Amsterdam

Our travels to Amsterdam did not go very well...it was am extremely stressful morning. We walked all the way down to the square near the London Government buildings at 4:30am, only to miss our bus to the airport. The receptionist hadn´t mentioned that we actually had to be on the other side of the square to catch it!! She had also told us that the underground Tube didn´t run until 6 am...which was why we were taking the bus to begin with. Good thing we went and checked the tube anyways, becasue at 5:30am it was running!!! Thankfully, we got back on sceduale and made it to the airport just in time (although we were running to the gate!)

Our hostel, the legendary Flying Pig Dowtown, was located on Nieuwendiijk street just a short walk from the train station. The street was packed with tourists and locals alike shopping at trendy shops or hip cafes that lined the street. I was amazed at how busy it was in Amsterdam, although you could take one step off the main streets into a side alley and be completly alone. In order to cut costs we shared a queen size bed in a pretty average room, which happily was void of any mystery smells. I believe the attraction to this hostel for many was not the rooms or the bad breakfast, I think it was the smoking room. Upon arrival, we were given our keys and told that the smoking room was a hangout for all guests where anything could be smoked!! I noticed that many people sat there for most of the day socializing and smoking, not seeming to move much. We, on the other hand, were too busy exploring the beautiful city all day, there never really seemed like much time to just sit.

Our first day was spent truly like the Dutch...on a bicycle. We rented a couple couple bikes from a company called Yellow Bikes for a nice price of 10€ for 24 hours! We spent the entire day free of maps or watches and just biked. We explored every alley and canal, ate at some beautiful cafes along the water, and chowed down on chocolate dipped cookies! I have one word for our biking experience...Radical!! For the most part, you are completly alone while pedaling through the alleys and little roads, but once you hit a main street it´s insane! At one point, we were merging into a little lane with several other cyclists, a horse, an ATV and pedestrians! I would definitly recommend cycling through Amsterdam as it is truly the best way to experience Dutch life. Bikes seem to be a way of life in Amsterdam, people do all their daily activities on them. People were on cellphones, nursing children, eating, carrying bags of groceries, carrying trees, and we even seen bikes piled up with three children! You could honestly spend half a day just sitting and watching the lively streets go by! Amsterdam has the reputation of being this crazy party city, filled with Coffee shops and prostitutes, but so much of it was the complete opposite. Although there were coffee shops here and there, most of the city consisted of beautiful canals, cute little cobblestone streets, and small eateries. Everywhere you looked, it was beautiful and the entire time I was there I just couldn´t believe I was lucky enough to be somewhere so amazing.

That evening, we decided to head to the well known Red Light District! I didn´t really know what to expect before we went. I was imagining dark alleys, odd men lurking around, and women in suggestive clothing. I was very right, yet so wrong. There were dark alleys with women in suggestive clothing, but the people lurking around was what surprised me! It was like being in a lineup to see a cathedral or a monument. Families were lined up waiting to see the half naked women pressed up against the glass, crossing off the alleys they had visited on their maps, making sure not to miss one. We did see a couple customers enter and exit the rooms, and a young teenager get yelled at by a few working girls for taking pictures, but for the most part it was just another tourist attraction. As much as it was a tourist attraction, it was so odd at the same time to see women be put on display like shoes in a department store. I suppose it is the best way to deal with prostitution, as it is going to happen one way or another. However you look at it though, it is very odd, almost uncomfortable. My biggest question is though, would you really bring your 8 year old daughter to the Red Light District?

Our second day in Amsterdam was spent walking around the city and exploring some interesting museums. Our first stop was to the Exotic Museum in the Red Light District, which was a great laugh and worth checking out for 7€. The second museum was to the Sex museum, located a few blocks down for 4€. They were filled with antique porn, paintings, and the history of sex. It was definitly a nice break from the usual museums! As long as you go in with an open mind, you will have lots of fun!

Our last day was not spent in Amsterdam, we decided last minute to take a train out to a small village called Zaanse Schans! Within only 40 minutes or so, we reached the most beautiful little dutch Village. There was only one little road going through the town, where you could find an antique grocery store, a couple restaurants and some markets. We got to go and sample fresh cheese made in the village and watch wooden clogs be made! We stopped for lunch at one of the restaurants and I had the most amazing sandwich...Roasted chicken with truffle mayonnaise and bacon on ciabatta! Later we just sat on some grass and admired the beautiful scenery. There were bright green fields surrounding the little village dotted with goats and windmills..could it get any better? I am so happy that we ventured to Zaanse Schans, so we could experience the true Dutch lifestyle.

Amsterdam was probably one of my favourite cities so far that we have visited. There was so much diversity in the city! At times, the streets felt like absolute mahem with all the bikes, cars and pedestrians moving about, but the more you sit back and watch, the more you see that it just works. The coffeeshops and the Red Light District were definitly a once in a lifetime experience that I´m so glad I got to see, and the canals and streets were more beautiful then any postcard I have ever seen. I loved Amsterdam and I advise everyone to go there one day if you ever get the chance....it´s amazing!