So, how 'bout that red light district? Our hostel, Durty Nelly's, is right in the middle of it. Step out onto the street, walk through an alley and bam, red lights and all that they are associated with. Durty Nelly's is actually a bar with a hostel built into it. Breakfast for the travelers is in the bar. It is weird having breakfast there because it feels like I had a night so rough that I slept in a bar, when in reality I slept in a comfy bed in my hostel at a reasonable hour.
Amsterdam is almost exactly how I pictured it, but it is still so surreal. The whole aura of the city is really something else. Walking on the bridges and through the streets and alleys, the mood of my surroundings always feels relaxed. The buildings are unique- almost all brown or colours close to it, long and skinny windows, and oddly shaped roofs. There are so many bikes! Everywhere. It is all really quite charming. The old and simple look of the city mixed with the openness of sex and drug use is fascinating. Amsterdam crosses boundaries and you can't help but love it.
Tuesday, August 23rd 2011
Aside from roaming the streets, turning the corner from a picturesque canal to a live sex show or a prostitute luring clients, all we did was visit the Anne Frank museum. It was a really good experience. Very sad, but fulfilling. It is a self-guided tour through the house where Anne Frank and her family were in hiding during the Holocaust. It was well-organized, with quotes from her diary on the walls, and detailed descriptions and video clips in each room of the house. We learned about each person living in that annex and about the famous diary, (which I bought a copy of...I know, I'm like the only person that hasn't read it) and there were lots of displays of different items belonging to the people in hiding. The creepiest part was being in the room that Anne stayed in. If I were typical, I'd be ending this paragraph with an Anne Frank quote, but instead I'm going to leave a quote from her sister, Margot, because I love it:
"Times change, people change, thoughts about good and evil change, about true and false. But what remains fast and steady is the affection that your friends feel for you, those who always have your best interest at heart." --Margot Frank
Now, as I sit here on the plane home, I have mixed feelings (as expected). I'm sad that the Eurotrip we planned and looked forward to so much is over. I'm happy I got to see so many things in so many cities, and with a great travel buddy to say the least. I'm proud of myself for successfully backpacking for a month. I'm thankful for being healthy and able to travel, because it is really special and definitely helps you grow as a person.
Some things I'll miss: The excitement before heading to a new city, facebook check-ins, Roma (repeat twice), Sana creeping out little kids, partying till sunrise, European shopping, meeting other travelers, chatting up waiters, taking the metro, flying pashminas, Italian food, watching Community, beach/lifeguards, getting lost, my watch (I think I left it in Lisbon).
Some things I won't miss: getting ready in the dark, repacking my backpack, carrying my backpack, my backpack, getting lost, my bruise, paella, mosquito bites, wearing a money belt, getting jipped, f*cking up (that won't go away though)...
Baggage claim at Pearson:
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