Amsterdam, the City of Bikes

People in the Netherlands love bicycling a lot, which somehow I never knew before. There is something oddly amusing to me about turning a corner and seeing hundreds of bikes parked against any and every available railing. And there are whole roadways just for bicycling. And if you block them as a pedestrian you become the enemy. Amsterdam charmed me almost instantly.

I only had one full day in the city, but I managed to spend the entire time just enjoying all of the canals, boats, and charming houses that are around every corner. My hostel was right off the central square where the palace and a few other monuments are located. All of the old buildings and architecture are really beautiful, I could spend the rest of my life just wandering this city and never get bored. But of course the city's beauty is overshadowed by the seedier elements of Amsterdam.

Of course you can't talk about Amsterdam without mentioning coffee shops, and although I didn't intend to partake in that particular pastime, when in Amsterdam it's kind of obligatory. My first night there I met a couple of guys who were both traveling alone and we decided to explore the town together. We ended up wandering through the red light district, which was amusing and oddly not depressing. It is odd to see all of the red lights and fake boobs in the midst of beautiful old buildings and canals, but I guess that is part of the charm of Amsterdam. Anyways we ended up at a small coffee shop where we enjoyed the wares for a while, and I have to say that there is something wonderfully calm about the city late at might, even with a million people around. It was a fun night.

The next day I met a few people who were staying in my dorm room in the hostel and ended up playing drinking games and going on a pub crawl with them. I have to say if you are a girl traveling alone in Europe, I would highly recommend going out with guys who are staying in yurt hostel. For the most part they will be like minded travelers, and they will make you feel much safer on the streets and in bars. There particular guys made sure to check up on me regularly and helped keep me from getting lost. Also, pub crawls are amazing and definitely worth the price, in case you were wondering.

Anyways, now I am on the coast and taking a few days off from all of the sight seeing to catch my breath. It is beautiful here too.