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.