Last Day in Amsterdamp

Hello There My Little Tulips,

So what's up ? Today is my last day, I am leaving tomorrow back home. Today I am taking it easy as I am starting to feel sick. My friend is on a bus tour to Belgium, and I was going to go, but I decided to opt out for a couple of reasons: I am not feeling well, the ride is about 4 hours each way (in rainy weather) and I would rather save my money, oh and also the tour ends at midnight, and I don't want anything getting in the way of me going to the airport tomorrow morning.

So I am chilling out at the hostel at the moment using my internet time up. I am supposed to go to a movie later.

1.) I did rent a bike the other day and we went on a bike ride around Amsterdam and a little into the Amstel region. Beautiful houses and boats along the river and it's country living with a view of the city life. Very nice, and we saw an old windmill.

2.) We did go through the red light district and took a tour. Our tour guide was hilarious. But they definitely go out of the way to say that all of the women there are doing their job voluntarily and not forced aka trafficked in from poorer countries. I don't quite believe that ( I think a good percentage are trafficked), and neither does the Dutch government because they are trying to reduce the size of the Red Light District and buy out the window owners. I would be all for what is going on in the RLD otherwise. Being that our American govt is quite restrictive, I do believe that there should be areas of sin like Amsterdam and thank God Americans have Vegas. But I don't condone the violence that takes place and that is being hidden from tourists. Our tour guide was informative, but in a touristic sort of manner where it was obvious certain bits of information were being hidden.

3.) We met a couple of people from our hostel and walked around the city and ate junk food at different places. A few in  our group tried the coffeeshops, but me and the other guy in our group did not. I don't like tobacco or marijuana, and there is no point in trying to like it now, especially since it's illegal in the states and I have a profession I am serious about.

4.) I saw the Van Gogh museum and liked it a lot. The musem did a great job in giving a history of his work, his sources of inspiration and his life. I loved his style even though the man was insane. His paintings are full of life, and inspiration, especially his art from Paris, and especially after spending time in Montmarte, where he spent some of his time.

Of course I have done more, but I am going have to write about that later. Did I tell you how happy I am to go home ? The weather here in the Netherregions is not friendly, and I am tired of the hostel environment. Don't get me wrong. This hostel, Stayokay has been great. I've seen the other rathole-fleabag hostel our friend spent the night in, and I feel greatful that this one has been decent. But still, I miss having my own room. I have been in a mixed dorm because my friend is a dude, and I was not fond of other dudes walking around in their boxers and taking race-horse style pisses in our shared bathroom. Luckily they were nice though and not drunkards or smoking weed in the room which was the case in the first hostel I went to.

Of course, I am also not going to lie and say that I am not happy that this leg of the tour is coming to an end. The trip really was off to a rotten start and I have still not forgotten. I may have made the best of my trip and managed to enjoy myself while I was here, but being stranded in that airport left a bad feeling that I can't seem to shake off. I would love to come back here and see more of the Netherlands and experience Dutch culture more, but under different circumstances, more finances, and no hostels. Just means that I have to work harder, get a promotion and save more money.

Have any of you heard about the book Undutchables ? I am going to buy that when I get home.

Okay, time to log off for now. Besitos !

Love, hugs, clogs and tulips !