February 6, 2014
Traveling to Amsterdam with Nick and Duong was amazing , despite having come down with a cold for the duration of
the trip.
From
the first moment of stepping off the tram in the downtown, it was
charming and inviting. Rows upon rows of traditional Dutch houses
crowded right up next to the edge of lazy canals. Bicycles zoomed
past every which way, clattering down the cobblestone lanes. Some
tourists walked by with purpose, clutching city maps in their hands,
while coffee shops belched out others, emerging from the hazy
interior cloaked in a mantel of pungent smoke, looking confused and
cheerful.
Our
first day there, we arrived around 1 PM and spent the first hour or
so just wandering happily. We passed through the floating flower
market and cruised down narrow alleyways and along canals as we
sought out our hostel. Once there, our hunger soon drove us out, and
after a late lunch we lost ourselves in the city again. We took a
look at Vondelpark, went by the Rijks-Museum (it was closed), and
ended up going to the Torture Museum, which was expectedly extremely
disturbing.
After
dinner at a Thai restaurant and dessert at the waffle store next
door, the evening was spent walking aimlessly through the Red Light
District, which was different than I had expected. I have no idea
why, but in my imagination I had expected something similar to an old
American western, with women in thick makeup and full bosoms leaning
out of 2nd
story windows, calling and yoohoo-ing to people down below, colored
handkerchiefs in their hands.
The
reality was women in what were essentially display cases all along
the street, gesturing and beckoning from behind the glass. The
windows were interspersed with various stores, bars, and theaters. It
was definitely a novel experience, and it was actually more
professional and unashamed than I had expected. The crowds of
tourists also made it feel festive and carnival-like, rather than
sleazy.
We
spent the next morning at the Van Gogh Museum. It was wonderful to
see an entire museum dedicated to a single artist, especially one as
prolific yet short lived as Van Gogh, because it was able to go into
such detail on his development and various styles. It was
particularly interesting to learn about his first few years as an
artist. There were a lot of paintings that were different from the
style associated with Van Gogh, with much more muted tones and none
of the pointilism that took such a prominent role in his later
paintings. It was a real treat to see, and I appreciate the boys
putting up with it, as I know art museums aren't really their idea of
fun.
We at
an amazing lunch of Roti, a thick curry dish served with a thick
crepe pancake. Next stop was the Anne Frank house, which was as
depressing as it was powerful and moving. A must-see for anyone who
visits Amsterdam. The most heartbreaking part, for me, was a short
video of Otto Frank at the very end of the museum. You could see the
weight of it in his eyes, hear it in his voice, even after all those
years.
The
house itself was, of course, the true experience. Just imagining
being trapped in such a place for months at a time, not daring to
tread heavily or speak loudly, not seeing the sunlight, and worst of
all, not knowing when it would end... The very idea was suffocating.
After
a dinner of delicious pizza and more waffles for dessert, we enjoyed
some of Amsterdam's bar scene, sampling a few different brews.
Cheerful and thoroughly enamored with the city, we made our way back
to our hostel for the night. Now, Duong has caught his train back to
Trier, while Nick and I are about to arrive in Bruges.
Farewell,
Amsterdam. It was a blast!
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