Vandaag moet ik toch echt m'n koffer inpakken, want morgen vertrek ik

This morning was my last morning with Lydia for a week or so, as she has to head back to work while I have a conference starting Wednesday. We got up early to get her to the train station, while the streets were still being scrubbed clean from the previous night's revelry. We said our farewells, I nearly made Lydia miss her train as she jumped through closing doors after one last kiss, and I went back to bed for a decent sleep in.

Apart from lazy naps and copious amounts of good food, today was spent joining the hundreds of thousands of Amsterdamers on bike. I joined Mike's Bike tour to ride out of the city and into the country side. The weather was crummy, raining on and off all day, but it was a pleasure to ride through the streets of Amsterdam, over the canal bridges, along the bike paths and into the country side.

We saw one of the remaining Dutch windmills, once ubiquitous as they reclaimed land from the water using an Archimedes screw, now relatively rare (many were ripped up for fuel during the long hard winter at the close of WWII) and simply show-pieces (with the real work being done by sophisticated pumps). The windmills are more than just a national monument and tourist attraction, they are an insight into the Dutch mentality. The Dutch are often called liberal, and indeed there are many liberals in the country, but it is not a defining characteristic like it is with the Nordic countries. Prostitution and marijuana may be legal, but they aren't national pastimes. Only 5% of business in the Red Light District is from Dutch (and only 5% of the women working there are Dutch), and only 6% of Dutch use marijuana (although this is much larger among the Moroccans and Surinamese, who avoid alcohol). Instead the laws are a practical Dutch solution.

Rather than being liberal, the Dutch have a "polder mentality". Those who live in the polder, the reclaimed land, have to rely on each other. They might not like each other, but unless they all work together the defences fail and they all will be together under the water. This has taught the Dutch that social problems need social solutions, and to tolerate your neighbour even if you don't like them. Unlike many other countries, the Netherlands also remembers that during WWII it was not only the Nazi facists that committed the holocaust – plenty of homegrown facists actively took part in a purge of Jews, communists, homosexuals and liberals. The backlash in horror from this deviation from polder mentality bred the liberal laws of the Netherlands that are supported by even the conservatives in the country as the right of people to chose for themselves, even if they don't approve of the choices they make.

Behind the windmill was Rembrandt Hoeve, so called because the farmhouse appeared in the background of several sketches Rembrandt did of windmills. The farm is a cheese and clog factory, and we got to watch both being made. The clogs are surprisingly quick to make on a simple lathe. Now only four factories make wooden clogs in the Netherlands, and most of those go to tourists. The only people who wear them now tend to be farmers, because it is practical to have a shoe that floats and dries quickly when working in a polder, and one that saves your foot if you are stomped on by a cow. Until recently construction workers wore them for the same reason, but living in town they were subject to more mocking and switched to steel-capped boots.

On the ride back we stopped in at an Irish pub for a beer. I had a quick couple of Duvel's to refresh myself, quite a nice beer and surprisingly strong (strong enough that the Irish bartender said to me when I ordered my second "you do know this is not an ordinary beer, right?"). I got good language advice from our guide, who only spoke English until he was thirty, but is now fluent in five languages (which is good to hear from someone who was monolingual beforehand). He said that he learned Danish when living in Copenhagen with his Danish girlfriend by borrowing Danish pornographic comic books from the Copenhagen library (which had a very large collection). She made him read one to him every night, and corrected his Danish in the nicest possible way. He said the experience was very rewarding.

If Paris is style, Amsterdam is cool. And not cool in the high school manner of the kid who gets into trouble and bullies others around, but the authentic "I don't give a damn what you think about me" style.

Lydia and I caught the train here from Ghent via Antwerp on Friday night. I was burnt out from my week of interviews, so we just crashed in our miniscule hotel room on Damrak in medieval Amsterdam. The next morning we started by walking through the streets and over the canals of Amsterdam, seeing the beautiful old buildings, built leaning forward and with a hook at the top so that residents can use a pulley system to get furniture into their houses without navigating the tiny steep stairs. The city is so quiet, with hardly any cars and everyone zipping about on old bicycles (they use old bikes so they don't have to bother locking them up, and in a country below sea level there are no hills to require decent gears), Amsterdam has 600 000 bicycles for a city of 750 000 residents.

Our destination was Anne Frank Huis. The story of Anne Frank is devastating. Her father, Otto Frank, saw where Hitler was leading Germany and moved his family to Amsterdam in 1933 (he tried to move to America but was denied a visa). Unfortunately, in 1940 it took the Germans only five days to conquer the Netherlands, and the anti-Jewish laws started going into effect. In 1942 he decided to move his family into hiding, and constructed a secret annex in one of his warehouses, relying on his Dutch employees to provide for and hide the family. They spent two years in the annex, without fresh air or sunlight, too frightened to make any noise, living in a climate of fear. It is horrible just how natural this existence comes to Anne, being only 13 when she entered, who gets hurt the most by the people around her and the prudish upbringing she was given. They were so close to surviving the holocaust when they were betrayed just weeks before the city was liberated. They were split up and sent on the last train from Amsterdam to the concentration camps. Anne's father, Otto, survived Auschwitz, but seven months after he had been freed, and just weeks before Anne's camp, Bergen-Belsen, was liberated, Anne died alone after watching her mother die of starvation trying to feed her daughters and her sister Margot die of typhus.

Just one case among the more than 100 000 who died in the Netherlands, a number so great that it includes three other "Anne Franks". I think Primo Levi describes our reaction to Anne Frank perfectly: "One single Anne Frank moves us more than the countless others who suffered just as she did, but whose faces have remained in the shadows. Perhaps it is better that way: If we were capable of taking in the suffering of all those people, we would not be able to live."

With the museum is an exhibit Free2choose, which challenges visitors to consider the rights of the individual.

After Anne Frank Huis we visited the Amsterdams Historisch Museum, where we got to see a brief history of Amsterdam from its origin as reclaimed farm land from the fens, through to its trading might and current life.

Our next stop was another museum, this one the Hash Marihuana and Hemp Museum, dedicated to all things marijuana. The Dutch are very proud of their logical approach to drug control, and the fact that it works so well – despite marijuana being decriminalised and available in 300 coffeeshops around the city, the youth use is the lowest in Europe (and far lower than America), as is the use of heroin (the legalisation of marijuana takes away the distribution base of drug dealers) and their drug-related violent crime, incarceration rate and associated criminality are all far far lower than in America or other more "zero tolerance" countries. It is staggering to think that so many countries follow America's failed policies on drugs when the alternative Netherlands approach works far better.

In the evening Lydia and I went on a cruise around the canals of Amsterdam. It was a pleasure to see all the old buildings and sit back and watch the city bustle around us. I especially enjoyed the fact that the cruise included unlimited beer (and unlike some places they were filling up your glass the second you finished) and stopped to pick up Domino's Pizza and Ben and Jerry's ice-cream for us half-way through.

After our Pizza Cruise we walked through the Red Light District to see the prostitutes standing in their booths (around 360 booths line the Red Light District). Some where actively trying to attract customers, while others seemed extremely bored and sat there doing crossword puzzles or text messaging. It is very interesting, sex and prostitution is not only legal but it is also not taboo – the Red Light District is not a seedy area, but a vibrant night spot, where people go about their business, find a restaurant or a bar, or watch the kayakers move through the canals in a congo-line. A very different feel from Las Vegas, for example, where the "sinfulness" of the site is part of the titillation.

Normally I couldn't care less (or even notice) what people wear, but I now have a new rule. European men shouldn't try to imitate American fashion. The rapper look in America is a connection to gang and gun culture, linked to prison culture where pants at half mast is a solicitation of illicit sex. It just doesn't work on European men when the jeans are figure hugging and designer cut, on a guy who looks friendly and sophisticated. 

After two interrupted starts (see South America I and II) I finally set off on my trip around the world. Well, around the world, I wasn't planning anything, but I had a ticket to Australia the wrong way around, which gave me stop-overs in South America, Easter Island, Tahiti and New Zealand, which I intended to utilize to the fullest.

After arriving in Australia, I wouldn't know. I'd simply see what'd happen and when I'd come back, if ever. Altogether it took me almost a year to arrive in Australia, while the original plan was to travel to Australia via South America in 5 weeks. That shows how good I am in planning.  The day I arrived in Australia was the day my round-the-world ticket expired, so I basically had a visa for a year, no ticket home and no plans - just how I like it!

Some statistics of this trip:

* With the backtracking I did between Chile and Australia/New Zealand (don't ask) I travelled some 135,000 kilometres - that is thrice the world over.

* I crossed the international date line 5 times in an 8 month period.

* I spent 694 hours in a car, walked for 663 hours and sat in buses for 557 hours. I spent 267.5 hours on various types of boats and my flight hours totalled to 236 hours (excluding 81.5 hrs waiting at airports). I sat on trains for 80 hours, 26 hours in taxis, 18 hours on a bike, 16 hours in the subway, 15 hours in a kayak, 13 hours in a tram, 5 hours on a motorcycle, 4 hours on skis, 3.5 hours in a raft and 2 hours on horseback.

* During this trip I also worked for a few days here and there. Some of the jobs I had: computer analyst, HR rep, actor, model, collector, journalist, mover and sea container stacker.

* For this trip I wrote 925 pages worth of diary, of which I hope to translate 'the greatest hits' into English for inclusion in this blog someday. I'll also post some of my 6000+ photos, but as this was pre-digital days, I will need to scan them. For now you'll just have to make do with the photos I scanned and e-mailed home during my trip.

For clarity reasons, the map in this blog outlines the general route I took, without any of the backtracking.

I have to admit that when I first visited the capital of Holland I had certain expectations. I expected rampant and obvious sexual freedom, I expected marijuana to rain over me in showers, I expected canals. Apart from that I was very little informed about this vibrant city. I had not expected it to switch so instantaneously from gaudy tourism to quiet beauty, I had not expected to be constantly (pleasantly) surprised by sights or sounds or people, and I had certainly not expected the lifestyle to suit me so well.

Although nobody can blame people for capitalising on tourism- Amsterdam recieves well over a million visitors a year- of what I have explored, I prefer the quieter streets. Almost as soon as you leave Rembrant- or Leidsplein the city returns to normality in wonderful ways. There are

I am in the USAF, now a couple of friends and I decide to jump on a train and head to Amsterdam for the weekend.  So we each load a backpack and jump on the train.  Now here is where I ran into some trouble, I had quit smoking a couple of weeks before hand.  I was good with this, that is until I stepped off the train.  As a military guy I can not use certain substances, many leagl in Amsterdam.  I get off the train and was hit by a cloud of smoke that was not from your average cigarette.......I needed a smoke BAD!!!  Well after calming the nic fit, with an unfiltered lucky strikes, the group decided on a nice little dinner and drinks at the hard rock cafe.  We each had a few cocktails and were ready to start the night.  My friends go on the Hard Rock Cruise while I went back to the station to pick up the rest of the crew.  Not seeing them at the station, I found my way to an open air concert where I was served draft beer by a man on stilts and sat under a cloud of familiar smoke.  I have no idea who the band was, but remember several MTV Europe signs everywhere.  The next day there was a host of interesting events ranging from a trip to the Anne Frank house, to the sex museum, to well we had to go the the RLD.  I left with a love for the culture, the music, the scent and sights of one of my favorite destinations AMSTERDAM

We realized several days after the fact that we forgot to write about one of the fun things we encountered while in Amsterdam. While walking down a narrow street the second day we saw a mannequin outside a small store, dressed in a cape and wearing a gorgeus Venice-style mask. We ducked inside and found ourselves in a shop that specialized in hand-made masks from Venice. They were absolutely beautiful, with many styles and various levels of elaboracy (did I just make up a word?). The owner of the store was particularly friendly and proceeded to spend the next hour or so helping us to try on different masks and explaining much about them. It turns out the person who made these is the same who was commisioned to make all the masks in the film Eyes Wide Shut, starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. I haven't actually seen the movie myself but I believe the premise is based on masquerade balls where everyone wears these masks. So of course mine and Jenni's favorite mask was apparently the same one that Tom Cruise wore.

What with our backpacks, we weren't able to buy any masks at this time, but they do ship to the states and we might buy some for Halloween this year when we get back. We did buy a couple of plain white base masks, so we could try our own hand at decorationg also when we get home.

The morning of sunday August 17 we awoke shortly before our overnight train arrived in Amsterdam, Holland. First of all, some of you may be wondering why we are jumping up from Switzerland all the way up to Holland. I admit, its not the most sensible route. Originally, we had intended to next go to Italy, followed by France, then Belgium and Holland, finally returning to Germany to fly home. But our attempts at finding Servas hosts in Italy proved to be completely futile. We emailed perhaps 15 hosts between Venice and Rome, and we received  2 replies total and both in the negative. Then one of our hosts in Austria explained to us that virtually the entire country of Italy goes on vacation in August except for those who's business involves tourism. Plus its really hot in Italy in August, so we decided to reverse our route starting from Holland. Therefore Italy will be our last destination before returning to Germany.
So, back to Amsterdam. This is a truly crazy town. We first had to try and find some accomodations, as we had no host here. Our guide book listed several hostels, and so we tried to find one. The first place we stopped at was completely full, but recommended another around the corner. This one had nothing except for a private apartment, which was actually quite reasonable in price, and we took it. So we settled in for a bit, and eventually decided to wander the streets.
Surely almost everybody is aware of Amsterdam's reputation. Well, it lives up to it to say the least. Everywhere you go, there are "coffee shops", which are essentially marijuana-selling bars. Walking by these places (and really the whole city), it seriously reeks of pot. Also there are frequent Magic Mushroom shops, which probably don't require furthur explanation other than they also sell various "soft" drugs, not just tasty fungi. So we walked around for quite some time marveling at all this. In the afternoon we felt compelled to visit the Sex Museum, as there is no better city in which to enjoy such a subject. Lots of erotic art and objects from throughout the centuries here, and of course much pornography (from a historian's viewpoint of course).
Then of course nightime came, at which time the infamous Red Light District is not to be missed. This term comes from the fact that all of these "ladies of the night" stand in the windows dressed in lingerie, and above the window is a red neon light to signify their trade. Very entertaining.
The next day, monday, we did some more wandering, but actually didn't do too much. This was another just plain tired out day for us, so we really took it easy. We did walk along some canals, and to be fair to Amsterdam it really is a nice city. Beautiful buildings and architecture all around, and picturesque canals criss-cross the city. One thing to beware of, however, is the multitude of crazed psychotic bicyclists. Okay, they're not insane, but they are EVERYWHERE! Europe in general has way more bicycles, but Amsterdam is on a whole different level. So as a pedestrian you need to be careful of both cars and bicycles.
Til next time

Teasers is a great bar not far from the train station in Amsterdam. The atmosphere is a little like Hooters except the girls are hotter, there is no food, and body shots. Lets just say this, I was robbed by a very attractive young lady with a tray of test tube shots, and didnt know how it happened, so I did it again. Overall the place is worth stopping by while in the neighborhood, grab a hiene and enjoy!!!

Lars, Larry, Ken & Lady Di arrived on time and met at "The Meeting Point" in Schipol airport.  This is the best idea for locating your travel buddies in a large airport.  You can't miss it because it is a collection of red and white squares that form an interesting structure amidst the airport kiosks.  Roek picked us up in the van and gave us a tour of the high school he and Lars attended, and former neighborhoods.

We spent the day trying to ignore our jet lag and drove to Muiden for lunch where we had a beer and our first uitsmijter (open-face sandwich with bacon, cheese, tomato & egg)  delicious!  After lunch we drove from Muiden (after looking at the castle fortress guarding the water entrance to the town) to Naarden (another old fortified town).  We also saw the house that Lars & Elizabeth lived in before moving to North Carolina.  Finally we returned to our hotel for some much-needed rest.

At last, the moment I’ve been waiting eight months for is there: I’m off to Australia for six weeks! Well, my parents and sisters are tagging along so I won’t be on my very own. After all, they want to see my brother too! We’ll sorta pick him up in Australia ending his travels through Australia New Zealand and South East Asia. It must be sad times for him…

But the best for me! Six weeks of Aussie-culture, Aussie-landscapes, Aussie-food and Aussie-life: Six weeks of Aussimeness! Plan is to start in Adelaide for a double family reunion: I’ll meet some relatives who moved to Australia a long time ago and see my brother again after being separated for eight months.

Following up is a flight to Alice Springs to do some desert survival in the Red Centre and visit the holy rock Uluru (a.k.a. Ayers Rock).

Next on the list is Darwin to see some of Nature’s beauty in Kakadu National Park and the Katherine Gorge and after that we’ll of course spend some time in Darwin itself as there’s quite a bit of history to the city.

From Darwin we’ll make our way to Australia’s biggest city Sydney which one simply can’t miss out on. There we probably can’t miss out on World Youth Day which happens to coincide with our stay in Sydney. And that’s where I’m only halfway my six week trip!

In the following three weeks my family and I will fly form Sydney to Brisbane from where we’ll travel north to Cairns. Last objectives there are learning to surf and seeing some of the world’s tropical rainforests still intact. Once in Cairns I’ll need tol brush off my diving skills on a three-day diving fest in the Great Barrier Reef. This will then be followed by another party in Palm’s Grove (just north of Cairns) as I’ll celebrate my birthday there. That’s where my six weeks of Australia will end and I’ll have to return to Amsterdam again.

But before my adventure starts, I have to pack… Oblivious to what a task that is, I only start packing on the day of my flight… I soon realize it’s quite hard to pack for a country with at least three different climate zones while still keeping my amount of luggage to a limit. Strange enough, I end up with the lightest bag of the family packed in the least time. It wasn’t all good times though as my lateness caused some stress and irritation with my family. I reckon that’s just part of the travelling: You’re never a 100% prepared for what’s coming and there’s always a last minute thing you have to take care of.

We head off to the airport and find we are still on time to check in. But before long, another problem rises. My sister’s visa hasn’t been applied for properly/the lady behind the counter can’t spell right. Sigh. After some forty minutes we’re finally able to proceed to customs which takes some time as well. Double sigh! People what is taking you so long!? I just want to start my holiday!

But once I stand in front of the gate that’ll allow me to start my trip to Australia I’ve already forgotten about all the hassle we had to go through. I suddenly realize six weeks is the longest time I’ve ever been away for and I got quite some things ahead of me. With my mind set on Hong Kong as a first stop I enter the plane and think: “Let the adventure begin!”

Perfect place to experience the City from! Very easy to find from central station and within reach of so many places in Amsterdam. This is exactly what I wanted and made my trip so much less stressful. I had no problems, and the guys at the desk were always really helpful and friendly. There is no curfew at this hostel which makes exploration so much more flexible. They have safe lockers on site for your things for a very small deposit and will let you leave your luggage in a safe place after you check out, so you can still go off and get the most out of your last day. Definitely would reccommend it for low-budget trips to Amsterdam!

Just some happy snaps around Amsterdam

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