Final days

I had an excellent time in Maastricht and I have Phil C. to thank for the trip. It was a beautiful city, quiet with a night life. The city of 100,000 opened it's arms wide and made me feel right at home. I met a girl from Taiwan and we spent the day together, taking pictures and relating stories. We had dinner later and met up the next morning for breakfast before we parted ways. She was very interesting and I envied her travel resume, residing and studying in Sweden, a native of Taiwan, and now she was hanging out with the California dreamer in the Netherlands. Life sure can be sweet. When I got to my room there were six beds, all empty, so I thought right on I got the whole room to myself. I dropped off my things and went out on the town for a few hours, lounging in the park and taking in all the scenery. I walked across the oldest bridge in the Netherlands. When I got back to my room I had a few roommates. Brenda and Freddy were from Argentina, they had just gotten into town from a wedding in Germany. It took us all of 10 minutes before we were out in the town, the Three Amigos.. I speak better Spanish than dutch so I felt right at home. We carried ourselves through the rigid streets of Maastricht hoping to stumble on a beer. It didn't take long before we arrived at a medieval bar where they served pink beer that, for me at least, didn't taste horrible but indeed a sweet taste! But when it comes to alcohol I'm lost, but every now and again I sit down and toss 'em back. Before I forget, I broke down and did it but only once so my pride remains intact, I ate McDonald's while I was away in Maastricht, but that was earlier in my day and the urge was irresistible. It tasted mighty good, the sandwich itself was good eating but tasted the same as the states, however the fry sauce leaves something to be desired! I was excited when I saw my fries without a heap of mayonnaise on top. Europeans sure do love mayonnaise. On our way back from the bar we witnessed a man crash a bicycle after what I assume was an alcohol fueled bike ride. The Argentineans looked on in surprise and concern while I laughed hysterically. I felt rude for a second until I went to kick a soccer ball and fell on my ass while they snapped a photo of me. I'll have to email them and get the picture. They invited me to stay in Buenos Aires any time, they're extremely nice people and I hope all the best for all the people I have met on on this trip.

Short and sweet

After three days of procrastination, I have finally arrived at the Stayokay hostel in Maastricht, Netherlands. I made it to the train station yesterday with all the intentions in the world of going to Maastricht. I met an Irishmen in line and decided to postpone the trip for a day, I just figured these things happen so I went with it . The train stations in Amsterdam are similar to a American DMV. You receive a slip of paper with a number and then you wait. The Irishman and the American, tramping about the city. We headed first to a local bar called the 'Hill Street Blues' pub, where the atmosphere was inviting and the staff was friendly. The stickers on the wall and the American music playing gave it a nostalgic feel. We walked around the city for an entire day, I did most of the leading. Eamon, the Irishman, was impressed with my ability to traverse the city. It seemed that he never quite made his way away from the red light district. He had just arrived from a three year stint in Boston. By the end of the night we were discussing plans of meeting up in Paris, but after closely looking at my funds I thought better of it and headed south. So this morning I make it out of town before 10 a.m. and the streets are calm and mellow, almost ghost town like. I left with most of the essentials, lap top, tooth brush, a few items of clothing and a need for adventure. I have to say.. the trains in Europe and more luxurious, bigger seats and more room. It was a 2.5 hour trip which I barely felt. But in mid train ride I remembered that I had forgotten to take down the address of the place I was staying. I wasn't to worried because I had a computer on me, the only trick was finding an internet cafe. I stepped out of the train and into the complete unknown, I knew really nothing of this city except that it had more pubs per capita than some other place, at least goes the story that the peculiar lady mumbled to me on the train. It was surprisingly warm and I had to use the restroom. Out on foot I go, no idea where to go. I just marched forward until I came across a mcdonalds, where I made a pit stop but didn't eat the food, I have yet to eat any kind of fast food since I've been here. My next goal was to find an internet cafe where I could check my email and find the address to my hostel. It took a few trys, one gentlemen refused to speak to me, but I finally made my way to my hostel, all from the directions and visuals I remembered from the net. I was walking across a bridge where I thought it may be, simply from a good vibe, low and behold off on the left was a building that looked identical to where I was suppose to be staying. This whole process took a good hour and a half. I was stoked at my ability to remain calm and find the place. The hostel is nice, the staff is friendly and the rooms will keep me out on the city til the early morning hours, that is to say, it's a few beds and concrete but nice. I must go now, it cost me 5 euro to rent the wi fi for an hour and I have to get a few miles under my belt, time is a wasting.

A cloudy view on an easy day

The morning after

I woke up this morning to a quiet street. I wasn't sure what time it was or what day I was waking up to. I rolled out of my bed and wandered to the window. No people remained, my street was empty as far as I could see. Trash is everywhere but after a party like that, it's amazing the city is still standing. The Nederlanders take pride in their city and it shows by how fast they clean this place up. They swept, pressure washed and even cleaned the canals before the party and they're in full swing doing it again. Steve made it to the Leidseplein and a few other places but I wasn't so fortionate. When I did finally wake up, hours and hours later, my bed was covered in change, clothes and electronic devices. I decided that since the party was everywhere and their was no 'one main thing' to see that it would be just as cool to remain in my neighborhood. When you've had a few and wander down some of the streets, it's not to difficult to think you know where you are when in reality you have no idea. Today I have a different agenda in mind. My mothers birthday is coming up in a few days so I'm headed out for a day of shopping. I will be back! take care everyone.

The insane canal

By the time the see this, if you see it at 8:00 am it will already be 5 pm here. This party has been been going on since last Friday but by 10:00 this morning the Techno was cranking and the party has only gotten more crazy. Half naked women dance on the boat in front of my apartment. People dance down the street. Down the side streets vendors crowd every piece of sidewalk, pedestrians line the streets, it seems no bikes, cars or scooters are out today. It's a city wide party.

It's amazing how comfortable I feel here. I really like waking up in the morning and looking outside my window to the sounds of a bustling city below. I never close the windows, I'd feel like I was missing something. This city must have been built for me. In America I feel like all eyes are on me, in amsterdam I feel like a spot on the map, barely noticeable. The novelty just doesn't wear off. When I go tramping around the city I see huge tour bus that read 'hop on hop off'. It's a tourist guide that speeds you through the city, seeing every must see along the way. But with the size of that bus and the window that locks you from the outside, your experience is limited. At least thats my opinion. I love walking down the streets breathing fresh Holland air living in my own world and experiencing the city in all its glory from my own perspective, blocked from all the distractions of every day life. I can't understand the languages, many of which are heard just walking down the street. I watched their body language and facial expressions, everyone looks happy. Men and women, gay and straight walk down the street in arms, families ride on bicycles together, it seems just about anything is alright as long as you don't harm anyone. The city grows on me as time passes. The world is bigger than I thought. It's much more than portland, oregon, the united states or even amsterdam, were all different but forever connected by the human bond. Goodnight all.

Crankin 'em out

Alas! More pictures! I'm only putting the ones from my camera on the blog, I have a bigger and better selection with the other camera but I haven't uploaded them so these will have to do.

Since I'm still around I figured I might as well upload some pictures. The bathrooms have odd placed handles to flush, this such one was at the "Horticus Botanicus' which is a huge sea of plants. Green houses are everywhere and the expanse of plants is mind blowing. I have also noticed that most bathrooms come with a number 1 button and a number 2 button. What a way to use less water! And since I liked the zoo so much, I've decided to add another video of a cool little critter.

Nitty Gritty

Alright, so lets get down to the real nitty gritty. I have spent a little over one hundred euro so far. I've been doing well and haven't whipped out the credit card once. The last two mornings we've cooked our breakfast in the house and at night I'll sometimes pick up some frites. And other times We went to the grocery store yesterday in the wagg and dropped about forty euro. I didn't have to pay so it was sweet. The grocery stores here are small, very small, and reading the labels isn't an easy task. If you're good with color and food association then you shouldn't have any trouble. But they are nothing like our Fred Meyer. For one you have to purchase the bags BEFORE she scans all your items, and you better haul ass when it comes to packing groceries. You also have to rent the cart you're using for 50 euro cents which will give you an hour. The grocers even sit down to do their job. I'm about to eat my pancakes and enjoy the sunshine. I'm getting ready for tonight because the streets will be so packed you won't even be able to turn around, it's going to be crazy!! Tomorrow I'm going to Vondel Park to meet up with a few people I met on the flight over and later this week after queens day and things have settled down I will be on a train around the nederlands! Hope all is well in Portland and I will talk to you soon!

Turtle Tuesday

I haven't been as on top of my game as I need to be! The first couple days here, mostly the first, was a nerve wracking experience. And we didn't have internet. But now the show is really starting to get interesting. Over the weekend boats cruised the canal all day long and into the night. By Monday things had settled down in the canal but by mid day you could tell something was up. The crowds are gradually getting more intense. Today (Tuesday) is Queens day Eve. By tonight things will really be getting packed. I'm already seeing more orange everywhere, from the canal boats to the t-shirts on everyones back. In the early morning hours I'm usually perched out my window, watching the people go by. It's highly amusing watching the British dudes yelling and screaming and going in four different directions before coming to a group decision. This morning I woke up to a team of city wide cleaners, armed with pressure washers and all kinds of other machines that seem to make sense. It seems like every day is trash day, you just bundle it all up and throw it on the street. I went to the Zoo yesterday and had a good time. I even have a video for you to watch! Turn up the sound!!

This old turtle is cranking it out at 130 years old! amazing! I had expected to see bears.. but something else was in store for me! I couldn't really think of a proper name for the video, I have a few in mind .. 'Getting some shell'.. 'See it doesn't matter that you haven't seen your genitals in decades! But enjoy and let me know what you think! Happy Tuesday.

The arrival and unravel begins

I had an easy flight, I was asleep most of the time. I only woke up a few times, one such incident was a guy giving me a glass of water. He must of read my mind. I managed to always be awake during meal times. Once we landed things were a breeze. We went right through customs without any delay and made our way through the sea of people and onto the trains. Next stop, Centraal Station where we would catch a bus to the square and trek a few meters to our apartment.They say meters here, It threw me off at first when I asked for directions. Somehow during the time we took off and the time we landed, something happened in the hotel arrangements and we stood in front of our apartment, what we thought was our apartment, without a key and a phone number that lead to an answering machine. I couldn't figure out the phones since I couldn't speak but a lick of dutch so I asked someone else to make the call for me, I offered up one euro, they declined. After thirty minutes of wondering, we got a phone call from the landlord, delivering bad news. Our room had a plumbing issue and we would have to stay at the Tulip Inn, a quaint hotel situated off the square. At this point, i'm not worried at all, even though this place has beds the size of mini people. I am still in amsterdam! I had a great night, spent a lot of time walking and getting my bearings. I experienced the red light district for the first time, rode on a sling shot with a dutch girl and witnessed things that I'd never even imagine in the states. It's hard to really comprehend some of the things you see. I stayed out til the early morning hours, until I had blisters on my feet. The transportation in this city is insane, the crowds are enormous and the flow of people is never ending. Bikes definitely have a strong hold on the city and everyone flows just right, most of the time. It didn't take long to witness a first hand bike vs. pedestrian accident. They're everywhere and they will hit you, same for a scooter. Most of them give you a fair warning bell to let you know they're coming by. The police, seemingly few and far between stroll through the canals unarmed and on foot. It's so much different from where I live that it takes me to a whole new level. I love this experience so far. I have a lot more things to tell but I have even more things to do. I will be back! Take care everyone.

Welcome

To the magical world of sideways travel, where things really are how they appear and the man in charge is sincere! Now enjoy and relax.. things are going to get interesting.