Day One in Amsterdam

When we got to the Amsterdam airport, the Creepy Guy from the Paris airport (see previous post) found the girl in our group who talked to him before the plane took off and tried to get her to hang out with him. He gave off all sorts of negative vibes: 1. He started using The Big Swears without much of an introduction. 2. He mentioned being interested in the Red Light District of Amsterdam. 3. Despite his trip supposedly being for business, he was excited to do weed--which is legal in Amsterdam. Furthermore, when Krosbi and I were talking prior to the plane taking off, he interrupted our conversation in an abrupt manner which led us to be suspicious of his intentions. So when he asked the girl in our group for a phone number so he could "hang out" with them, it was good luck that Krosbi was paying attention and told him that "we are not interested." The girl in our group was overall upset at being denied a guy's attention; however, it is better to get quality attention than just available attention.

From the airport in Amsterdam, we took a train into the heart of the city where we could either take an Uber or we could walk. Nobody wanted to spend more money than necessary, but there is something to be said about five girls walking around with suitcases in an unfamiliar city where prostitution and drugs are legalized. So we opted for the Uber. The driver was enthusiastic about driving us to our AirBnB but he was mostly talking nonsense. The only thing that really made sense that he said was that our AirBnB was in the Red Light District.

The Red Light District, is the area of Amsterdam where sex and prostitution run rampant. The stores in the area cater to those interested in such activities. The women for sale stand in provocative poses in the window. Overall, it is pretty disgusting. The customers are rowdy, drunk men who probably didn't care if a woman was for sale or not. Our AirBnB was four doors down from the beginning of the RLD; surprisingly enough, it was a Christian Youth Hostel.

The hostel was nice enough and it was way inexpensive for the amenities it offered. For less than $30 USD a night, we were able to stay in a room of 16 women, where drugs and alcohol were unacceptable. Breakfast was free and dinner was inexpensive if we wanted it. They had a bible study and evening prayer on the schedule. Once in a while, they would give tours of the city. The showers were cleaned out three times a day and the employees were volunteers who were way kind. Oh, and they had a cat.

We got to the hostel/AirBnB around 1:30 AM and had an early morning ahead of us. For breakfast, they gave us pancakes that reminded me more of crepes but had a different texture and consistency of either dish. In the picture, the cat can be seen.

The first thing on our agenda was the Anne Frank House. The AFH is a venue that has to be booked about three months in advance as tickets sell out. We weren't allowed to take pictures in the venue, due to the crowds and cramped space, but I was allowed to take a picture of the poster at the beginning of the tour.

I read Anne Frank's diary in 8th grade but it was remarkable to see it in person.

Anne Frank was a youth in Jewish Amsterdam during the time of Hitler's reign. Out of the kindness of a member in the community, she and her family were hidden for a time while a majority of the Jews in town were killed in concentration camps like Auschwitz. For two years, her family and a few other members of her community were in hiding in the attic of the home. They were not allowed to flush the toilet during certain hours of the day in order to prevent suspicion. They were not allowed to have the lights on for a majority of the time. They had to be quiet always. Anne Frank wrote in her diary that she wanted to become a great author. She rewrote her diary so it might be published. 

Anne Frank and a majority of her party were killed in Auschwitz, one of the largest, most deadly concentration camps. The only survivor was her father, Otto. 

World War II is one of the most facinating subjects I've chosen to study; no matter how much research I conduct, there is not one thing that validates the intolerance, injustice, and mass murder committed during that time. This is something that disturbs me. How can I be a part of building a future where intolerance is no longer tolerated? How can I bring justice to those who are not just. There are so many people who can contribute to a greater tomorrow, despite a terrible today. 

Though it is a heavy subject matter, this venue is one I absolutely recommend. There is an audio guide which comes free with the cost of admission. I will never forget my experience at the Anne Frank House.

After the Anne Frank House, we had some time so we got a stroop waffle, which is a famous dessert from Amsterdam. I got a few and took a picture of the box.

We loved exploring the city of Amsterdam; there are so many bridges and the trees are so green.

After a little break in the day, we had our reservation at the Van Gogh Museum. Van Gogh was from Holland, where the city Amsterdam is located, and many of his paintings are here even though he spent most of his creative years in France.

Van Gogh was a troubled artist; he likely dealt with mental illness (possibly depression among other things). He died at a young age from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Something that really made me sad was realizing that depression was treated like an actual illness after World War I, which was about 20-30 years after his death. He only really sold one work of art in his lifetime; most of his fame is due to his sister-in-law, Johanna. Vincent had a great relationship with his brother Theo; they exchanged hundreds of letters. Theo died shortly after Vincent and Johanna ended up inheriting all of his belongings. She was adamant that only trustworthy people could own Vincent's treasures. Some of his works of art are scattered across the globe, but most of them are in Amsterdam.

His Sunflowers is one of his most famous paintings.

This is his Almond Blossoms. It is one of my favorites.

This is his Wheatfield with a Reaper. I think he really captures the motion of the wheat well.

This is called Undergrowth.

For dinner, we ran across the Nude Burger Club who had a veggie burger and sweet potato fries. It was the best thing I ate all day! I hope there is one in the states because I would definitely go again and I recommend it to absolutely everyone. The workers were really nice and got the food out quickly, which was super appreciated.

Before we headed back to the AirBnB, we took a canal cruise through the city. We rated the macrons Krosbi bought. Even though we were having an awesome time, we all fell asleep on the boat.

On our way back to the AirBnB that day, we ran across this store. How cute!