Amsterdam, Netherlands Aug. 16 - 20

The City of Canals, Bikes, and Museums...

Highlights:

a) Great Fries, b) Cool Canals, c) Interesting Window Shopping d) Windmills

Lowlights:

a) Lots of Garbage, b) Party Boats, c) Humidity

 

Tuesday August 16, 2005

It has been a rough trip getting here. First we discovered that there were problems with the booking of the Prinsenboat (Houseboat). Luckily we were double checking our accommodations before leaving Calgary. So we were able to sort it out in Orlando and arrive in Amsterdam with a place to stay. Leaving Orlando was easy to do. On the way to the airport, the radio announced that the temperature for the day was going to be 105F with the humidex factor. I knew it had been hot during our theme park treks but I didn’t realize that it was THAT HOT!

We flew to Amsterdam via Detroit and that was where our next snag occurred. At first we were feeling a little cocky because we got to sit in the first class lounge for Northwest Airlines. Brian upgraded to a platinum American Express card and it allows us to gain access to any lounge of a carrier with which we are flying. That will definitely be a bonus. However shortly after getting to the gate for take-off there was an announcement that repairs on the air conditioning unit in the plane were necessary and that we would be delayed for about 20 minutes. This wait of course became 2 hours. Finally we boarded the plane and backed out of the gate. However our excitement at leaving was quickly dashed when the pilot announced that a generator in one of the engines didn’t start and we had to pull back into the gate. There were a lot of nervous passengers crossing themselves at this point. It didn’t take long to fix this problem but then we had to wait on the runway for some paperwork to be finished before we could get going. About 2.5 hours after our original departure time, we were in the air and saying good-bye to North America.

Our cabin was filled with what appeared to be a large group of first time fliers from Spain. Unfortunately the collective IQ of the group would have struggled to exceed 7 as Brennan pointed out. What else can you say about people that decide it is a good time to stand up and take a stretch when you are accelerating down the runway for take-off? That was just the start of the adventure. We had another 7 hours with these folks. Other than the stranger than usual traveling companions, the kids loved the flight because once we were airborne they were able to select movies, music and games from their own television set mounted in the seatback in front of them. It made it an easy trip for us too. We arrived in Amsterdam about an hour late and were met by a pleasant taxi driver, Marcel Looyer. Unfortunately he had been waiting at the airport since our intended arrival of 6 am. It was a twisty, convoluted trip to get to the houseboat, so I’m glad that we didn’t have to figure it out.

The houseboat is a great little rustic, place so far. We’ll see if we get any sleep tonight; all of Amsterdam seems to be one giant party zone this week. The boat is located on Prinsengracht (canal) and as I am typing this entry many boats are sailing by us. It is very cool to be surrounded by all the tall canal row houses and other houseboats. The boat definitely has an Indonesian flavour to it. The door for the master bedroom is a carved wooden cut-out in the wall and Brennan has managed to walk into it a couple of times. He is just getting too tall. Not to single out just Brennan, Brian walked into as well.

Shortly after we arrived, the kids crashed for a couple of hours sleep. Before I got that luxury, I discovered that Brennan’s bottle of face wash had literally exploded during the flight and it was everywhere in the boys’ toiletry bag. It took a long time to wipe that slimy mess out of all the mesh and other nooks and crannies in the bag. As well it got inside Brian’s razor and the metal foil was broken. So we’ll have to try and find a cheap European razor for this part of the trip. Brian and I tried to stay up but the time zone changes got to us too. We ended up taking a short nap with the kids. The fridge in the boat was stocked with food for breakfast and a light lunch. So after a snack to fortify us, we were off walking the tiny, busy streets of Amsterdam. The kids were amazed at all the bicycles. They are the old fashioned, no gear kind from the 60’s. I was amazed at the size of the locks on all the bikes. I guess they disappear quickly if left unprotected. We quickly discovered that we had to keep our heads up when crossing any street or pathway. Those bikes zip along. Brian almost got hit a couple of times. We walked along the Amstel River through some of the older neighbourhoods. At one point, Brian decided to take us on a bit of a side trip. We were in the Red Light district experiencing an “alternative culture” when Brian decided to venture down one of the side alleys. And Voila…. behind red curtain number one sitting on her chair behind the plate glass window we have ….. Anyway Brian toured us away, and Brennan is not coming clean as to whether or not he was propositioned by any of the ladies, as we walked through the narrow streets. He was astounded by all the drug paraphernalia in the stores and the strong odours of drug use as we toured the area. There were even cannabis plants and seeds to purchase in the flower market as well as pot flavored lollipops. Sierra was just plain freaked in that district. She didn’t like the people, the smells, the garbage etc. I don’t blame her; it was crowded, loud and very different from what she is used to. As we were leaving the area, we saw and heard the loud whistles and yells coming from a very stoned middle aged man staggering down one of the main thoroughfares. It was quite the sight!

We also saw one of the royal palaces, several old churches and lots of shoppers in an incredibly busy commercial area. Dinner was at a fabulous Tibetan / Indonesian restaurant around the block from the boat. They are all over town and this one was terrific. Brennan was warned repeatedly about his selection and the consequences he would face tomorrow morning. It was rated as extremely spicy—even the Indonesian owner couldn’t eat it. Time will tell. Tomorrow we hit the streets and museums in earnest. Sierra can’t wait to see the Anne Frank House. ( NEXT PAGE )