Utopia

Trip Start May 30, 2007

Trip End Aug 21, 2007

Loading Map

Map your own trip!

Map Options

Show trip route

Hide lines

Flag of Netherlands Amsterdam, Netherlands
Friday, August 3, 2007

I don't know what took me so long to come to the most beautiful place on earth. There is no other city in the world like this i imagine, and to begin to decribe how amazing this place is beyond my abilities. Let's start by its natural beauty, it is so beautiful, from the architecture, to the tree lined canals, to the houseboats and bicylces everywhere. Everyone here and everywhere else i have been, speak english, are quite attractive and are so nice and calm its amazing. The motto of amsterdam is something like do no harm onto others, and the rest is fair game. and yes, fair game is absolutely amazing way to live. yes i walked by the redlight district, and it is somewhat exiciting but by no means defines this town. Which i didnt mention earlier, unfortunately was so pervasive in my visits to vietnam and cambodia, where everyone i met eventually offered to take you to a massage parlour and to see girls. here no one flaunts its less virtuous side, as us puritan tainted westerners would see it

A guy bargaining; red light

. here, if you want to you do, again as long as you dont hurt anyone.

That being said, there are amazing museums here, churhces, palaces or royal homes, and most of all, simply beautfil buildings and lanscapes. yesterday we walked around for 11 hours, maybe went in to one or two museums, but the rest was just enjoying the people and scenery. we did do a acanal ride which was lovely.

ok, for all of you that know me, you can imagine that i have been beckoned home, here in amsterdam. the city lives up to its promises we here from a far, and the freedom is remarkably entrenched into the dutch culture. the have a word here, and its gellezich, or something like that that means live and l;et live a good vibe. and good vibes are what amsterdam is about. all you need to do is enter an establishment, get a menu, order what you wish, enjoy a refrfeshing diet coke or nice coffee, chat with folks, leave when yuo like and take your leftovers in a small containers which comes with your stick. after an entertaining 3-4 hour walk, you slip into another reputable establishment, order a coke and enjoy your leftovers or better yet, order a different flav. then you are on your way to more beauty, museums, excellent food until the next stop. for you early risers, these establishemnts open at 7am, not that i was there at this time

booths for hire

. anyway, it truly is to good to be true, and the peacefulness and kindness of the city makes you wonder how completely misdirected we are. anyway, today, we started our day at the anne frank house, a fair somber and sad visit, then went to the museum of amsterdam and the heiniken museum, and if we can make it to the van gogh musuem tooinught if not tomorrow.

this is pride week and there is a festival tonight near our place so we may just hangout, have some coffee and wathc the pride festivities.

oh, one more thing, the food here is phenomenal, our first night we had indonesian food that is called a rice table where you get rice, and 25 small plaTES OF some of the best spiciest food ever. try this after a white widow stick and you will be in another world. anyway we even had lunch duitch style, french fries with falvored mayonaises, again, read above, its all yummy.

Well, i can say that this is one city that eveyrone must visit, but i have felt that abvout every place ive been to. anyway, i cant post pics here but i will try later for both here and vienna.