Amsterdam, the Netherlands!

Amsterdam, Netherlands (pictures)

When people think of Amsterdam, a few things come to mind. To some, the first things to come to mind are windmills, fog, clogs, and really tall people. To others, the relaxed law system and outrageous nightlife might come to mind. No matter what comes to mind, I want you to do like the people of Amsterdam do, be tolerant, especially when reading my blog. I want to share what I found to be the real story of the city. Enjoy!

Getting to Amsterdam

One of the most traumatic travel experiences happened to me on my way to Amsterdam this past weekend. The story starts off like this: I bought a train ticket to Amsterdam for right around 19 Euros (both ways). The travel center employee has specific that I could get on any train I wanted to take on a certain day. I thought, “Great!” But, I never would have guessed what happened to me next. I jumped on a Thalys train right around seven thirty to Amsterdam. I sat down and waited for the ticket lady to come around, hoping that she wouldn’t so I could save a day on my eurail pass. Unfortunately, she came around and looked very hard at my ticket. She informed me that the ticket I had would not allow me to ride on the desired train. When the train stopped at the next stop, I was kicked off. Fortunately for me, the train stopped at Central Station. I hoped back on the metro and got back to Bruxelles- midi station. In a fit of rage, I ran up to the travel center desk again and asked why I was just kicked off the train. To the attendant’s surprise, the train company had given me the wrong ticket (which is why I had to pay the extra 19 Euros each way). The silver lining in this story is that I was refunded for the ticket since it was the company’s fault. I was directed to the right platform, and hoped on another train, which left exactly an hour after I had wanted to leave. The train ride went smoothly. I read while a few locals told stories to each other a few rows in front of me. I enjoyed my ride, and was very happy to have arrived in Amsterdam.

Day 1

The first morning, the group (Andrew, Brittany, Charlie, Thomas, and myself) had the energy and enthusiasm to take on the vibrant city. We got out of our hostel early without any real plan set in stone. Along the way, we decided to take the free walking tour. We met at the meeting point along with a sea of people and a few charismatic guides. The small city of people were split up into roughly four groups, all around 30 people. This was the start of a great day.

The first thing we did as a group was get a chance to meet our tour guide, Ryan King. Ryan is an Aussie who found his way to Amsterdam just recently. Nonetheless, Ryan spewed out detailed information about the city that locals probably did not even know. The best part about the entire tour was Ryan’s presence as a speaker. He spoke with great confidence, as well as having the craziest body language I have ever seen. For the first part of the tour, Ryan escorted us through the red light district, passed old churches, through Dutch music videos (I know it was a weird), as well as past the V.O.C. headquarters. Along the way, he told us stories about the legalization of some scandalous practices including prostitution and marijuana. He also talked a lot about the city, including the architecture, the canals, and the people. One of my favorite parts of the tour was the description of the architecture of the city. As many of you probably know. Most of Amsterdam sits below sea level. The ground that the city is built on was actually the sea floor, until the city was dammed up and channeled. The unfortunate circumstance to doing this is that the foundations of the buildings move around a lot. Almost all of the houses in the red light district are tilting forwards, backwards, or to one side. Another interesting point is that all of the houses have stairwells that look more like rock climbing walls. I couldn’t get a picture of them, but you can use your imagination. So, Even though the city is well known for its immoral practices, I would stress that there is much more to the city.

After an hour and a half of walking, talking, and shivering in the rain, the tour stopped at a place for some warm coffee. We all warmed ourselves up inside and enjoyed our coffee. We then set off for the other half of the tour. Ryan took us through small streets, over wide bridges, and past some unique landmarks. He stopped us at the Anne Frank house, squat houses, the smallest house in Amsterdam, the coffee shop where Matt Damon and George Clooney go to in the movie “Ocean’s Twelve”, and then finally a restaurant for a late lunch. The tour was a great experience. Ryan told us some funny stories about the wacky laws in Amsterdam. In one story, Ryan told us how bike theft is one of the most common felonies in Amsterdam. The law (as stated by Ryan) is that if you are caught stealing a bike, you can go to jail. BUT, if the thief throws the bike in the water, there is no penalty…Ryan also told a story about his friends throwing a car into the canal, but that is neither here nor there, haha. All in all, the walking tour was an experience that I will never forget. We liked it so much we actually took another tour with Ryan after dinner, strictly on the red light district.

The night tour was much more scandalous, yet I still would advise everyone to take it. There is a lot to be learned about the city and its questionable practices. For one, there is a lot of interesting history behind the city. One thing that I found to be true about the city is that it felt like the safest city I have been to in Europe (except from the biking tourist…They will hit you if you do not move!). Everyone seems to mind their own business, and is very patient when you ask them for help.

I got the chance to meet a very interesting individual during my stay in Amsterdam; his name was Christopher Sturman. He attended both of the tours with his enthusiastic wife. The two of them gave me incredible insight on Europe, business, and life in general. I appreciated all of the wisdom they passed onto me, and I hope that I get the chance to see them again.

Day 2

The following day, the group went to the Heineken Experience, the Van Gogh Museum, and the Ann Frank House. The Heineken Experience was the one thing we did that stood out the most in our minds. The entire tour lasted about two hours, but felt like fifteen minutes. We enjoyed reading the rise of the company due to the cunning entrepreneurs of the Heineken family, as well as an interactive video on how beer is produced. We were able to watch old commercials from Heineken, as well as learn how to pour the perfect glass of beer. After the Heineken Experience, we went to the Van Gogh Museum. It was really interesting to see many of the legend’s works of art. It was also interesting how the museum used his art as points of interest in Van Gogh’s life. His paintings are more like chapters in his autobiography. You could tell a change in his style, as he got older. I believe that I would not appreciate his work as much as I do today if I did not go to the museum. And finally, we went to the Anne Frank House. The house was both an adventure but also a nightmare. It was so interesting to see where the author of the book I learned to love in the sixth grade lived while she was writing. But, it was also a tragic recall of how terrible the Holocaust really was. The apartment that the Frank’s hid in was surprisingly big. There were at least three levels, with plenty of space for all of them to have their own privacy. Yet, it must have been awful living there because they were not able to enjoy the luxuries of light, windows, and most of all freedom. In the end, we all came out feeling a little down, but we were all very moved by the experience.

As I close, I want everyone to know that Amsterdam is a unique place for its culture. It has seen a lot of troubles as well as a lot of exciting things. I felt like the city had more to offer, but I did not have enough time. This is the second city in my trip to Europe that I would definitely visit again.

Thanks for all the comments and emails from you all! They inspire me to do more, and to learn more!

Amsterdam, Netherlands (pictures)