Amsterdam

The train ride to Amsterdam was a pretty interesting experience. We boarded the train in Paris and when the ticket counter came by we were informed that we were on the wrong train and that our train was just ahead. We started to get very worried and wondered if we could catch it at the next stop. The ticket puncher said it would not be a problem because it was attached to our train. So then we asked if we could just walk to our seats and they said no because it is a different train. We were very confused but at the first stop in Brussels we hopped off of the train, ran to the front, and hopped on the “other” train. It was lucky that we did this because as we pulled out of Brussels we left the back of the train behind.

The rest of the journey went very smoothly and we arrived in Amsterdam with no problems. The train station was fantastic and looked very different than the others we had been in. The interior was a large cavernous arch structure like so many others but the outside looked much more like a university or government building. It was a beautiful brick building with large clocks and spires covering the exterior.



From the train station we saw that it was just a short walk to our hostel and decided to begin the first portion of our tour on the way to our room. The weather was absolutely perfect with full sunshine and plenty of cool breezes coming off of the myriad of canals. The city is made up of thousands of tiny islands connected by canals and tiny streets. Unlike Venice, Amsterdam melds the streets and canals in perfect harmony and actually has room for trees along the canal banks.





The merchant roots of the city are evident in the abundance of canals but also in the architecture of the houses. Apparently when the city was first built the property taxes were based on the width of the front of the house so in order to save space the houses were built without staircases. This would have been a big deal if the inhabitants hadn’t been sailors because the people of Amsterdam just adapted their houses to be more like their ships. Every house is built with a crane sticking out of the roof to bring goods into the homes and the people just climbed ladders into their upper story windows much like climbing the mast of a ship.



Another unique aspect of these houses is that they are actually built at a slight angle leaning out over the street. They are built this way so that when hoisting something into a window it doesn’t bang against the side of the building. A story about leaning buildings in Amsterdam may sound like a side effect from the recreational activities offered in this city but it is actually true and I have photo evidence.



We made it to our hostel, threw our stuff down in the twenty person bunk room, and went back out for more sightseeing. Wandering around we found a little corner café sitting on one of the main canals and across from an old draw bridge. We stopped for a Heineken which was brewed just a few blocks away and a big cone of fries covered in mayonnaise. I love this town!



After our snack we walked past the Anne Frank house and into the main square. The city was full of all kinds of people. You could hear every language and see every kind of street performer. For dinner we stopped at a café that had seating on a bridge overlooking a canal and Mike and I both had our fill of huge cheeseburgers. We walked back to our hostel passing one of my favorite public utilities the outdoor urinal. I couldn’t believe my eyes!







We went back to the hostel and got ready as best we could for a night out in Amsterdam. Needless to say we were expecting to see any and everything and a little apprehensive about what really goes on in the red light district. We got to the main drag right around dark and it was already packed. The streets were full of people, mostly bachelor parties from the UK, and the windows were full of women soliciting their services. Party boats would come floating down the canals pumping loud music that barely drown out the shouts of the callers in front of the theaters. It was definitely a surreal scene and after a while got pretty overwhelming. We got to the end of the street and then went to a less seedy area to regroup. We decided to call it an early night and headed back to the hostel around 12. The route to our hostel took us back through the red light district and we found that it was surprisingly empty. Despite the activities in the area the police keep things very orderly and shut it down before anything can get out of hand. We made it back to the hostel and piled into our bunks to get ready for the long train trip to Berlin the next morning.

Our morning walk to the train station took us back through the red light district which surprisingly had “workers” in their windows at 9 AM. While Amsterdam may be known for prostitution and drug use these activities really only occur in an isolated portion of the town. The rest of the city is pristine and absolutely beautiful and I would recommend it as a must see to all travelers.