Fatigue

Mom in the Schipol Airport preparing to assemble the bikes.
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Mommy dearest and I landed in the Schipol Airport sometime around noon, having traveled overnight without any sleep.  We had to deal with the unfamiliar airport, not to mention our first exposure to Dutch, as we struggled to find our luggage and wait for our bikes.

Reassembling the bikes was an adventure in itself. We chose a spot outside, and I guarded the luggage while Mom did the dirty work.  Maybe two hours later we were ready to go, except I had a flat tire and the pump didn't have the correct nozzle to fix it. Not to mention that we couldn't find the bike path out of the airport, nor would we have recognized it if it existed.

A job well done.
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So. Taking our bikes on the train, complete with panniers and Dutch was a pain, although the cost of the ticket for the bikes was only a little less than our own. Finally we arrived in our destination - Haarlem.

We were absolutely amazed by the bike paths, the number of people actually using them, and the thousands of bikes locked up outside the station.  No lies, literally THOUSANDS.  Then we were lost because we didn't understand the Dutch street signs.  Instead of labeling roads, most signs point to a specific destination and list the distance.  We guessed at going straight to follow the main flow of traffic, after receiving plenty of dirty looks because we didn't understand how to use the bike paths.  Bikers follow flow of traffic (so the right side of the road), and you do NOT step on a bike path unless you are already in motion.

The Stayokay Hostel of Haarlem.
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We had to walk maybe a kilometer to find a bike shop to put air in my tires. Finally - real directions!  English!  And biking! Our two kilometers to the StayOkay Hostel were the best of the day because we were finally doing what we came all the way to Europe to do.

The hostel was nice enough - an internet station, bunked beds, a cupboard with locks, dinner of delicious soup but bad main course and dessert. We saw a full rainbow outside our rainbow too.  After traveling for so long, Mom and I only had the energy to eat, shower, and finally sleep.