Amsterdam

We just got back from a weekend away (Thurs Night ~ Monday Avo) in Amsterdam!! It was lots & lots of fun!! I don't even know where to begin!!

We got into Amsterdam on Thursday night. It was strange because it hardly felt like we are 'overseas' from Dublin. It felt more like going to Wellington from Auckland because the flight was so short (1hr 15min). Anyway, as we strolled towards our hostel from the Centraal Station I noticed a few windows with a bit of red tint on them... hehe, in each and very one of these windows sat a girl in a bikini/lingerie casually talking on her cellphone, doing her nails etc. RED LIGHT!! It was kinda funny. After checking in, we went for a walk around the block just to orientate ourselves & explore a bit of the city.

Friday was spent mostly getting our bearings right and exploring the city. As our hostel was very central, our first stop was the "Dam Square" via some shops. There we found a big (but weird looking) christmas tree. It looked abit unhealthy (you can see from the photos) and eventually was swapped with a newer better looking one that weekend. We then ventured on to the "Albert Cyup Markets" where we found lots and lots of stands selling all different kinds of stuff (clothes, meat, jewelry etc). As we both enjoy wondering around markets, we'd definitely recommend it.

Waffles seem to be big in Amsterdam. Almost every bakery have them. After tasting one, you can understand why! They are yummy as!! big hot waffles covered in chocolate sauce (you can either have this cold or hot), some are even covered with peanuts, cream & strawberries. oooo!! yum!

On Saturday we went across to Anne Franks House where the well know "Anne Franks Diary" originated. Anne Frank went into hiding with her family when the Germain's took control of Holland in WWII. She kept a diary describing what it was like. Sadly they were found and none of her family - except her father - survived the concentration camps. Her father later on published her diary and it has been translated into numerous languages. After this, the Heineken Brewery was our next stop. It was €10 and for that you receive 3 free drinks and a gift (Heineken Glass) on the way out. Needless to say, we had lots of fun. They had very high tech stuff there, rides like the motion master at Rainbows end in which you experience what its like to be a Heineken bottle, right from bottling to shipping to arriving at someone's party. It was fantastic!! We even made a video mail there for you all to see!! Definitely recommended, even if its no longer all you can drink as we've been told it was sometime ago :-)

Sunday, after going to mass (in Dutch) in the St. Nicolas church (we have both kinda gotten used to going to masses in different languages by now) we jumped on a 1hr canal cruise around Amsterdam. It was interesting to find out that the water in the canals are all Fresh Water! Kinda makes sense if you think about it... I think. After that leisurely cruise, the Diamond Factory was our next destination. There we enjoyed a free tour of how diamonds are made and how they are graded, as well as exhibiting some EXPENSIVO diamonds!! there was a 5.16carot Yellow Diamond with a price tag of €94,000 !! Far Out! Sadly - for some - we didn't 'buy' any diamonds there, however the temptation was felt by some hehe. That night we went to a comedy show at BoomChicago. It's great venue and great show much like the ComedyBar in Auckland. It was full of hilarious improv & scripted performances which kept us very well entertained for the night. If you have the time, we did the dinner and show package for €34 which was definitely worth it.

Monday was packed with a quick xmas shopping spree in the morning and making our way to the airport. Just as we were sitting in the departure lounge talking how we were hoping for some snow in Amsterdam, we noticed a brief (less than 1min) spell of snowing outside!!

Amsterdam was fantastic. Definitely recommend a visit. 3.5days was just about the right amount of time to spend there too. Be careful when you cross the streets though, watch out for the huge number of bikes and trams on the road. Also, if you go in winter, make sure you are clothed warmly because it was absolutely freezing when we were there. Apart from that, Amsterdam is a very easy town to be a tourist in, no language problems (assuming you speak English. Well, I guess you'll be fine if you speak Dutch too), very safe, very clean and full of fun.

Accommodation
We stayed at the Budget Hotel Tourist Inn. Yes, the name sounds pretty cheap :-) It was €20p.p.p.n in a 6bed dorm which included breakfast. It was very tidy and well organised. The staff were friendly and helpful. Their location was very central also making it a great base to work from.