enjoying the city. We saw it all, and it was beautiful.
Sad to say goodbye to Amsterdam. I realized, if I were to move back to Europe, I will go to northern Europe. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Spain. But not to live more than a few months. I think I like the lifestyle of the Dutch and the Norwegians.... *sigh.*
Very much enjoyed my KLM flight home (despite being ipod-less). Reaction to not flying ryanair/easyjet: You mean I get a free drink, two sandwiches, a cookie, and a second drink?! For FREE? You aren’t going to make me stuff my bag into the metal box to PROVE to you that it’s small enough and hassle me when it doesn’t fit perfectly? Ah, the advantages of classy airlines. Quite a plesant change! Worth the extra 50 euros I had to pay? Definitely not....but I didn't have any other choice since ryanair was sold out!! Not worth 50 euro, but still quite enjoyable :)
Dear Amsterdam, I am sorry I ever doubted how awesome you would be. Turns out, I loved the culture and the people and the variety of FOOD, and especially the bridges that cross over the canals. Waterways that connect the city, I was not expecting them to be so romantic and beautiful. I cannot forget to mention the houseboats that were along the sides of the canals. It’s hard for me to imagine, but people live in these small, one story barge-like homes, neighbors with the fish and boats that they share their backyard with! The language your people speak is beautiful; it makes absolutely no sense to me, but I love hearing it. I am sure I will return again soon, this time with more time, so I can see the countryside and gaze out at a field of tulips.
***iPod update, for those of you concerned about my IT well being: a woman from Madrid-Barajas emailed me this morning letting me know she has my ipod and will give it back to me next time I am at the airport. Random acts of kindness are the best :)
Here are some pictures from my trip:
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| Beautiful architecture |
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| See all the houseboats?! |
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| Bikes everywhere! |
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| People enjoying the warm afternoon along the canal |
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| Carrie & I by the Anne Frank museum |
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| Inspired by the bikers! |
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| Woah, look it's Salamanca :) |
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| Vending machine where you can get FAST FOOD! Cool. |
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| Evening reflections |
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| About to enter the Red Light District |
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| Italy or Amsterdam? |
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| The windmill, which we saw on our bike tour |
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| Oh ya know, just biking around |
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