Amsterdam, Day Two

Slept till 1:15pm. The NY office went for lunch, where I got an omlet (should have gotten the chicken sandwich). After that, we took a nice long walk around town.

Amsterdam is a cross between Brooklyn and Venice. The quaint brownstones are offset by scenic canals. The city is almost entirely a semi-circle, with all the canals arcing off the train station. The bridges can make getting around slow, but it’s beautiful and it always feels like there’s something around the next corner.

We made it to the Red Light District, which at 3pm is populated by women that look like the maid from “Flipped Out.” These were mature women. It’s just as quaint as everywhere else, just with women and more coffeeshops (which smell awesome).

Made it to a coffeeshop near the hotel and bought a joint. Over the counter weed = happy Andrew. The joints are mixed with tobacco, so I had to buy a “pure” joint. Kathryn and I had it while everyone else hung out. Man, that stuff is goooood. I decided then to write my paper on nutritional labels, doing a cross-cultural comparative analysis of the layouts to understand the meaning. Even the next day, it’s still a good idea.

After, we got french fries with ketchup and mayo. Then back to the hotel for a 2hr nap. Woke up, had some beer in the hotel lobby while everyone gathered for dinner. Tim and I went out with the London crew for dinner, where I shared a bunch of appetizers with Monica and Guy (from London).

After dinner, we were led through town by a Londoner who used to live in Amsterdam. He took us to all the tiny little streets where all the really beautful women are. The streets were so small, only 1 person could pass at a time. With traffic going in both directions, it got tense. You’re just standing there, right next to a barley naked woman who would be happy to have sex with you. Not an altogether unpleasant feeling.

Got in cabs to go back to the same area of town as last night. Blue Marlin owned the back space, where we kept drinking. The London guys went out for a cigarette, I joined them and had a joint (which come in handy little plastic travel cases). It was cold, but man was it fun.

Did I mention how cold it was the entire time? So cold. I didn’t have a hat and refused to pay 15 euros for one with a pot leaf on it. Did I mention how expensive everything was? Bottled water was 2.50 euro, around $4. I drank a lot of tap water.

A smaller crew went to another club and danced to loud, thumping music. Very surreal. There was a couple dancing very close but not so close it was gross. They looked very happy. Bex said “Who do they think they are?? I kind of want to be them!” I knew exactly what she meant.

After that, Tim, Parker and I went to Burger King. Fuck yeah, Burger King! We got a large shake to share, fries and whoppers, and perfect booth overlooking the square. One of the best fast food moments ever.

Made it back to the hotel and met up with the party, which was in one small hotel room. We hung out until 7am. I was falling down tired but laughing. Went back to the room and feel asleep happy. Then I realized I needed to extend my stay by one night and jumped out of bed to call reception. The typically gruff Dutchman on the phone told me I had to go down to the lobby to do do. Groggy, spinning, and not happy at 7:30am, I finally made friends with my pillow for a quick nap.