Alright so I am a little annoyed about writing this blog post because I was almost done and the whole thing deleted - yes I had saved it - so forgive me for lack of details and hilarity in this entry.
Holland is amazing! I have had nothing but good times since I have gotten here. I started off outside of Amsterdam, more in the country. I wanted to decompress for a couple of days. After my crazy weekend an a moth of studies I wanted some quiet time.
The hostel I stayed at was awesome. The rooms were campervans and cabins. Tere was a movie theatre and non-smoking lounge which were campervans as well. The biggest cabin was the smoking lounge - or as I like to all it the hotbox lounge. Lol it's very strange being in a country where smokin pot is legal. The breakfast area was a big old bus that had a little kitchen and outside patio area. There were ducks, mother and 10 little ducklings that waddled around the property. Tere were also the suck couple -I was told their names are Edward and Selina. Edward likes to talk he never stops quacking, he can even quack whispering and he does this as he follows Selina around. One morning she took off around the corner, it took a few seconds for Edward to realize she was gone but he did head in her direction. I thought to myself "maybe it's because you never shut up Edward."
I took a couple bike rides into the towns. It was great ...I sang a little song to myself "I'm riding a bike in Hollaaaaand!" Lol I know I know, but little things make me excited. There were even sheep grazing along the side of the path...awesome! thought I was gonna get honked at for riding my bike on the street when the bicycle path ended but the cars just go around you here. There are more bikes then people in Holland it's crazy.
After two days of wonderful relaxation I headed into Amsterdam! One of the guys who works at the hostel was heading into the city so he came with me to check in and drop of my stuff and then we headed out. We went for lunch and then he took me to a "coffee shop" which was nothing special, then we went to the movies where not only did I order popcorn but wine to go with it! Yup you can have a drink in the theatre...I love this country!!! Victor had to head back to the hostel so we said goodbye and I headed back to mine...of course getting lost and it had started raining.
I was annoyed when I got back to the hostel so I plopped myself down at the (hostel) bar and ordered a drink. I ended up meeting two Aussie guys which resulted in me joining them on the pub crawl. A few if the guys took off after the 3rd bar to go to the Red Light District, one came back to the hostel and got robbed. He was fine they didn't hurt him he was just pissed off ...not good. Oter than that everyone had a good night, I remember tearing it up on the dance floor ...oh god I am too old for that stuff. I had a blast though and it was worth it...even the hangover. Man was I hungover the next day...but that didn't stop me. I ended up befriending my roommate over breakfast and from then on he didn't have a choice lol.
We started off the day just wandering the streets of Amsterdam. When the sun came out we decided to rent a paddle boat and go through the canals. Who would've thought it could be soo much fun. We didn't stop laughing, especially when Ben asked me to steer and I ended up sending us in 360's. There was another paddle boat with four people in it...they roa right up to the Hard Rock Cafe patio and ordered beer...they were denied! So they lit a joint, haha! My legs were like Jello by the time we got off but it was well worth it and a great way to see te city. After that we went to the Hard Rock for lunch. Our waitress asked if we were a couple. We both said no but then I asked "do we get a discount if we are a couple because I could play couple if that's the case?" Then Ben piped up with "did we forget to mention we are on our honeymoon?" It didn't work...oh well.
After we finished our delicious fajitas we went to the Heineken Museum which was pretty cool and included free beer. I was exhausted when we got back to the hostel. I had a few drinks for Happy Hour and then hit the pillow as Ben was heading to the pub crawl.
The next morning I ha to drag Ben out of bed to go to the Anne Frank House. We waited just over an hour to get in but I didn't care...it was on my bucket list and I wasn't leaving without seeing it.
I found it emotional. I walked where she walked, stood in the room where she slept and all the pictures she had put up on the wall were still there and in tact. It was small for 8 people, and dark. The windows were covered in black, they had to live without light for so many years. There was an Attic where she could look out the window which you can see through a reflection in the mirror. I stood there staring at it a little overwhelmed with the thought that that window was her only connection to the outside world. We did have to rush because I had a friend picking me up at 12 noon but one of the reasons was a school group of about 30 kids. They ran around, screamed and laughed, no respect whatsoever. Ben and I concentrated on trying to stay ahead of them so I feel I didn't spend enough time, but it got to go which is the main thing.
We got back to the hostel just before noon. Ben went to nap and my very good friend Doofy was picking me up. He worked at the hostel I used to stay at in Cairns (Australia). I haven't seen him in two and a half years and knew he was back home in Holland. He took me for lunch to. Dutch Snack Bar where everything is deep fried, yum yum. Then I saw some windmills and we got to go inside a working one where they were making flour.
It was a lovely afternoon and am so glad I got to see Doofy again. It is always great meeting up with people you have met on your travels :).
Mine and Bens plan for the night was to head to the Red Light District. We wanted an easy night as it was Kings Day on Saturday. It's a celebration bigger than New Years and the first one as it is usually Queens Day.
The street parties had already started that night. Stages with performers, people dancing and getting drunk in the streets only gave us a glimpse of what was in store for us on Saturday.
The Red Light District was not what I had pictured. The windows and door ways had red lights but I always pictured screens in the window and the girls were in silhouette. Oh how I was surprised...none of that at all, they are just there in the windows, showing their goods. Each street seemed to have a different type of girl, matching any type that you crave. One row was amazingly attractive girls, I have never seen so many in one spot, and most looked no older than 21. I was so amazed with it that I scolded myself about being a "gawker" like all the male tourists but I couldn't help it. We saw these young kids on the corner, in a circle counting their money... Looked like they were gonna pool it together and one lucky candidate would get the hour of his life. Oh man I love this country.
KINGS DAY!!! WOW!!! I finally ended up celebrating a big party/festival and not missing it. This day was epic!!! We got dressed in our orange (as that is the Royal color) an se off for the Museum Plein. Where singers and dancers in a conga line were celebrating. We climbed up the M of the I Am Amsterdam sign, opened a can of beer (it was only 11am) an just enjoyed the surroundings, it was a great way to start the day. We wandered the streets where music pumped out of boats on the canal. The boats just littered the canal, there were so many of them, some guy even did a back flip off of one and into the canal, yuck. The streets were shoulder to shoulder, but every time you got to the corner there was a party with a DJ. We would leave the crowd, walk up the street hit another corner and the same thing. We sat in the park drinking beer, one of us eating a space cake -not me, and just had an awesome time hanging out. Kate (Bens friend) wanted to head back to her hostel for a nap so Ben and I wandered the streets and ended up at random street parties and danced up a storm! OMG! I was having the time of my life. I can not explain how happy I was! I was just having the best time. I staged Ben to the carnival do we could go on the spiny ride. The line for the ride is t monitored so everyone just runs to grab their seat. We missed it twice so when these two young girls tried to take it from is I was like "I don't think so you can wait!" They weren't happy but I didn't care. I couldn't stop laughing on the ride. Ben was trying to get us in a good spinning momentum, he was yelling at me over my laughter and the surrounding noise of the carnival. All I could hear was"oh...mie....legs ....you hve....em...now." Which made me laugh even harder...soo much fun. I was glad I didn't puke, we had been drinking beer all day and take out food haha...but I was fine, I was more than fine, I was amazing. We hit a few more street parties and then went to get Kate. I didn't go out with them. I decided that 830 was late enough for me. I know, I know, but I was coming down with a cold, I got caught in te rain twice once with Ben and we were like drowned rats when we got back. I hadn't been sleeping well because my bed has a crater the size of Mexico in it so I didn't want to kill myself. So I played responsible me and went to bed.
Now here I am, sick waiting to head to the Beach Hostel with Ben. I am skipping my flight to Vancouver and gonna extend my trip a bit longer. I am super stoked. We just booked our train tickets to Germany!!! Woohoo!!! But we are gonna have two relaxing days at the beach which is out of the city which is definitely needed after an epic 4 days in this Amazing city! I have probably had one of my best travel weeks here. I am so happy right now.
- My Beautiful Life -
