Planes, Trains, and Amsterdam

Disclaimer: This blogpost is rated PG-13 for drug references (only a few).

Today was all about traveling on 4 hours of sleep.  I believe the only thing that was keeping me going was pure adrenaline and wonderment.  What I know for sure is that I am extremely exhausted and won't have a problem getting to bed tonight.

After one plane ride and two train rides, I was in Amsterdam (thus the name of the blogpost).  When I was planning my trip to Amsterdam the first thing that came to mind were the coffeeshops, where patrons indulge on two types of substances, and the red light district.  Due to my ignorance, I thought those were the only things to see and since I wasn't interested in either I only planned for one night.  Needless to say, I wish I had more than one afternoon to see Amsterdam.

View of the Amsterdam train station upon my arrival.

While I was walking around Amsterdam, there were so many little nooks and crannies that I wish I had time to discover.  On the surface, Amsterdam is like any bustling city, but when you look closely, it has a character all its own.

The first thing that you notice are all the modes of transportation.  People in this city are getting places almost all ways imagineable, except for flying cars.  In the streets, there are specialized bike, pedestrian, automobile, and tram lanes.  If you aren't careful, you will probably get honked or ringed (as in bell ringing) for being in the wrong lane.  However, if you don't like travelling the streets, try the vast network of canals that run through the city.  You can travel by paddleboat or motorized boat, and don't worry about your boat being too tall, the Dutch traffic engineers have taken this into account by installing a multitude of raised bridges and drawbridges.

One of the many different crazy intersections in Amsterdam.  Can you tell which lane is for which mode of transportation?

One of the many drawbridges that allow boats free reign of the canals.

Another thing that I noticed about Amsterdam are the sleepy little boroughs outside of the beaten path.  Even on a Monday, the Dutch are biking around their own neighborhoods saying hi to the occasional friend, sitting in the many cafes, enjoying the occasional beer, lounging in the park, or people watching by the many canals.  They also live on the canal, houseboats line the network of canals outside of central Amsterdam.  Each of the houseboats are like townhomes; each with their own style and character.

A typical look of the canals around Amsterdam.  In the background you can see some of the many houseboats.

Of course there are also some big tourist spots, which include the Van Gogh museum, Vondel Park, the Royal Palace, the Flower Market, the Anne Frank House, the Tulip Museum, the Houseboat museum, the National Maritime Museum, and various cathedrals that maintain their hipness by ringing their bells in familiar tunes.

View of the Van Gogh Museum; such an interesting design.

Part of the flower market.  Unfortunately, tulip season was over so the only things left were the bulbs.

View of the Royal Palace.  Unfortunately, I did not have time to visit the interior.

Amsterdam has been far more than I expected and I wish I had longer to explore.  However, I am off to Berlin to explore the rich culture of Germany.

View of the train station on the day of my departure.  I wish I had more time Amsterdam.