Brothers!

Brewery!

We hoofed it to the brewery Brouweij’t IJ, a favorite watering hole for locals. Located next to an old windmill, the brewpub opens in the late afternoon and closes early evening thanks to a high demand for its specialty brews. The inside was lined with beer bottles and behind the bar was a glass window allowing a view of where all the magic goes down. Chris taught us the ins and outs of blackjack as we enjoyed some of the best beer I’ve ever had!

Another reason we chose to visit the brewery on this particular day was for the free tour.. which we took full advantage of, but mine was cut short on account of me already “breaking the seal” . At some point we realized how strong the beers were (between 7 – 11%) and headed back to the hostel, devouring snacks along the way.

Tight alleyway….

A brief nap and a rally cry got us moving towards the infamous red light district. There are no warning signs when you enter the area, nobody waving a flag telling you there are half naked hookers swimming in windows up ahead. So, literally all of a sudden you make a turn down a side street and Bam! It’s funny and sad at the same time. I suppose most of the women choose to be there; they even have a union called the De Rode Draad in Dutch or “The Red Thread”. Although there ARE some girls who do it for drugs or against their will. Nevertheless, the reason it is not illegal, is actually for deterrence purposes. By permitting prostitution (among other things) they hope to avoid forcing it underground or to the black market where violence and abuse is rampant. Probably better to have it as an isolated, contained issue than a non regulated and destructive problem.

hmmm…had a few!

Call girls are the main attraction to the Red Light District, but sex is sold on other levels in and around those few glowing city blocks. “Live sex shows” (yes, it is exactly what it sounds like) and various sex shops ranging from classy to down and dirty are there for those of us who just enjoy the novelty of the area. And of course there are coffee & smart shops every 10 feet. The ratio of men to women, naturally, is heavy on the men side which makes it a bit awkward as you’re squeezing through these narrow alleyways. Without saying much more, the Red Light District is.. truly a unique experience.

Red Light

Joe came the next morning and we decided it would be fun to rent some bikes for the day! Cruising around Amsterdam on a bicycle is the best way to see the city. Since Chels and I had done this before and loved it, we thought it would be cool for Chris and Joe. It is also a great way to participate in the culture. After touring the streets for a bit we hit up Vondlepark for some snacks, a nap and a photoshoot.

Riding through Vondel park

Relaxation station!

Since we had bikes now we thought about what the next move should be… Brewery!! We went back to the Brouweij’t IJ. But we really DID have a good reason to go back! I was SURE i left my beloved scarf there that Kelly got me for Christmas! I was sending off good vibes the whole ride there, and it WAS!!! The sun was shining and the place was packed, good vibes all around. The brewery makes 6 different beers and being such big fans (not to mention the great prices) we tried every single one; then rode home, taking back roads of course. I left my umbrella there…hahah…boo.

Chels and I were to catch our final busabout ride from Amsterdam to Berlin the next morning, so we had an early night after one last stroll through the Red Light District. Up at 6:45, and at the Flying Pig Hostel (drop off/pick up point) in plenty of time for a good seat on the bus.

As we stood in the middle of this tiny cobble stone street in front of the hostel, we had a funny feeling we might not be in the right place. Well, turned out that the Busabout uses the OTHER Flying Pig Hostel for pickup. After 3 failed attempts to catch a taxi, we gave up and found the nearest internet point, booked a Eurolines bus for that night then went back to take advantage of the free breakfast at Chris and Joe’s hostel.

We rode around in the rain all day, mixing sight seeing with lots of coffee! The last place we stopped was a bar playing some NFL games, and we watched the Patriots pummel the Bengals (WooHoo!) We left Chris and Joe there, reminding them of the 6:50, morning train they had to catch and we rode off.

]]> http://www.driftingduo.com/amsterdam-2-0/feed/ 0 http://www.driftingduo.com/family-time-in-holland/ http://www.driftingduo.com/family-time-in-holland/#comments Tue, 19 Oct 2010 14:52:20 +0000 http://www.driftingduo.com/?p=194 read more]]> Finally time to visit the “Dutchies”…. haven’t seen them in years and years since i was too young to really remember! It was a really nice few days to spend relaxing with family, sleeping in our own room with nice pillows, eating actual meals (and nutritious too!) THANK YOU!!!

Real Rumikub!

Clogs!!

The weather was nice the first day we arrived, so we enjoyed a nice dinner with everyone on the balcony and reminisced about family and old times. Jan and Adrie offered to take us to Zaanse Schans to see all the windmills and how clogs are made! It turned out to be a really nice day! The old windmills were really interesting to see again and i cannot believe people actually wore some of the clogs i saw at the museum!! One of the best parts was the cheese factory we ran into that had a tasting with about 15 different kinds of cheese! Again the goat cheeses were the favorite for both brad and myself!

Windmills!

Afterwards we went on a drive to Volendam where you get the family photos dressed up in traditional Dutch wear! It’s such a cute little fishermans town, and we were all tempted to get some fried fish from a street vendor! YuM!

Fish sandwiches!

When we arrived back home, i shuffled through Jan and Adrie’s albums hoping to find some fun family photos, and look what i found….!!! THe most hilarious photos from a New Years….not positive of the year, maybe 94, with the theme..”crossdressing’ i suppose! 0o my family is awesome!

My awesome cross-dressing family!

Before we knew it, it was time to go back to Amsterdam to pick up Chris, but not before a nice visit from Hyung and Sash! It was so nice to catch up with Hyung again and we arranged to meet up in Amsterdam yay!! And so we left …. sad to leave the fam but excited to see more fam…Chris!

Beautiful canals!

Brad and I arrived to our couchsurfer Simchah waiting for us at the train station. He’s not

Simchah and Herring!

exactly a typical-looking Dutchman …he’s tall but actually has some skin on his bones, and has a headfull of dreads! Very cool vibes! We immediately went to rent bikes while he gave us the low-down on the rules…

1. Look everywhere (for tourists mostly!!)

2. Give way to the right

3.Don’t be afraid to use your bell!

So on we rode with our massive backpacks on ha! Simchah first took us to the coffee shop he worked at and treated us to a cappuccino before heading to his humble abode to drop off the packs! The town is just incredible to ride around in….bike lanes EVERYWHERE! The bikes rule the city! There’s a parking garage dedicated to BIKES at the train station!

Backpacks and bikes!

Come nightfall Simchah took us to this underground “lighting festival” put on by a squatting community! We rode all the way out to the shipping warehouse and were terrified upon entering when there was a massive clap of synthetic thunder! We walked down a pitch black path to an exciting world of art, music, lighting and fire! This community had made something beautiful out of junk and free stuff they found! Taking a bath 20 feet above ground, chilling out in tree chairs and abandoned school buses are just a few things they enjoy!

Synthetic Lightning!

The best part of the night was after midnight (officially my birthday!) when they put on a tribal fire show! I imagine it was a scaled down version of burning man. Everyone came out painted

Fire show!

 in robes, banging on trash cans, with bags of sawdust and fire! It was incredibly impressive, and by the end of it…they had burned down this whole contraption!

By the time we finished exploring, took the hour-long bike ride home, and got to sleep it was 6am and the sun was riding! So the next morning was a late start, but Brad and I eventually went out with the bikes and explored the red light district a bit before having a really nice lunch/dinner in Vondel park! It’s so massive with fountains and gardens and playgrounds….it can be explored for hours!

With a fairly easy night enjoying each others company….we were rested and ready to spend time with the family

Vondel Park!