So this was a bit of an on the whim trip….
And no, it’s not what you think. I didn’t go to Amsterdam to, you know….
Anywho, if you read my last post, my mission now is to travel and explore the world more and give the carnival hopping a slight rest. Amsterdam was the target this time around. Originally, I was supposed to be in Amsterdam for 26 hours but there was a mechanical delay on our plane and we had to wait about an hour and a half to fix that, then wait on the tarmac some additional time because of traffic. The flight was about seven and a half hours to the Nederlands. We left in the late evening and arrived in Amsterdam early afternoon.
My plan was to go straight to the hotel, drop off my bags and go straight exploring but I was exhausted and my phone needed to charge. My planned one hour nap, turned into three and I ended up leaving the hotel at around 3ish in the afternoon to go explore. The hotel front desk staff advised me on which train to take to get me to the shopping center and the touristy areas. First things, first I needed to get to Primark. Because, Choonks loves a Primark in every country.
The train system works very similar to that in Venice, using the honor system when paying. You purchase a tap card with value for a certain amount of rides or for 24 hours and on entering the train, tap your card on a reader to validate your payment. On disembarking, you tap your card again (I don’t know for what)
The trains are very clean and make me wish New York could be so spotless and quiet…. A girl could dream. I spent about two hours in Primark, doing absolute nonsense and buying a whole bunch of items I probably really didn’t need. Who needs 4 pairs of jeggings in assorted colors? Me….supposedly.
After leaving Primark, my plan was to go to the Heineken Experience to learn about the beer and taste it…etc etc but because of my late nap and pointless wandering in Primark, I missed the deadline for last customers. I believe the museum/exhibit ends at 7pm and takes last customers at 5:30. The other options on my list were to go to an ice bar but because it was already cold outside, I didn’t want to torture myself with going into the freezing cold. There was also a palace I wanted to visit but the only day it’s closed is Monday, the ironic day I decided to be around. So instead, I went to find an AMSTERDAM sign to do what most tourists do, take a picture with it.
Of course, I had to make quick friends with the nearest person, teach them how to work an Android, then come out with a bomb panoramic shot. After the picture with the Amsterdam sign, I decided to take a walk through the city. I came to a canal and noticed a boat tour company. Since it was getting late and I had nothing else to do, I decided to purchase a tour for an hour and a half throughout the city. Since I loved seeing Venice from the water, I figured Amsterdam might be just as interesting.
Sidenote: Amsterdam gives me a really interesting mix of Venice and Germany. I’m sure colonization has something to do with that.
The boat ride was a hour and a half long and is extremely beautiful to see at night. The city hosts an abundance of bridges, some with significant meaning to the city. The lights from the buildings and lamps give being in the water an almost magical feel. Some boats offer romantic dinner cruises and I’m sure with the right music and ambiance, the aura would be amazing.
The boat ride was interesting for the parts I could understand narrated by the Dutch captain. It got a little awkward though when we passed under some love bridge and all the couples kissed and I sat there looking around like…
After the boat tour was finished, I went to eat at the nearest food place which happened to be an Irish pub. I wish I could have found a Dutch restaurant to eat in but it was dark and being a city I didn’t know , I didn’t want to be out too late. After a GREAT dinner of fish and chips with some tasty Dutch beer named “Wieckse” in the Rosé flavor , I head back to the hotel.
I ended up getting lost, walking a good portion, thinking I remembered the way and being proven wrong by Google maps. I ended up getting on a train that skipped my stop and again, had to walk semi scared back to the hotel. (Thank God for Google Maps)
After getting in, I met up with a coworker who happened to be in Amsterdam as well and we spent the whole night talking. I definitely have to come back for a full on day of exploring of the city. I missed out on the Red Light District and so many other things that popped up in Google.
– Choonks ❤