Amsterdam

Ever since I found out I would be living in Germany for a year, I made it my goal to go to Amsterdam just once. Who doesn't want to go to Amsterdam? You don't even need to partake in the craziness to enjoy it...simply witnessing the craziness was enough for me. Well I finally got my wish. I went to Amsterdam the weekend before my 24th birthday as a early celebration of sorts. It was great. Three friends and I decided to rent an apartment for three nights instead of getting a hostel because hostels can be expensive in Amsterdam. If you can get enough friends to come with, renting an apartment for the weekend can be just as affordable as getting a hostel. *Disclaimer* As it is an important and interesting part of Amsterdam's past and present, I DO mention prostitutes in this post but don't worry, no pictures and no personal experience on my part.

Our apartment was the perfect size with everything we needed. It had a bed big enough for two people to share, a fold out couch, and a fold away bed. So nobody had to sleep on the floor. I took the fold away bed...it was the most comfortable bed I have ever slept on. I tried to figure out a way I could fold it up and take it with me but it was just too big. The name of the apartment was Plancius Bed and Breakfast. I highly recommend it if you are in Amsterdam and have at least four people. It is within walking distance of everything but away from all the craziness on a quiet little street.

We made every breakfast and dinner we ate to save money...plus we had some great cooks on the trip. I let them cook and then I washed all the dishes as my part.

Self timer semi-success. We christened the apartment by having a glass of wine.

The first day we explored the city on our own and the second day we took the SANDEMANs New Europe free tour. Both days allowed us to get some great pictures.

Group photo.

Just ridin' the tram.

You have to take a picture in a giant clog when in Amsterdam. 

Holland is now officially the tallest country in the world...they have the tallest people on average. This is ironic because their houses are also very tall and narrow. Space was expensive in Amsterdam so people built up. Because the houses are so tall and narrow the stair cases are frighteningly narrow and steep...I wonder how all those tall people get up and down the stairs. The houses are also built on a slant and usually have a hook on the very top. This is because people wanted to store their goods in their attics but their doors and staircases were too narrow to carry stuff to the attic. To remedy this, the people built pulley systems at the top of their houses. The forward tilt of the house was to prevent the heavy goods from hitting the house and wrecking it...afterwards, the people realized that they could have just built the pulley further away from the house. Oh well, it is cool to see tilting houses.

Do you see the hooks at the top?

We found the "I AMsterdam" sign! Dogs be playin' in the water behind me.

Group shot on the "S" and "T"!

Magdebruderly love. If you don't get it...you never will.

Dam Square is where it is at. It is basically the center of the city where everything goes on and where people just chill out.

The National Monument of Amsterdam. It is a WWII memorial and is located in Dam Square.

This is a church in the middle of the Red Light District. This is no coincidence. I would call it a symbiotic relationship. The prostitutes did not have modern technology way back when to tell time so they needed the church's bells (which rang every 15 minutes) within earshot so that they could time their sessions. The church also made lots of money by being in this location because men would immediately buy indulgences after their shack-ups with prostitutes so that they would not go to Hell. So it was a win win for both. Our tour guide told us that the oldest prostitute in Amsterdam is 83 years old...and she has a 2 week waiting list. Crazy! No pictures of prostitutes for a couple of reasons. A) Why would I want a picture of a prostitute? and B) If the prostitute sees you taking a picture of them they will open their door and will try to break your camera or they will throw a cup of pee at you.

Amsterdam is great. Normally in Europe there is no way to go to the bathroom for free but Amsterdam has these outside stalls. No running water but still awesome if you really have to go. Sorry ladies, there is not a women's version.

We got to see Anne Frank's house...the line went around the block so we opted to just walk by it.

I almost forgot to mention that our apartment had a balcony and we could see our neighbors balcony...they had the creepiest looking cat ever. It's yellow eyes would burn a hole in your soul if you dare make eye contact with it for more than 10 seconds.

Look away!

In Amsterdam you will see XXX on flags, coat of arms, and in many other places. At first, you would think that the triple X is very obvious. It's because of all he sex, porn, and drugs that the city represents right? The answer is yes and no. The triple X's origins are much older than people think. It's origins are not 100% known but you can hear a bunch of stories as to it's origins but one thing is for sure...it is an old symbol. One of the stories I heard was that it was the three crosses of St. Andrew. St. Andrew was a 1st century AD fisherman who was apparently crucified on an X-shaped cross. There are other stories as well but the modern meaning has, of course, become that of all the "naughtiness" that Amsterdam represents. And no, it does not represent the horrible movie XXX that Vin Diesel starred in. Even Amsterdam wouldn't be associated with that.

We knew it would probably be lame but you can't go to Amsterdam without doing a canal tour. Amsterdam's canals are famous and you need to ride around in a boat in them. The water is terribly dirty so Lord help anyone who falls in. We also learned that about one car per week falls into the canals even though there are curbs and guards along the canal. Haha silly drivers.

I was amazed by the number of Bicycles when I arrived in Germany but Germany has nothing on the number of bikes in Amsterdam. It is a little unbelievable how many bikes and bike riders there are in Amsterdam especially with all the tourists and narrow streets. The traffic is also a bit crazy so I got the feeling that riding your bike in Amsterdam was just a little bit dangerous. Not something I would want to do. The riders themselves are also very aggressive when they are on their bikes. They will call you names and even run into you if you get in their way.

And, of course, we had to partake just a little bit in the local night life.

Uncle Sam Wants You...To Dance!

So children, the moral of the story is go to Amsterdam. It is fun, beautiful, and interesting plain and simple. Do it!