AMSTERDAM, April 3, 2004 - When thinking back on the start
of this 26-day trip, I won't point to when the planes'
wheels touched down here. No, the start of this trip
began in a bar in the Chicago airport.
It was there that I met a couple from San Diego that
was also going to this most liberal of cities. See,
the bar in Chicago had a $10 minimum and the couple,
Jason and Jenny, had only purchased a few beers and
they had to buy something else.
"Wanna take a shot of Jager?" asked Jason, who has
wild, spiked blond hair and was wearing sunglasses in
the bar.
So over came three very large shots -- one for each of
us.
Fast forward to the Amsterdam airport after a long
flight.
I am aimlessly walking around the train platforms,
trying to guess which train takes me into the city. I
walk on to a train and there is Jason and Jenny.
Taking that coincidence as a sign, I decide that I am
going to stick with this couple because Jason has been
here five times and knows his way around.
After some much needed showers at the Globe Hostel,
the three of us meet in the hostel's bar and then out
to see the town.
The city is amazing and getting lost is a pleasure.
For hours after Jason and Jenny and I split up (they
said they needed naps after a visit to the Bulldog
Coffee shop) I strolled the narrow streets, stopping
for a beer with the locals when I needed a rest.
Everyone here speaks English and the dozen or so
people I asked for directions during the ramble were
very nice.
Since it was 2 a.m. Kentucky time when we landed, I
was very tired some ten hours later when I went to
sleep.
The hostel is a rather strange situation. There are
around eight other people in a large room. Some
20-somethings from New York who are staying in the
room spent most of the evening working on some scheme
to send weed back to America. They coated the
envelopes in soap to hide the smell and then promptly
spilled water all over the stack.
The city is not a good place to be lost in at night
since the liberal drug laws attracts and brings out
the worst in people.
So I was in early and woke up most of the people in my
room when I was the first one awake this morning.
I am writing from an Internet cafe near the Rembrandt
museum, which is where I am headed now.
I leave for Paris tomorrow morning and will write from
there.
I hope everyone is well.
Take care,
Brett
