Amsterdam

Steph and I at the flower market.
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August 05 Well, I’m going to start writing when we got to the Amsterdam airport, seeing as the plane ride was just alot of sleeping. The airport is very modern looking and very large. There are shops, moving sidewalks and escalators that start only when you step onto them. It was weird arriving there and suddenly you don’t know the main language. There was a little boy at the baggage claim singing loudly in Dutch which amused me quite a bit. After we got our bags we decided to take the train to Amsterdam Centraal Station. We got on moving sidewalks and descended to the platform. There we got on a two level train that took us to the main station. There was a really hot Dutch guy sitting next to Steph talking on his phone. I loved listening to him speak. It’s a very different language. Looking out the windows was fascinating. It’s very pretty here. Many little houses facing onto the canals outside the city center, then apartments and townhouses when you get more into the city. They are all very tall and very narrow with many windows. On some there are posts sticking out and practically all have large hooks at the top. My dad says this is because the stairs in the buildings are too narrow, and when people move in, this is how they get the furniture up to the higher floors. When we got off the train my dad had the bright idea that we would walk to our hotel. He had MapQuested the directions so we were all set. The only problem was the overstuffed backpacks we were all carrying. And the fact that the streets don’t have signs. So we got lost for quite a long time. It was a pretty good way to see some of the city though. We probably looked like such idiots standing in the middle of the streets my family looking over our map while I snapped pictures like crazy trying to take everything in. We stuck out like sore thumbs not just because of the Canadian flags on our packs, but because we definitely weren’t dressed right. The fashion here is quite interesting. Everyone is extremely stylish though. Everyone also smokes and ride bikes. The bikes are more like cruiser type bikes and they ride them regardless of what they are wearing. There are also many gays. In fact it is Gay Pride weekend and there was a parade on the canal in front of our hotel. Instead of floats they have boats, and there was a boat carrying men in aprons and nothing else! Our hotel is adorable. It faces the canal so I enjoyed the view of the parade and all the people partying. Steph and I have a cute two level room with extremely steep stairs. Everyday the people leave us an amazing Dutch invention called the Stroopwaffle. They are very thin waffles pressed together with caramel. So good! After we got showered, we headed out onto the streets. We walked around for a bit then headed to dinner. Then we wandered for a bit more. All of us were extremely tired by that time so we headed back to the hotel. Before we turned in Steph and I watched a bit of TV and found a reality show about who would become the next Maria in a Broadway production of the Sound of Music.

One of the many bikes people ride around Amsterdam with. This one was decorated quite nicely!
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August 06 When I got up this morning we headed out for breakfast/lunch at a cute little cafe. I enjoyed the food and listening to more people speaking Dutch. I did have extremely stiff hips though from carrying my back pack yesterday and everytime I got up they hurt like crazy. Then we went to the homo-monument (Yes it is called the homo-monument!) where most of the Gay Pride activities are going on. Unfortunately there wasn’t anything going on at the time, but we did see a sign for the Canal-Bus tours. The cash register wasn’t working, so we headed back to Centraal for the other companies. We hopped on a canal boat for a tour of the city. I love it here! It has the most amazing architecture and everything is just kind of peaceful. Except for when the noise is broken by some people on party boats. Yes, that seems to be the thing to do here is own a boat. It makes sense seeing as there are lots of canals. The city is under sea level! There are many different types of boats from dinky little ones to nice cruisers to house boats. Many house boats line the sides of the canals and are parked there for good. We got off at a stop in a different, ritzier part of the city. The buildings were nicer and has high end stores. We went to the flower market where they sold many different types of flowers. Afterwards, we got back on the boat and toured around the rest of the city. We got off near our hotel at the stop for the Anne Frankhuis. This is the house where Anne Frank and her family spent 2 years hiding from the Nazis. Unfortunately there was a huge line for entrance, so we decided to go tomorrow. We headed up the street and stopped at a cafe for drinks. Everyone here sit in a row when they eat, they don’t face each other. This way they can people watch. Naturally we did the same, even though it was a little awkward. Now all we needed were cigarettes and bikes parked beside us! I’m really surprised the cancer rate here isn’t higher! It’s not unusual to see an extremely tanned smoker. I swear I’m taking a week or two of my life being over here and breathing all this smoke. Not to mention the occasional pot fumes every once in awhile. After drinks we decided to go towards Centraal Station so we could head towards the Red Light District afterwards. We settled in at a cute Italian restaurant which was next to a coffee shop where you could sit beside big hookahs and smoke away. After dinner we realized that here, since the credit machines don’t do it for you, you have to tip with change. Of course we didn’t know that and haven’t been tipping people since we got here! When we left we searched for the Red Light District and found ourselves in a street filled with Sex shops and bars. I immediately peeled my eyes open for sights of flyers hanging off lamp posts. People were swarming everywhere and there were two men walking around in tiny leather shorts. We went down a side street then there it was! The Red Light district. There were hardcore sex shows with bouncers outside. Then there was the erotic museum and various other sex souvenier shops. Of course there was the many windows with women smiling and waving. Some in little bikinis, others in lingerie and boots. Some looked extremely bored and others were just staring off into space or applying their make-up. I saw one older man talking to one of the girls through the window. Probably trying to make a deal. Gross! I was surprised to see how many of the curtains were closed though so early in the night, and on our way back out there were a few girls I hadn’t seen the first time. All in all it was a bit disappointing. Nothing like what I’ve heard anyways. Most disappointing of all though was the fact that there were no flyers anywhere! I even made my dad go into some sex stores to look. Nothing! They’ve also (Gasp!) never heard of Eurotrip! Wow was I disappointed. Sorry Erin! I spent the rest of the night going through many postcard racks trying to find some with the prices on it. Luckily, earlier today I had seen one and taken a picture of it. Now we are back at the hotel. I should probably turn in soon seeing as we are getting up bright and early to try again at the Anne Frankhuis.

Of course there was the many windows with women smiling and waving. Some in little bikinis, others in lingerie and boots.

Clogs!
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August 07 Okay so last night there was a mouse in our room! Creepy I know. But a cute manager came up to deal with it and we got ice cream in the end. Now I can never look at our hotel room the same way again. I had a horrible sleep but we were still up by 8 45 to go to Anne Frankhuis. There was a bit of a line up but we got in. It was pretty interesting but all the furniture and stuff was gone so it's still a little hard to believe. We went for lunch at an irish pub where an Irish Canadian was serving us. We finally got water with our meals! (Here you have to buy bottles that are more expensive than pop and beer) He was really nice and interesting to listen to. After lunch we headed to the Amsterdam Historich Museum. It was pretty boring if you ask me cause I didn't see the relevance to anything. It was all about how the made the city out of the sea and then a bunch of paintings that they found in places. They did have an exhibit on Anne Frank though, that was even more interesting than the house. She seems like a self-centered brat. Then we wandered around and found the cutest jewelry shop but my dad said I wasn't allowed to buy anything because the metal would irritate my sensitve skin. We then went to a funky store called H&M where I got a coat. I don't know how I'm going to fit all the stuff I want to buy into my back pack! It's already overloaded!!! Tomorrow we are off to Berlin. We get a car and drive through Germany to get there. I don't know when I'll be able to write next because we have to pay for internet everywhere. So we'll see. Hopefully I enjoy Berlin as much as I enjoyed Amsterdam!

The amazing Stroopwaffles!
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Erin: I have been thinking of you many times this trip not just cause I miss you but because there have been many things to remind me of you! As soon as I walked out of Amsterdam Centraal Station there was a little bell organ sitting there. ( You know the thing at the stampede that played music and you kept going wtf?) It made me laugh and I tried to take a picture, but my mom said another time because she wanted to get to our hotel. That other time came today and I even got a little video of it. Also I saw two girls sitting together beside a building and they reminded me of Elin and Agnes from Show Me Love.

Some of the many Canal houses
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Martha: A postcard should be on it's way to your house!