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Amsterdam - Part 3
Written by: Meredith Daniels
Rainy days abound, sleep still awaits and a wild night is to be had
Day One, or is it Day Two --
Amsterdam
It was about 9 a.m. when we arrived in Amsterdam, only 10 hours later than our scheduled arrival. In need of showers and some sleep, our Holland guide, Bianca (who had been our tripmate all this time), was just as tired as we were and knew there was no way we were going to be able to take a bike tour through Amsterdam as the itinerary stated.
Instead, we settled into our hotel (just a short cab ride from Centraal Station), Ibis Amsterdam City Stopera on Valkenburgerstraat http://www.ibishotel.com. The room was small, but it was clean and had everything we needed. Plus, it had a great view of the canal, with boats and a colorful residential building across the way. The buffet breakfast at the hotel was also pretty good, with eggs and cheeses and yogurts and various bread choices. And, while I didn't get to experience the comfort of my bed right away, I was looking forward to hitting it later on.
So, it was off to Vondelpark, a beautiful, picturesque park named after the famous 17th-century Dutch poet, Joost van den Vondel. There's even a statue in the park of Vondel's likeness. As soon as we got to the park, we were greeted by our guide, Jona, as well as a downpour of rain. We were able to wait it out under a little overpass in the park. Jona was just as I had pictured a typical, Dutch woman - tall and pretty with glowing skin, light eyes and riding on an old-fashioned bicycle. (I guess I didn't realize how tall the Dutch really are because at 5 foot 7 inches, I felt a bit like a midget for the rest of the trip).
Jona was a volunteer with an organization called Like-A-Local. Other volunteers with this group would be escorting us on visits with Dutch natives, and to places a little less touristy and a little more where the real Dutch meet and play http://www.like-a-local.com. And just as a "real" sidenote - don't be surprised to find outdoor urinals in the heart of Amsterdam. And I thought Americans had no shame.
The rain would be off and on for the rest of the day and for the rest of our trip, but maybe that's why Amsterdam is so beautiful with its green, lush areas and its relaxed, cafe settings. It reminded me a bit of Seattle, actually, and I'd be drinking just as many daily lattes I'd soon find.
The first latte and lunch stop was a cafe in the park called Vertigo http://www.vertigo.nl. They had a nice, little menu with cute sandwiches, soups and salads. And if you don't mind pigeons (you are in a park after all), then they just add to the setting. As a native New Yorker, I was used to the dirty birds - although I must say they seemed a little cleaner and better groomed in Amsterdam, if that makes any sense. I think at this point we were all so comfortable just sitting and drinking lattes that we would have stayed at Vertigo for the rest of the day, but there was a lot more to see and do in 'Dam.
Anybody I've spoken with who has ever been to Amsterdam had mainly three things to say about it - the canals are beautiful, you must go to a coffee shop (and we're not talking about more lattes here), and you must see the Red Light District. I was about to experience the former as our temporary guide, Jona, left us with our new Like-A-Local guides, Flo and Walter. It was actually Walter's boat, that he built with his own two hands, in which we'd be taking our canal tour.
The rain had held off for virtually the whole ride and it was the perfect way to just sit back, listen to Flo talk about the many aspects of Amsterdam, take in the beautiful scenery and even have a glass of wine (doesn't get much better than this). We passed the many houseboats and cafes along the canals as well as the narrowest building in Amsterdam (and possibly the narrowest building I'd ever seen). The Dutch may be the tallest people in the world, but they are also quite thin, and many of their buildings, stairways and entrances would reflect their slim stature.
As our boat ride ended and we departed ways with Walter, it was time to visit with some more locals -- this time in a reverse canal house with a woman who treated us as if we were her regular guests. We'd met some really nice, friendly people thus far, who really wanted us to get the true sense of Amsterdam.
Not only did Hanneke let us take over her living room, but she provided us with hors d'oeuvres of various fish and vegetables as well as genever (a liquor made with juniper) and organic beer. Her cute, blond children (the boy in his superhero pajamas) were very good secondary hosts. We all chilled and had conversations about the places we should and would go, and then we left our new friends (Like-A-Local reps Marieke and Mindy also joined us) and moved on to our next adventure.
Still trekking along on reserve energy, I took a shower and dressed for our first night out in 'Dam. Everyone seemed to be pretty casual at the bars around Rembrandtplein and Leidesplein (Note: "plein" is to Dutch as "platz" is to German). By the way, once you get to know the tram system, it's a really good way to go, although I do admit to getting lost once while I was alone. But the city of Amsterdam is basically laid out in a circle and you can always find your way back to where you need to be.
On to the latter part of the statement I made earlier about the three things to know about Amsterdam. There are many coffee shops and you'll know the special ones because they will have some sort of symbol in the window indicating they don't just serve coffee. The menus of marijuana and hash break it down by strength and sensation. And you can get pre-rolled joints for what it would cost for a latte at Starbucks. Keep in mind the pre-rolled ones often contain tobacco.
Read Part 4
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