Hallo from Amsterdam!

Another view of the canal.
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So I thought that I would never get to sleep on the plane! We got those little eye mask things which actually kind of helped, unfortunately I did not get a picture! Take The Lead was on, so I watched that movie. I like that movie, it’s a good one. But after that I pulled out my iPod and was able to fall asleep. (music helps!) The Netherlands is really quite interesting looking. It is far less populated then you would imagine. The plots from the air differ quite a bit from Canada and the U.S i noted; they are perfectly spaced out and even. But I still couldn’t quite put together what was different. Then I realized that everything was on water! You could see the strips of water running through like ribbons. I had forgotten that Amsterdam is below sea level. So we landed, and it probably took us at least 20 minutes to get our luggage. Oh..my...god my bag was so heavy. It’s not as bad when you are walking, but soon would I find out that this backpack was to be the bane of my existence. So the airport has Amsterdam’s train system running through it, so that is how we made it to central Amsterdam. It had two levels, and is less like our C-train then you would think. It’s tiny! My backpack was so large, I mistakenly went to the second floor and lo and behold! there were no seats until the very end. So I had to drag my bag through the tiny isle and even then I couldn’t find a seat. Mom made this guy move over, so I finally sat down. I felt so embarrassed though, I hate my backpack! The guy next to me was talking on his cell phone; the language sounds like Simmish. No joke. The language the Sims speak in the computer game. It sounds like a mix between German and French. So we finally get off the train and I realize that I am not wearing a t-shirt; I wore a tank top! This means that I would have to keep on my jacket so I could lug my pack around without hurting my shoulders. Can I remind you it was extremely hot outside? Dad had gotten directions off Map Quest so get from the station from our hotel, which would apparently take us 15 minutes to get to. So we set off, I was eagerly waiting a shower. The Dutch may have a beautiful city... but they have TERRIBLE street signs!! They are not clearly marked, streets just run into another and turn into other streets at a flip of the switch. What should have been 15 minutes felt like 10 hours. It was probably only 30 minutes to an hour. But I was hot, and in a baad mood. I didn’t taken in too much of the surroundings, I was more focused on getting to the hotel. But guess what my friends? It is the weekend of the Gay Festival at the Homo-monument! Yes, they have a Homo-monument! I was quite excited to see this monument, for I wasn’t quite sure what a homo-monument should look like. Only in Amsterdam. But I didn’t get to see it. We kept going, as the street our hotel was on was just another block. Amsterdam is set up as canals, The houses line the streets and the street drops off into canal, then it is repeated on the same side. These canals are situated around the entire city. There was a huge crowd lined on the canal on our street and I could hear loud music blaring. There were floats on the canal! That’s right, to kick off the Gay Festival they were having a parade! I wish our stampede parade could be on a canal. It was cool. We didn’t stay to watch, as we checked in to our rooms. But we had a bird’s eye view of the canal, so we just sat and watched all of the float boats go by. It was quite entertaining. Everyone here is just looking for a party. After we had gotten cleaned up, we ventured back outside for a little sightseeing. I were definately in a better mood, and it was way more easier to navigate the streets without the heavy backpacks on. We wandered over to the Dam, which is the site of the original dam in the city. It’s a big plaza, I don’t really see how it was a Dam but it has probably changed quite a bit. The Dam is flanked by the Royal Palace and the New Church, (I will put in the Dutch names later) and the monument to the Dutch-ies? who were killed during the Nazi occupation. We didn’t go in any of these though. We wandered through the streets and window shopped (I’m not going in any shops until we get to Berlin however, because that and Paris is apparently the place to do so) but I was getting very tired and hungry. Then.. THEN I stepped in crap. Yes. I know. Oh lordy, I wanted to cry. I feel that Amsterdam does not like me so much. And it wasn’t coming off my shoe either. So we finally sat down at a little Italian place that had great pizza. We then walked to the hotel and Kathryn and I went to the courtyard and read while Mom and Dad kept walking. It is very pretty out in the courtyard, it seems as if it is modeled after Greece. Our hotel is really quite awesome, it’s an old house and it winds around courtyards and you go up and down steps and around, it’s all quite interesting. It is actually quite creepy though, as it reminds me of what I think Anne Frank’s house should look like and that there are bad things hidden in here somewhere. But I like it. The bed in my sister and I’s room is in a little alcove over looking the sitting room. The steps are quite steep and it takes awhile to move up and down. But the floors in the bathroom are heated so it is quite nice.

But we had a bird’s eye view of the canal, so we just sat and watched all of the float boats go by. It was quite entertaining.