It's been almost 4 months since we sold almost everything we owned, packed our remaining belongings into a single pack each and left the safety and comfort of New Zealand to see the wonders of the world. Since then we have travelled through Italy, France, and Belgium, therefore as you can imagine when we stumbled into Amsterdam on the last train of the night I was exhausted.
Amsterdam is like no other city I have been to; it's diverse in culture, a real cosmopolitan city. I staggered off the train under the weight of my pack only to suck in a deep breath of marijuana. Surprised I looked over to see an elderly man with the biggest joint I had ever seen. "Welcome to Amsterdam" I laughed to myself as we wandered out of the central station at about 1am in the morning on the mission of finding our hostel. Accommodation is available for all price points however I would recommend booking early, Amsterdam tends to draw people in for the weekend.
I will also point out here that the trams (there is no underground here) and busses run regularly till about 12.30 pm then they all but stop. A real catch for tourists used to a 24 hour lifestyle.
The next day, I got to see Amsterdam in all its glory. It's a beautiful city with many buildings hundreds of years old, that even more surprisingly somehow survived World War II. A good night's sleep had revived my strength and a desire to see more ensured breakfast was quickly inhaled. We where only in Amsterdam for a few days and there is plenty to do. Amsterdam is a great tourist city; communication is easy - the locals, all speak superb English (They seem to love American TV) what ever the reason, they are proud of their ability to speak English and take any opportunity to practice.
Over the next few days we where on a mission to see as much of the city as possible; each site visited left us with a desire to see more. Being from New Zealand (a country surrounded by water) it was incredibly enjoyable to just wander - often aimlessly up and down the cannels looking at the boats and enjoying the serenity. We would stop at cafes and drink beer while sitting in the chairs on the cannels edges. I could have done this for days . . . A tip would be to hire bikes for the day; you will see much more of the city this way. Before getting engulfed in the culture available (like the Rijks Museum) I would suggest spending an entire day looking around, the bridges, boats, buildings and cannels deserve the time to be enjoyed after all its what makes Amsterdam world famous.
What's amazing about this city is almost anywhere you wish to go you can get to by boat. It’s designed in blocks similar to New York, but instead of roads you have cannels. This is because the entire city is below water level (hence no underground train system). It is defiantly worth taking the time to get a cannel cruise around the city, you can hop on and off at different places as you desire we got off outside the Anne Frank House and then again at the Rijks Museum. Make sure that you see the port - it is incredible, the size and structure of it all boggles' the mind. For centuries the Dutch used to be the biggest traders in Europe (Dutch East India Company) so have had the time to perfect the ports in Amsterdam and Rotterdam
The Anne Frank House tells an incredible story of a family of Jews hiding from the Nazis during there occupation of Amsterdam in World War II. An experience like this makes you realize how easy we have life these days. You need to get there early, or else you will queue. There will be people not just outside but all around this humbling experience. The area in which they lived is small and it can get very crowded in busy times.
If you didn't come by train swing by the central station it's a huge and magnificent building on the edge of the port and intricately designed.
It's true what some say about Amsterdam being built on drugs and sex. The red light district is a definite must. In the evenings you wander down an exquisite cannel surrounded by buildings hundreds of years old, in each window is a girl dressed only in lingerie and it brings a new meaning to the saying ‘window shopping’. Don't be embarrassed by the experience, what amazed me was how normal it was to the Dutch people, in fact to everyone there. I saw elderly couples wandering through the crowd walking their dogs; I imagine they do it every night. I will warn you however that it is not acceptable to take pictures of the girls; if you attempt to someone will appear from the crowd and throw your camera in the cannel.
Finally, while in this area of Amsterdam as you walk down the narrow streets listen for the whispers that will come from the shadows – the walls really talk here. These are drug dealers trying to sell their products; it's possible to buy anything you like if you listen hard enough. The Coffee shops are another experience, it's legal to buy marijuana here and it is everywhere. Buying such products in a shop legally over the counter is an obscure experience; a dream for most world wide marijuana connoisseurs though, no doubt.
Running low on time we attempted to also see as many museums as possible, with so many in Amsterdam it was always going to be a stretch. Not being a huge art or culture fan I was surprised by the incredible amount of diverse works on display and how much I actually enjoyed them. Even if you’re not big on the arts at least try either the Rembrandt House or the Van Gogh Museum, I am confident you will find it worthwhile.
Amsterdam is alive and buzzing, the cultures and relaxed attitude had me in ore. It is a must see if in Europe. The experience of the red light district and coffee shops is a must. I can't imagine anywhere else in the world like this. The Dutch have embraced an underbelly of human culture and made it an acceptable . . . if not actually respected. The Dutch have incredible acceptance of diversity and the ability to celebrate such brilliance like Van Gogh, or Rembrandt, no matter your taste you will find something about Amsterdam you will enjoy.
Amsterdam is like no other city I have been to; it's diverse in culture, a real cosmopolitan city. I staggered off the train under the weight of my pack only to suck in a deep breath of marijuana. Surprised I looked over to see an elderly man with the biggest joint I had ever seen. "Welcome to Amsterdam" I laughed to myself as we wandered out of the central station at about 1am in the morning on the mission of finding our hostel. Accommodation is available for all price points however I would recommend booking early, Amsterdam tends to draw people in for the weekend.
I will also point out here that the trams (there is no underground here) and busses run regularly till about 12.30 pm then they all but stop. A real catch for tourists used to a 24 hour lifestyle.The next day, I got to see Amsterdam in all its glory. It's a beautiful city with many buildings hundreds of years old, that even more surprisingly somehow survived World War II. A good night's sleep had revived my strength and a desire to see more ensured breakfast was quickly inhaled. We where only in Amsterdam for a few days and there is plenty to do. Amsterdam is a great tourist city; communication is easy - the locals, all speak superb English (They seem to love American TV) what ever the reason, they are proud of their ability to speak English and take any opportunity to practice.
Over the next few days we where on a mission to see as much of the city as possible; each site visited left us with a desire to see more. Being from New Zealand (a country surrounded by water) it was incredibly enjoyable to just wander - often aimlessly up and down the cannels looking at the boats and enjoying the serenity. We would stop at cafes and drink beer while sitting in the chairs on the cannels edges. I could have done this for days . . . A tip would be to hire bikes for the day; you will see much more of the city this way. Before getting engulfed in the culture available (like the Rijks Museum) I would suggest spending an entire day looking around, the bridges, boats, buildings and cannels deserve the time to be enjoyed after all its what makes Amsterdam world famous.
What's amazing about this city is almost anywhere you wish to go you can get to by boat. It’s designed in blocks similar to New York, but instead of roads you have cannels. This is because the entire city is below water level (hence no underground train system). It is defiantly worth taking the time to get a cannel cruise around the city, you can hop on and off at different places as you desire we got off outside the Anne Frank House and then again at the Rijks Museum. Make sure that you see the port - it is incredible, the size and structure of it all boggles' the mind. For centuries the Dutch used to be the biggest traders in Europe (Dutch East India Company) so have had the time to perfect the ports in Amsterdam and RotterdamThe Anne Frank House tells an incredible story of a family of Jews hiding from the Nazis during there occupation of Amsterdam in World War II. An experience like this makes you realize how easy we have life these days. You need to get there early, or else you will queue. There will be people not just outside but all around this humbling experience. The area in which they lived is small and it can get very crowded in busy times.
If you didn't come by train swing by the central station it's a huge and magnificent building on the edge of the port and intricately designed.
It's true what some say about Amsterdam being built on drugs and sex. The red light district is a definite must. In the evenings you wander down an exquisite cannel surrounded by buildings hundreds of years old, in each window is a girl dressed only in lingerie and it brings a new meaning to the saying ‘window shopping’. Don't be embarrassed by the experience, what amazed me was how normal it was to the Dutch people, in fact to everyone there. I saw elderly couples wandering through the crowd walking their dogs; I imagine they do it every night. I will warn you however that it is not acceptable to take pictures of the girls; if you attempt to someone will appear from the crowd and throw your camera in the cannel.
Finally, while in this area of Amsterdam as you walk down the narrow streets listen for the whispers that will come from the shadows – the walls really talk here. These are drug dealers trying to sell their products; it's possible to buy anything you like if you listen hard enough. The Coffee shops are another experience, it's legal to buy marijuana here and it is everywhere. Buying such products in a shop legally over the counter is an obscure experience; a dream for most world wide marijuana connoisseurs though, no doubt.Running low on time we attempted to also see as many museums as possible, with so many in Amsterdam it was always going to be a stretch. Not being a huge art or culture fan I was surprised by the incredible amount of diverse works on display and how much I actually enjoyed them. Even if you’re not big on the arts at least try either the Rembrandt House or the Van Gogh Museum, I am confident you will find it worthwhile.
Amsterdam is alive and buzzing, the cultures and relaxed attitude had me in ore. It is a must see if in Europe. The experience of the red light district and coffee shops is a must. I can't imagine anywhere else in the world like this. The Dutch have embraced an underbelly of human culture and made it an acceptable . . . if not actually respected. The Dutch have incredible acceptance of diversity and the ability to celebrate such brilliance like Van Gogh, or Rembrandt, no matter your taste you will find something about Amsterdam you will enjoy.
