Like, some people don't speak Dutch, but I reeeeally don't speak Dutch! lol
As the title says, this is the most clueless I have ever felt (well, in a long time), and boy is it freeing. It's also frustrating, but freeing appears to be taking over in the emotion department, thank goodness.
The frustration stems from not wanting to feel dumb, which I think most people can relate to. However, feeling dumb is only the feeling of dumb if you perceive it that way (what'up, Oprah!). I don't want to know the world around me when I travel, I want to get to know it. I don't want the experiences I've had, the things I know, I want the experiences I haven't had, and the things that I don't know.
It's not about knowing the answers, it's about observing the answers. You see how and learn why people other than yourself operate the way they do.
It's a big world folks, there's no way we can all be right. We're right within the boundaries of our lessons and our experiences to date, but not necessarily in the grand scheme of the world and cultures other than our own.
In other words, I'm open to random.
Enter, Europe. Enter more pointedly, Amsterdam.
From the second I got off the plane, I just had no clue. As I walked around, pleased to see many English signs, it became clear that none of them said " train". I'd paid for a train ticket back home, both there and back from the Amsterdam Central Station, and I just wanted to find the train. I looked and looked, and nope. No train.
Finally I asked a man who looked amazing is his airport attire (he worked there, it wasn't just some random dressed up dude at the airport!). He wore a hat like a train conductor, and he has a big smile on his face. I said hello, he gather that I wasn't going to be tossing Dutch in his direction, so he asked me what he could do to help, in English. Wonderful!
He gave me a bunch of great directions, and took them, and I was still without a clue. Fine. Breathe it out for a moment, turn around like a cat with a ball of wool being dangled above its head a couple of times, and stopped. I found another man in a fancy pants hat. He was even more pleasant than the first. I asked where I'm likely to find the train, and he pointed right behind us, maybe ten feet. After we exchanged a laugh about me being a tourist without a clue, I carried on my way down the slope thing into the underground.
The train showed up immediately, I got on, as did two very obnoxious women who watched YouTube and swore like lady-truckers, loudly in a silent train, for 20 minutes. Was summoning my Bad Boys II "wooosaw" training at that moment. I could tell many others were as well.
Finally I arrived, after jumping in a taxi for a quick ride, and I'd arrived at the beautiful, wonderful, fully-stocked apartment.
I'm not sure there is a better feeling when travelling than arriving safely at your destination, with a comfy bed waiting, and a foreign chocolate bar in hand, which turned very quickly to in mouth!
Moving on, let's talk about today. What a day!
I went to bed very late, and got up at 11:30am today. Yes, that's late, but not if you didn't fall asleep until after 5am. I just could not stop thinking. I really have to get into meditation, I hear it does wonders!
I set out on my day, have no idea where I was going, but with a city map that I downloaded on my phone, and a direction pointed out to me by the woman who helped me settle in last night. I headed that way, have been walking around for hours, and this is what I saw.
Come on, with this first one! Stunning.
Sign on a bench. If I wasn't already clear that I was in Amsterdam...
This is a tiny little treat that I got from the above, non-maryjane selling, bakery. It was a little lemony, with layers of cake and then some weird crispy cookie but not a cookie not a cake thing at the bottom. It was delicious.
Plus that snack bag knows who it is and ain't changing for nobody!
Gigantic elephants painted randomely, though I'm guessing not so randomly to the artist(s).
Beautiful type.
This is the houseboat museum. I stood outside of it for a while, eating ice cream (wait for it), and decided that I didn't want to go into some random persons houseboat until I really understood what was involved. You know, wanted to make sure that murder wasn't on the menu!
I shall look it up tonight, and see what it's all about.
Ice creeeeeam! I got the flavour called "white chocolate", and one scoop was just perfect. And only 1.5€! Compared to everything else, it was a steal!
Then I sat in some hybrid hipster nightmare and had a tea that I paid 2.5€ for and turns out it was hot water with two slices of orange and a piece of ginger at the bottom, lol. It was pretty good, and the environment was nice, so I hung out for a while.
Then chocolate happened. A lot.
You guys know I don't love chocolate when it's just a bar o' chocolate, so that must mean these were delicious because I bought six!
Don't worry, I'm bring them home to share... ish.
They make everything right there!
These are the ones I bought. Yes I know there are only five and I said six above. Nooooo I didn't eat one already. I bought two of the one on the right because it's crazy good!
Can we also have a moment for the lovely packaging?
Just cool type.
This was a store called Kitsch Kitchen, and all I could think was, "Just call it Kitschen! Man alive, it makes way more sense!", and then I realized I have no clue about anything Amsterdamian, so I made my brain stop being a jerk.
It's very cool in there, so much colour!
Plus I found these in a very adorable, eclectic shop along one of the bajillion little streets. How fun!?
Some very valid points are brought up here, hahaha.
After a few hours of walking about, my angry feet and I made a mutual decision to jump on a canal boat tour! The first day of the places I visit is always a bit of a scouting day, going around, seeing what it's all about, whether I feel comfortable walking everywhere or whether I want to get some form of transit pass, and seeing / hearing about places and things I might want to do. That was today, absolutely.
Here are some pictures from the canal boat, some very fun stuff!
Word on the boat is that there's somewhat of a housing crisis in Amsterdam, so people have taken to joining others and just up buying a house boat. I couldn't get that many non-blurry pictures, so here's just an example of an old-ish one.
A building built / completed in 2012, I forget for what, but is very cool.
Not a boat, a building called Nemo!
Apparently this is where Rembrant lived!
It's cold here, you guys! As the sun went down, I got pretty chilling. I was glad to be wearing my dress with the pockets, that's for sure. I may have to buy a jacket tomorrow. It may be necessary, because Berlin is also going to be cold, colder than here, and one day I'm there is calling for snow. Yeah. Snow.
And now dinner, where I am currently sitting and typing this post. I waliked by a very interesting place early in the evening, and took a picture of the sign to make sure I found it online and went back. After the canal cruise, the freezing, and the newly-developed hungry stomach growls, I thought to myself, "Why wait?", and I made my way down a street that I thought maybe I had found it on. Turns out I had, and I'm here!
Dude at the front was less than pleased when I walked in and asked for a table for one. It wasn't the one part, but the fact that I assumed they would have a table without a reservation. Turns out, this place is suuuuuper-popular, as evidenced by the absolutely full house tonight.
This place is wonderful. There's no way I'm cool enough to be in here, but here I am! lol
I had the rib eye, with a mix of potatoey goodness, and then something called Colita Dolce De Leche for dessert, and I almost can't even talk about it because it was so friggin' delicious! I'm not usually a fan of a pudding consistency, but man-a-live. I'd eat this stuff all day. It would be one day because I would die from sugar intake immediately after that 24 hour period, but you know, would be worth it!
No name outside at all. Baller move guys, baller move!
And now, after the bill eventually arrives, I'll jump in a taxi and make my way back to the apartment. Then the relaxing and loose planning for tomorrow happens, and probably some random cat food sandwich from the fridge for a midnight treat, lol.
Night folks! Back tomorrow with some new adventures!
Speaking of night, this is a shot from the balcony of the place I'm staying, over-looking Amsterdam!
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