Day 7: Amsterdam- Sunshine, Bikes, and Canals

After a surprisingly good night's sleep (surprising because of the crazy creakiness of the wooden floors and bunk beds, plus the sleep noises of 6 other girls, plus a few girls who left at 5 am), I packed all my things and had breakfast with Fiona and Lizzy. We said our goodbyes and they went with Laura and Georgie to ride bikes in the countryside for the day. I was jealous but also really looking forward to Amsterdam! I took a train to Gent, then Antwerp, which had a gorgeous train station. I was there for a little over an hour so I walked around outside a bit and got lunch at yet another fry stand.








After a few hours, I arrived in Amsterdam and went straight to my hostel, CocoMama. The hostel is absolutely adorable. Each room has a different Amsterdam-esque theme, there's a big comfy living room and dining area, kitchen for guests' use, free computers/Internet... And the best part: they upgraded me from a 4 person room to a 2 person room! Score! The theme of my room was Blue Delt, which is the flowery blue pattern you find on glassware all over Amsterdam. It's SO pretty... I love my bright sunny room, AND the private bathroom inside. No more walking through courtyards to showers for this girl (well, at least not in Amsterdam, anyway).











I got settled in and studied the Amsterdam map a little bit, then headed out for a walk. It had been raining for the past few days, but today was sunny skies! Amsterdam is a city built on canals, so you're constantly walking along the water. So pretty! Also, bikes are the primary mode of transport. They're everywhere, they rule the streets, and you sort of feel like a loser when walking... Or at least I did, anyway. But it's just incredible to see so many bikes parked everywhere, and some of them look like they've been chained to the same post for years. After I wandered around aimlessly for awhile, I went to Vondelpark, which is sort of like a smaller version of NYC's Central Park. The weather was gorgeous so there were tons of people hanging out there, having picnics, playing guitars, walking dogs, smoking pot... Yep, the smell of marijuana was definitely in the air. Most of the people at the park were in their twenties, I'd guess, and everyone just looked so happy and carefree (...maybe because of the pot? ha).











Next I went to Leidse Plein, which is a big bar and restaurant district. There's also an H&M store, which I was thankful for because I'd forgotten to
pack my black leggings and I knew I could find some cheap ones there. H&M is seriously all over the place in Europe! I think I mentioned that in one of my Paris posts... But I'm still amazed. It's like they're around every corner. Anyway, I found some super comfy leggings. Success! Then I went to a little Italian restaurant because their pizza looked delicious... And it was! Cheap too! I've been especially money-conscious here because Fiona and Lizzy warned me that Amsterdam is crazy expensive. So when I saw cheap pizza, I pounced! I'd already spent quite a bit of money getting my iAmsterdam card, which is a pass that gets you access to the Amsterdam museums and unlimited use of the public transportation for 24 hours. One great thing about Amsterdam is their train system. It's so easy to navigate and it's really user-friendly. Of all the places I've ever been, I'd say Amsterdam might be the most traveler-friendly... It's easy to find your way around, you can walk just about anywhere, and the people are super nice. Although I gotta say I was a little bit confused by the map at first. It's a city of canals, so a lot of the streets here run in a big circle and it's hard to keep track of which direction you're walking in.

After my pizza, I went back to the hostel expecting to stay in for the night. Down in the living room I met a Hawaiian guy named Bryce, and then my roommate- an Irish guy named Michael, and the three of us decided to go have a few Heinekens. But first the guys wanted to stop a a "coffeeshop." Background info for those who don't know... In Amsterdam, coffeeshops should probably be called marijuana shops instead. Smoking weed is tolerated here, and it's pretty prevalent (or at least the coffeeshops are pretty prevalent). I know a lot of Americans come here and take a "when in Rome" attitude about it, but I decided to just hang out while the guys smoked. Still, it was pretty interesting to see how you can order marijuana just like you'd order a cup of coffee. The menu indicates which blends are strong and bold, or light and mellow, and you pick your poison(s) and order it up, along with rolling papers if you need them.

After the guys finished smoking we went to a bar around the corner, called (I think) the Grand Cafe and ordered a few pints of Heineken. Tasty and oh-so-cold! The guys were hungry after that, so I headed home while they got food... I had a big day of museum-going ahead of me!

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