Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
November 01, 2014
At last the day finally came to leave Bali and Asia behind and I began the long series of flights back to Amsterdam. Bali to Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur to Abu Dhabi and Abhu Dhabi to Amsterdam. Around 30 hours in total sat in metal tubes trying not to contemplate the fact that I was headed homeward. I didn’t want to leave, who would?
I must have looked a bit of a sight when I finally landed in Amsterdam. I arrived early at 6am wearing my big coat and hat that I used for Russia and Mongolia which is exactly what was required given the sudden change in climate. However the large shorts and clumpy hiking boots I was sporting combined with a massive back pack with a pair of trainers and snorkel and mask hanging off the back must have made me look like some crazy aquatic hobo wandering the streets of Amsterdam at 7am on a Tuesday.
I bumbled around grabbing a coffee here and there before descending on my first coffeeshop at around half 8 in the morning……well I did have a few hours to kill before I could get in the apartment. From Barneys coffeeshop I slowly worked my way West through the city towards where I was staying. I had already bought two tram passes for 5 days for me and Dani but for some reason walking seemed like more fun so I covered a few miles on foot before eventually reaching the flat we would be staying in. And a very nice flat it was as well. I’ve used Airbnb lately as opposed to the other usual accommodation websites as it’s generally cheaper as well as offering unusual places that you don’t normally find. This was one such place. Just 10 minutes out of the center by tram it was far enough away to ensure we got really good value for money. Compared to Asia the price was obviously high but we got a lovely flat in a great area with a comfy living room, kitchen, big TV the whole works for less than a guesthouse would cost in the center. Almost a home from home. A home which I wasn’t used to any more. A home with radiators and a bath, comfy seats and all the mod cons I have avoided for the past year. But I settled in and after a few hours snooze I hopped on a tram and up to central station to meet Dani who was flying in that night to see me.
By the time Dani arrived I was ruined. It only took one coffeeshop and a bar and I was a stumbling mess. The fact that the bar man was having a great craic on with me and was serving me up jaeger bomb chasers for free with each beer didn’t help my cause. But it was great to be back together again, three months after our goodbyes at KL which seem like a distant memory now.
The next few days were spent doing our usual thing when in Amsterdam. Generally mooching around and enjoying the place. A coffeeshop here, a bar there, a walk down the tiny little lanes that look interesting or a trip out on the tram to somewhere random. Amsterdam sucks you up and spits you out at the end. Before we knew it 4 nights there had flown past. It had been good. Plenty of nice beers and food, some lovely views as we wandered around and a lovely homely place to stay in but it all went past so quickly. I have spent the past four months in just two places Langkawi and Bali and this was back to the routine of packing the bags up again and moving on every few days. At least we were headed further afield than Amsterdam though whilst in Holland so it was good to keep the traveling and moving vibe going. The next stop is a very small town called Delft just near the Hague so let’s see what else Holland has to offer.
