I didn't arrive until about 12:45pm and my first impression stepping out the train station was pure amazement. If you have been there, I'm sure you felt the same way. There are these impressive buildings all over and then all of the canals stemming from the Centraal Station. Oh, and the smell of marijuana all over the place was also a bit of a shock to the senses. What also impressed me was the fact that there weren't any signs telling me where the heck to go. So, I found a service that drives you near all of the major attractions and for a very small fee they will drop you off and pick you up as they drive along the path (like a bus, but less crowded and more flexible regarding where to stop).
So, I got dropped off about a block from the Anne Frank House, the major thing I wanted to see in Amsterdam. I met a couple from Minnesota and a woman from Wales. 
The four of us had a nice chat outside in the line before we went in, but we all went our separate ways once inside. Everyone I had talked to about Amsterdam said that the museum was the thing to see. And they were right.
The artifacts they had and the way they presented them were very moving, in fact I got teary a couple of times. It was very emotional and I don't think that was just from the jet lag. ;) I was able to send a virtual message to two people, so I sent one to Adam and one to my mom. It was kind-of cheesy because I didn't know what to say and I was in a room full of other people while I was doing it.
Next stop, I requested on my driving route was the Van Gogh museum, simply because I knew it was by the Rijksmuseum, but I had no idea how to pronounce the name and didn't want to screw it up. Instead of going in the museums (even though I wished I could have but didn't due to time constraints) I chose to go on a boat tour of the canals. I was sad I couldn't see the museums, but it was such a nice sunny day, I thought the boat ride would be more fun. It was very relaxing to go around and see all of the beautiful bridges and houses. They even pointed out the smallest house in Amsterdam, which was three stories tall, but only as wide as the front door.
After I was on the boat for a while, I got antsy to wander around some more, so I got off at an early stop near Centraal Station and headed in a different direction. The tour was going to go past the area I had already been to, so I figured I would spend the time exploring more on my own. So, I wandered around for quite some time trying to find...what else but the Red Light District. It wasn't as easy to find as I had expected. I kept walking in different directions and finding interesting things, but obviously not what I had in mind. So, after wandering for a bit through the shopping area of town (which I found enjoyable to walk through anyway) a couple stopped me and asked for directions. Someone overheard me tell them that I had no clue where we were and I couldn't find the Red Light District and he pointed me in the right direction.
On my way to my destination I stumbled across the Dam Square, which was not really publicized but incredibly beautiful. The open square is surrounded by Nieuwe Kerk and St. Nicholas (beautiful churches), Koninklijk Paleis (the Town Hall), Madame Tussauds Wax Museum and the National Monument (which is basically a stone fallic symbol with lions in front of it). To think I had almost missed this on my search for the seedy neighborhood.
Next stop, I requested on my driving route was the Van Gogh museum, simply because I knew it was by the Rijksmuseum, but I had no idea how to pronounce the name and didn't want to screw it up. Instead of going in the museums (even though I wished I could have but didn't due to time constraints) I chose to go on a boat tour of the canals. I was sad I couldn't see the museums, but it was such a nice sunny day, I thought the boat ride would be more fun. It was very relaxing to go around and see all of the beautiful bridges and houses. They even pointed out the smallest house in Amsterdam, which was three stories tall, but only as wide as the front door.
After I was on the boat for a while, I got antsy to wander around some more, so I got off at an early stop near Centraal Station and headed in a different direction. The tour was going to go past the area I had already been to, so I figured I would spend the time exploring more on my own. So, I wandered around for quite some time trying to find...what else but the Red Light District. It wasn't as easy to find as I had expected. I kept walking in different directions and finding interesting things, but obviously not what I had in mind. So, after wandering for a bit through the shopping area of town (which I found enjoyable to walk through anyway) a couple stopped me and asked for directions. Someone overheard me tell them that I had no clue where we were and I couldn't find the Red Light District and he pointed me in the right direction.
On my way to my destination I stumbled across the Dam Square, which was not really publicized but incredibly beautiful. The open square is surrounded by Nieuwe Kerk and St. Nicholas (beautiful churches), Koninklijk Paleis (the Town Hall), Madame Tussauds Wax Museum and the National Monument (which is basically a stone fallic symbol with lions in front of it). To think I had almost missed this on my search for the seedy neighborhood.
Surprisingly enough, the Red Light District is only two short blocks from the Dam Square. Who would have thought? 
The area wasn't at all what I expected. I guess I figured it would be like a Vegas area WAY off the strip, with tons of neon and trash on the street. First of all, most of the buildings in the area look exactly like the beautiful ones in the rest of Amsterdam, the only difference is that they have red curtains on the windows and some are open with scantily clad women in them. 
I also pictured the women to be more like strippers, but most of them sat in the window either looking bored or even talking on their cell phones. I guess 4:30pm isn't a peak business hour for them, but I actually just felt sorry for them sitting there knowing no one was really interested in them for their professional purpose. I am sure that at night, it is a different story, though. The other thing that was so strange was that the businesses didn't look out of place among the beauty of the canals. I wasn't put off or disgusted by the atmosphere at all. There were enough pretty things to see to balance something very raw and in your face.
So, along the way back to the train station (which was not that far away, after all) I picked up a few souveniers and headed back to Helga's. We were originally going to meet at Den Haag (the Hague) but since I got such a late start to my day and the time in Amsterdam flew quickly we were not able to go there. It would have been nice because that is where the International Court of Justice is located, but I saw hookers instead. ;)
One thing you should all know is that I found a lot of coffee houses along my wanderings, however I was too intimidated to go inside any of them. I had heard plenty of stories of the goodies inside, however, I decided that by myself in a country where I didn't speak the language, it probably would not have been the best idea to mix legal marijuana with that equation. I know, I know, I must be getting smarter in my old age. Next time I come here, I will just have to bring a friend. ;)
Anyway, right now I am waiting for Helga to get home. She had a dance class tonight which I told her not to skip because I was here. Bernard is DJing at a party in Rotterdam later tonight, so we are going to go for a bit, so I figured that I needed to rest up. I think I will try to call Adam at work and surprise him...I hope he answers. That is it for now. Tomorrow, I am off to Frankfurt to fly to Croatia! Hopefully things will continue to go as well as they have on the next leg of my journey. Keep the comments coming, I love reading them!
So, along the way back to the train station (which was not that far away, after all) I picked up a few souveniers and headed back to Helga's. We were originally going to meet at Den Haag (the Hague) but since I got such a late start to my day and the time in Amsterdam flew quickly we were not able to go there. It would have been nice because that is where the International Court of Justice is located, but I saw hookers instead. ;)
One thing you should all know is that I found a lot of coffee houses along my wanderings, however I was too intimidated to go inside any of them. I had heard plenty of stories of the goodies inside, however, I decided that by myself in a country where I didn't speak the language, it probably would not have been the best idea to mix legal marijuana with that equation. I know, I know, I must be getting smarter in my old age. Next time I come here, I will just have to bring a friend. ;)
Anyway, right now I am waiting for Helga to get home. She had a dance class tonight which I told her not to skip because I was here. Bernard is DJing at a party in Rotterdam later tonight, so we are going to go for a bit, so I figured that I needed to rest up. I think I will try to call Adam at work and surprise him...I hope he answers. That is it for now. Tomorrow, I am off to Frankfurt to fly to Croatia! Hopefully things will continue to go as well as they have on the next leg of my journey. Keep the comments coming, I love reading them!
2 comments:
Don't feel bad about shortening your 4th day. It is typical to feel more jet lag and not sleep perfectly on that fourth day. I have seen skaters skate like they were on peanut butter instead of ice on day 4 of a distant trip.
You should feel more normal tomorrow which is good since you have so many trains to catch. Just look at it as some more things to see in Amsterdam some day. I thought about mentioning day 4 to you ahead of time but decided not to in case you did avoid those problems.
OMG OMG, Pick me pick me, I'll go into the coffee shops with ya...then again, because of my coffee addiction I'd probably be more interested in that then the other special treats ;)
And seeing hookers is always fun, I mean come on, who's more fun to hang out with hookers or lawyers...I saw hookers.
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