Home » Netherlands » A weekend in Amsterdam

Thank goodnessI had a great flight into Amsterdam, so excited that I could hardly sleep. I waited for Jason's train and had a snack from these nifty snack-wall machines. You put in one euro and the glass door opens revealing a tasty morsel that is something fried. Seeing a friend from home was a great feeling; I felt more comfortable and safe than in a while. We began our journey through this incredibly beautiful city with a visit to a "coffeeshop" called 420... yeah.

A weekend in Amsterdam

Georgia
2006-02-22 13:35:33

Displayed times (last time: )

Thank goodnessI had a great flight into Amsterdam, so excited that I could hardly sleep. I waited for Jason's train and had a snack from these nifty snack-wall machines. You put in one euro and the glass door opens revealing a tasty morsel that is something fried. Seeing a friend from home was a great feeling; I felt more comfortable and safe than in a while. We began our journey through this incredibly beautiful city with a visit to a "coffeeshop" called 420... yeah. We then wandered around Damrak Square which seems to be a touristy place. THe architecture in this city is its best feature, by far. Surrounding us always were unbelievable shopping centers that could pass for castles. These hover over quaint canals which reflect golden lights found all over the city. These canals also make it absolutely impossible to find your way around. The first day, we accidentally found ourselves in the Red Light District. It could have been amusing, in a way, except that we weren't ready for it and freaked out. I think the Red Light must be mentally prepared for and visited in good humor. We finally found our hostel, though I still believe we spent 3/4 of the trip lost. "The Flying Pig," so our hostel was called, was on the main street: Nieuwendijk. Along this street were billions of clothing and boot stores. Nestled throughout them, though, are food stores. I am a firm believer that Amsterdam planned perfectly to maximize the city's income via food placement and frequency. Pancakes, apparently a Dutch specialty, are available everywhere. They are flat and come with choices of toppings. I am not surprised at their popularity because they are delicious; Jason and I ate them twice. Along the narrow streets are also donut shops with pastries, pizzas, falaffels, etc.. The people there enjoy a good meal, luckily for us.

Our hostel was the best one I've stayed in thusfar. It had very clean rooms and a great lounge area with free internet and a cheap bar. Surprisingly, ...