FOLLOW ME TO AMSTERDAM

I made a Youtube video compilation about my time in Amsterdam. If you look back at my history, you can see the blog posts I did back in December 2013. I thought you would like to see Amsterdam through my eyes. Subscribe to my YT channel: ima007ninja.

December 16, 2013: Day Two in Amsterdam

"Maybe you had to leave in order to miss a place; maybe you had to travel to figure out how beloved your starting point was." -Jodi Picoult

With my only full day in Amsterdam, I was determined to see as much of the city as I possibly could.  I started my day off with a breakfast provided by the hostel of two pieces of toast and a boiled egg.  But I’m not complaining.  At least they had breakfast. My first stop was De Niewke Kerk, the New Church, which was having an exhibit on the Chinese Ming Dynasty.  The exhibit was very enlightening and was full of many ancient Chinese artifacts.  I bought a gift at the gift shop to bring back for my Chinese teacher.  By this point, I had gotten the hang of navigating through the city by tram and I journeyed on to the Museumplein.  I took a photo of the famous Iamsterdam sign and went on to the Van Gogh Museum. 

The only problem with packing your schedule is that it leaves very little time to savour the museum. I had only spent about 45 minutes at the Van Gogh museum. I did this in order to make it in time for a free walking tour of Amsterdam by Sandeman’s New Europe Tour Company. They hold walking tours at most of the major cities in Europe.  Their tours are free but they operate on a tip-based service.  My tour was led by the wonderful Kendra who kept our entire group of 30 entertained for the whole 3 hours.  I tipped her a whole 5 euros for her amazing service.  I learned so much about the city that I never would have known (like why the De Oude Kerk aka the Old Church is in the center of the Red Light District) had I not gone on this tour.

As the day turned to night, I took the opportunity to wander around the Illuminade Walking Tour, held in conjunction with the Amsterdam Light Festival.  There were a few gorgeous pieces however at times it was hard to navigate.  My advice is to take the Watercolors Canal Cruise if you want to see most of the beautiful light pieces. However the compilation of lamps called “We Light Amsterdam” on the Walking Tour is a can’t-miss.  The end of the walking tour signaled the end of my day in Amsterdam.  And it was a great one.

December 15, 2013: Day One in Amsterdam

“Some tourists think Amsterdam is a city of sin, but in truth it is a city of freedom. And in freedom, most people find sin.”

― John Green, The Fault in Our Stars

This morning I said goodbye to the city I called home for 3 months. All good things must come to an end. I arrived in Amsterdam and kicked off my 48 hours in Amsterdam like a typical tourist by indulging at a Burger King in Schiphol Airport. The airport is conveniently situated above the train station and for less than five euros; I’m transported to Centraal Station in the city center of Amsterdam. Pot and prostitution. Yes, Amsterdam's got it. But don’t let the image of girls in windows in the Red Light District and the pungent aromas of marijuana overshadow the beauty of Amsterdam. The people there were very nice.  On two occasions, someone helped carry my absurdly heavy suitcase.

I checked into the hostel I was staying at and set out to explore the city. I walked down what I think was a Christmas Market and bought mini Dutch pancakes covered in nutella. And once I figured out how the tram worked, I went to Dam Square. The numerous lights that lined the streets set a very Christmas-y mood. Having run low on euros, and desperate to conserve my money, I ate a chicken burger out of a FEBO, a fusion between fast food and vending machines. How has the US not caught onto this concept yet? I walked around hopelessly getting lost in all the streets, which names I couldn't even pronounce if I tried.

It was with great fortune that my trip coincided with the Amsterdam Light Festival. I took a canal cruise through the most gorgeous pieces of illuminating 3-D art that I have ever seen. Photos do not do it justice. Especially when you have a cheap camera, which takes worse photos than an iPhone. For my first day in Amsterdam, I would say that it definitely isn't as glamorous as I thought it would be. Nonetheless, it is a great city with its own quirkiness.