The Netherlands

Before entering the ever-so-anticipated Amsterdam, our group stopped off in Edam, Holland. But before I begin, as some of you may be confused like I was.... Holland vs. The Netherlands?? Why the two different names?

So I wiki'd it: The Netherlands is often called Holland which is formally incorrect as North and South Holland are merely two of its twelve provinces. I continued to read on wiki. The Netherlands vs. Holland is similar to United Kingdom vs. England. I also thought that was confusing. Now it all makes sense! Thank you wikipedia!

The Netherlands is known for its traditional windmills, cheese, clogs, bikes, and...drugs and prostitution. And yes, just by going to two cities...I was emerged in all that culture!

Edam, Noord-Holland
As we crossed the Dutch border, we stopped at the lovely town of Edam. Now, heres a town I could definitely live in. I don't know how close it is to the next major city, but I wouldn't mind. We walked about 10 minutes through the town to the Bike a Dijk (pronounced Dyke, lol. Apparently many though that was funny). The canals were amazing. I thought Venice was awesome, but looking back at my pictures, Edam was definitely more photogenic.

So the bike ride was pretty much one of my favorite things. As you know, I love, love, love! to ride bikes. And these "granny" bikes as they call them are not your average mountain bike. They are sort of like beach cruisers. The seats were different because my butt kept slipping forward. It wasn't noticeable if you rode the bike using the force of your hands on the handlebars to keep you on the seat, however, I like to ride with no hands. So I had to strategically place my butt on the very back edge of the seat. Our bike instructor was impressed that I was able to ride long periods without any hands. She said not most people can do that on those bikes. I felt accomplished that I finally found a true talent. I may not be able to play an instrument or act, or cook, or anything else cool...but...I can ride my bike with no handlebars :)

Next, we visited a cheese and clog factory. Its pretty crazy how cheese is made. You can make several different cheeses and types just by the temperature. The best cheese I have ever had was called Old Amsterdam. I'm kicking myself for not buying a big chunk. Note to self: ALWAYS buy things that you love, especially if the price is reasonable (the price of the cheese was reasonable, I was just being tight). But I think you can buy that cheese here too. As for the clog making, its pretty crazy. They just get a piece of wood, and drill a hole in in, basically. And you can blow the hole and water will drip out. The guy let me demonstrate the blow in front of everyone. How embarrassing. Later during the trip, I had everyone sign the unfinished wooden shoe, and I graciously thanked Ollie and Hans on everyone's behalf, and handed them the wooden shoe. Lol, I doubt customs would have let me bring it back in the states. It totally could have been contaminated ;)

Amsterdam, Noord-Holland
Ooh, Amsterdam. The Nation's lively and eccentric (in the eyes of Americans) capital. Where prostitution is legal. I watched a documentary in my criminology class on the prostitution in Amsterdam. Prostitutes can get tested for free, and even given free needles (even though the government does not condone drugs (besides weed obviously) they realize that in this profession, drugs will probably be used. So might as well be safe than sorry. The Dutch are known for being very liberal.

We arrived in Amsterdam in the later afternoon. Later that night we headed to the Red Light District. And I saw prostitutes in the windows. We were advised to not dare take pictures of them. Yes, we DID go to a LIVE sex show. It was....actually...really artistic. I found nothing vulgar or raunchy about it. But then again, I am very open-minded to different stuff. Don't get me wrong, my jaw dropped a few times, but its only natural...being American and all, haha. The show was actually artistic and theatrical. It was a SHOW, not a porn shooting. I've seen worse in Disney movies. I was just experiencing the culture... And Peter ate a banana from a vagina!!! ahahahhahaaha. And yes, there was many coffee shops around. After the sex show, we all went out to dance and party.

omg, side note. This was the night Pete practically yelled at me because I didn't understand what the hell "chook" (pronounced something like "chalk") meant. He refered to me as a "baby choke" and I was like, what the hell, Im not a piece of chalk!! He spelled it out for me, and I replied, "Ooh you mean Chooook?" Lol, that upset him. It took about 10 minutes for us to come to any sort of understanding. Haha, you know I don't speak Australian!!

The next day, a few of us went on a paddle boat excursion. We ate the yummy dutch cookies: stroopwafels (THE BEST EVER!) and passed by Anne Frank's house. I forget why we decided not to go inside the house, maybe it was the cost or time? I still would like to read her diary; I never read it for class. Picture: This is the house were Anne Frank was in hiding during the genocide.

After, we had several hours to wander the streets before dinner. And of course the one day I didn't wear a hood or bring an umbrella...it started raining. So we ran into stores and under cover. We ended up at a mall. Actually, that's all I really remember from walking around...was going into a million different retail stores. OH and trying to find a damn bathroom that didn't charge. I was afraid I would pay money...then get stage freight, haha.

That night, we had our last meal as a group. We ate at a Chinese restaurant that is a replica of a floating restaurant in Hong Kong. But apparently, they had to decrease the number of people allowed in the restaurant, because it started to sink when filled to original capacity. The restaurant in Hong Kong floats on salt water, which allows for more buoyancy. The food was delishhhhh. And we introduced the "In Bed" ending for a fortune cookie statement to a fellow Aussie mate who was unfamiliar with the concept.

Some of us wanted to hang out more and go to the grass hopper. We pretty much just sat around a few tables, ordered some beers, and just talked, reminisced, and laughed. It was such a simple and pleasurable time, hanging out with new friends whom we would soon be saying good-bye to. It was team America vs. team Australia. We taught each other a thing or two, and tried to understand some common sayings. That night, George and I had a random late night snack of Turkish pizza/burrito?? Im not really sure what we were eating, but it was goooooooood!!!

The Netherlands was soo much fun, and definitely exceeded my expectations. I would just own a bike and paddle boat and be completely happy.