Amsterdam

Trip Start Aug 08, 2007

Trip End Sep 05, 2007

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Where I stayed

Hotel Hans Brinker Amsterdam
(aka. Hans Brinker Budget Hotel)

(Amsterdam hotels)

Flag of Netherlands Amsterdam, Netherlands
Monday, August 13, 2007

This morning we took the hourly train to Amsterdam at 9:45. It is a three hour train ride and the train was nice and comfy. We arrived in Amsterdam and managed to use the tram system to find our hostel- the Hans Brinker Budget Hostel. This place was hilarious. Their theme is basically to poke fun at themselves for being a budget hostel by hanging posters that claim that the bacteria they provide you will be a healthy boost for your immune system, etc. They even sell Hans Brinker Budget Hostel wallpaper- advertising that you can make your home just like the Hans Brinker only without the funny smells. Everything was grafittied but when we got into the room it was actually very clean. We had to reserve a three bed room because all of the doubles were sold out and we had our own bathroom. I woke up this morning with a bunch of bites on me. I hope it wasn't bed bugs! We check all of the mattresses in our places diligently- it also could have been bugs from outside since none of the hostels are air conditioned and there are also no window screens! By this point Chris was feeling really sick so we headed out in search of medicine and some food. We found a pharmacy and walked along some beautiful canals with old homes along them and settled on an outdoor caf� with some cheap spaghetti (which we are finding to consistently be the only filling thing we can afford often times!) Chris was still very sick so we went back to our room for a little rest before deciding to check out the city via a boat tour through the canals and harbor. This was a great tour and a good value at about 10 euro for a one hour tour with commentary- they leave about every 15 minutes. Amsterdam is so beautiful! It was much prettier then I had ever expected- its reputation in the US being more dominated by its "liberal" thinking. After the tour we wanted to see the famous Anne Frank house- which they have turned into a museum. When we arrived, however, we found that the line was literally weaving all the way around the block- it looked like hours. You can but evening passes at a tourist information center which let you bypass the line but when we tried to do that they had been sold out for the evening. We decided to get dinner and then come back right before closing time at 9 and see how the line was then. This was a mistake- we should have known better based on our experience with the slow paced European service! We had soup and salad for dinner and it honestly took two and a half hours! By the time we went back to the museum they had let the last entry in. Oh well- off to the last touristy thing for the evening- the Red Light District! This place was insane. The District is a series of blocks along one of the canals featuring lots of pubs, "coffeehouses" where it is legal to smoke marijuana, and glass boxes housing girls in their underwear practicing the world's oldest profession. It is- as the name suggests- bathed in red lights. As you walk along the streets some girls tap on their glass and call out to you and there are just sitting in a chair with coffee and a cigarette looking very tired. We wanted to see the inside of one of these "coffeehouses" and just have a drink there for the exprience, but we soon discovered that they do not serve alcohol and allow marijuana in the same areas of the establishments. Soonafter, still in shock, we headed back to the Hans Brinker to get some rest before our early train the next morning. We had originally decided to spend only one day in Amsterdam on the recommendation a friend- but we think we may take a detour to come back later in our trip!