MY AMSTERDAM EXPERIENCE
Megabus.com had to book 40 days
ahead to get the cheapest. £10 each way that’s a bargain. I can’t believe this
Thursday night bus full of 20ish people. They do give out smell at night.
Euroline wasn’t like that. Anyway the person I sat next to was the oldest, at
the bus, I felt at ease. I think he was a teacher keep taking
notes during journey. If I could sleep couple of hours that’s be ok. 8 hours of
non-break up sleep not possible as around 3 am we had to get out of our bus for
our passports to be checked at Dover. Finally I could just lay down and sleep
on this somehow two seated chair even though extremely loudly ferry. I had to put
on my earphone loudly listening to classical music. Amsterdam wouldn’t be
Amsterdam for me If I couldn’t get even just couple of hours sleep.
Bus was late for 1.5 hours. I’m going to be in this
city for 2 days. Now I’m already 1.5 hours into it. Immediately grabbed coffee and some dutch breakfast
thing at the Sloterdijk station, wasn’t tasty but I was hungry. There were
metro, train and tram, which one I should take and where would I go? I asked
info office. I’m going to the Van Gogh museum. Tram begins from here and goes
there. So I took the bait. €2.50 for one journey
or €7.50 for 24 hours. I took the latter. Van Gogh, Rijks and Stedelijk
museums almost all side by side. You could get Museum card see all the museum
in Amsterdam if you have time. But I could only see one museum out this trio
and that’d be Rijks museum as it the richest museum in my opinion, over three
floors of Dutch history beside it has couple of Van Gogh paintings too and Stedelijk
is about contemporary art.
After that right into the city centre through the tram of
course. Gonna take a boat tour. Here in front of Amsterdam Central station where all the boat
tours starts. There is €16 Euro one for 1 hour, somehow not well advertised €9
Euro one for 1 hour, even €26 one all day one includes bus tour as well. During
this 1 hour you get to see most historical sites of Amsterdam through its canals. And excellent
photo opportunities.
I was at my hostel at around 8pm. It had a bar too.
Wanted a tea couldn’t find one. Dropped my bag into my room and immediately
went out to the Red Light District. It was just walk away distance. Amsterdam
is so much different at night can take a boat ride at night would be totally
different to a day. I try to take photos of window woman she was almost gonna
break her window and grab my camera. I said sorry I knew they wouldn’t like it
but I though one innocent photo wouldn’t be bad. As I have seen an Asian woman
taking photo of her in front of me and she wasn’t as intimidated as she was of
mine. Anyway do not take photos of window woman as they do not like it.
Red light district caters to many tastes. Beside window women in their bikinis under pinkie and red-light on the district, you could also have live sex shows, striptease, peep show things like that too. On its main street there is also Museum of Prostitution. Where tells the story of a window women’s journey. I could have entered to some show there but I was dead tired as tomorrow I wanna be early and take a Saturday morning walk tour.
There are free walk tours, starts
from the National monument and ends at Ann Frank Museum. Ours began at around
11:15, there are lot of walk tours here. Our guide was half Dutch half Canadian
and had a very strong voice, made us take group photo about 20 people. I could hear her even from the back. It was going
to be 2.5 to 3 hours. We moved slowly through the historical buildings. How
trade monopoly made Dutch rich, building rich stone elegant houses through the
city. We paused for a coffee and continued at a cheese shop tasting slice of
cheese. We passed many shops that sells cheese, maruana and magic mushrooms. Throughout
the walk she deeply talked about each historical building including not very
elegant monarchy’s palace which used to a town hall. Where the walk ended
prices were not that expensive and traditional Dutch restaurants were close by.
But I decided to pop into Ann Frank Museum as it was my brother’s wish. 45
minutes long quie line, €9 Entry fee, no student discounts here. No photos
allowed inside. Your bag or backpack must be in front of you. I really moved by
Ann Frank story I think you will too as it is one of the most visited museums in
Amsterdam.
My watch showing around 5 o’clock
by the time I got out of the Museum. My bus departs at 9pm. Just have couple of
hours to burn. City centre very busy full of tourists. I went straight to
National Monument and Amsterdam Central station just walk away. I thought I
have just enough time to buy Dutch cheese and see the Body World exhibition
which was on my way to the Amsterdam Central station.
Body World €16 to enter with a €2
discount that you get from ticket sale shops. On the place you are not given
discount. Over 6 floors. You start at the top floor and go your way back down. It’s
about human body and how human body works. Toughly recommended to everyone. It
will enlighten you about you. Not allowed with bags inside but Lockers inside €2
extra doesn’t give the €2 back.
Dutch cousin is not very rich but
I think the most popular Dutchy food here is potato chips. Do not leave Amsterdam
without having potato chips, I got mine from Manneken Pis. It is almost next to
the Body World, all on the same street, you see Amsterdam Central station just
ahead. It does chips only, €4.50 a portion without sauce, if you want sauce
like ordinary table ketchup or mayonnaise where you may assume free in your own
country, here you pay €0.70.
I took a bus 22 straight to
Sloterdijk station. About 45 minutes early, about time. Again around 3am where
our passports checked, Bonjour and Good mornings later back on the bus. I did
recognise some people on the going to bus too like that teacher, he was taking
same bus as me. I arrive in London in a beautiful Sunday morning, awfully tired
straight went bed.
Amsterdam Day trip from London possible?
Yes, of course here is what you
could do! Take the night bus from London you’ll be in Sloterdijk around 10am
maybe early. Head down to Amsterdam central by a bus or tram toward Amsterdam Central.
Walk to National Monument, wait for free walk tour. Around 2pm walk ends near Anna
Frank museum, 2:45pm you enter the museum, exit around 4pm. Walk to Red Light
District spend until around 7:30-8pm or just spend only until 5pm there and
maybe overstretching a bit but go to Amsterdam Central take a boat ride,
departs when tourists are fill the boat. Your boat ride must be back in
Amsterdam Central canal at around 8pm. Then take a bus that departs in front of
Amsterdam central and you’ll be at Sloterdijk in 20 minutes for your bus that
departs at 9pm. Don’t be late. Do not forget to buy Dutch cheese, they’re
amazingly delicious they know how to make block cheese here and grab fried potato
chips on your way.
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