Riddle Me This...

Amsterdam, Holland

January 1, 2008
N52°22.800
E004°53.320

Tonight is our final night in Amsterdam. Marc and I catch a train to Berlin tomorrow while Shelby and Dustin catch a flight home. We had a great time in our canal house over the past several nights; sharing Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Years Eve dinners, retelling stories, and creating stories for years to come.

One of the best stories from the time in Amsterdam was our first night. As we walked back to our place, still unclear about the good and bad neighborhoods, we walked through a mild “red-light” district. There were probably a dozen red lights glowing above the windows down the alley, woman dressed very provocatively peered, smiled and gestured to passer-bys while children were playing close by on the canals of the Jordaan.

As we walked through the neighborhood, Marc turned and said… “Riddle me this… would you rather walk through this neighborhood or the Tenderloin.” The whole crew started laughing for two reasons—the neighborhood is not sketchy at all and where in the heck did Marc come up with “riddle me this?” The phrase was repeated several times over the following days and Shelby wanted to make sure it was appropriately captured in the blog. The point Marc was attempting to make was in regard to Holland’s laws. In Holland prostitution has been legalized and is supervised by health officials; consequently there’s been a significant reduction in crime and transmitted diseases… something we stopped a minute to ponder.

In closing, I guess I should say, Riddle me this… would you rather spend New Years Eve in San Francisco or Amsterdam? I think the Amsterdam experience was a once in a lifetime for me, I guess I’m getting older. It was great fun to see how other people celebrate, but I could do without the massive explosions and excessive drunks; however, I guess you get the drunks everywhere.

Happy New Year Everyone!

Burning In the New Year...

Amsterdam, Holland

January 1, 2008
N52°22.800
E004°53.320

I can officially say this is my craziest New Years ever. The explosions from fireworks started around 9:00 AM this morning and didn’t stop all day. These weren’t your everyday “Piccolo Pete,” “Sparklers” or little firecrackers. No, the people in Amsterdam apparently have access to industrial strength explosives!

In the morning we headed to Den Hague to avoid the crowds and touch the North Sea. However, when we arrived in The Hague, there were kids strolling along the sidewalks tossing what felt like concussion grenades in the streets and into racks of bicycles. It became obvious that industrial strength explosives were not limited to Amsterdam. We made our way down to the beach, touched the Sea, and kept our heads down on the way back to the train station. Kindergarten aged kids shooting bottle rockets at their friends doesn’t give me a warm fuzzy feeling…

When we returned to Amsterdam the explosions had only intensified, but now there were literally tens of thousands of people spilling into the streets. After a quiet dinner in our apartment and a few adult beverages we figured we had to go out and experience the frenzied streets of Amsterdam for ourselves.

Smoke and fog filled the air. The flash and explosions of bottle rockets and M1000’s reverberated along the canals. In the middle of the streets, small fires burned uncontrolled. The fuel for the fires was piles of corrugated cardboard boxes, which used to be filled with fireworks. Obviously, once the fireworks were gone it only made sense to light the boxes on fire and let them burn in the middle of the bridges.

We were at least 30 minutes away from midnight and 15 minutes away from Dam Square. The crowds were pouring through the streets, all headed toward the Dam; explosions, concussions, bottle rockets zipping overhead, beer bottles rolling across the sidewalk, smoke obscuring the scene, the sound of sirens, people everywhere, running.

We made it to the Dam by 11:45 PM and found a spot in the crowd next to a fat bald guy holding up a wall, swaying, slobbering, talking to himself, and clutching a bottle of champagne that also helped prop him up; he’ll be a wreck tomorrow. We were shoulder-to-shoulder, no room to move, until a kid that looked like a young David Spade, passed out, hit the cobblestones, and started vomiting on his friend’s shoes… the crowd instantly made room.

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1… Happy New Year! We watched the (sanctioned) fireworks and got the Hell out of the Dam right after midnight.

The Dam Square was completely packed, the police were holding people back, and we didn’t have a problem with making an “early” exit. It was 12:15 AM and it felt like the blast of fireworks and chaos and was just beginning to reach a fever pitch. In fact, as we made our way from the square we came upon another giant crowd watching a house fire. The fire had engulfed an entire building and only one engine was battling the incredible blaze. The fire, possibly caused by a bottle-rocket landing on the roof of the building, but more likely caused by the owner shooting rockets into the canals from his front-room window.

We watched as the fire brigade rolled in a few more engines, the house still burning, as fireworks continued to fly across the canals. The sight of the burning house was a little depressing and the thick smoke made it hard to breathe so we headed back to our canal. It was almost 2:00 AM when we finally weaved our way back to our house and the noise of the revelers, music, and blasts still echoed through the city.

What an evening! At times it was a little sketchy, but it will be a New Year’s we will remember for years to come. If you’re ever in Amsterdam for the New Year be ready to blow-up some shit!

Calm Before the Storm...

Amsterdam, Holland

December 30, 2007
N52°22.800
E004°53.320

The tourists are pouring into they city in droves to celebrate the New Year. Today, instead of braving the crowds, we steered clear of the city center and explored our neighborhood. We’re staying in an apartment in the Jordaan district; a hip, trendy, and at times swanky, neighborhood, just a few canals west of the center of the city. It has a feel similar to Polk St. in San Francisco, from Lombard to California.

Shelby and Dustin returned from their day trip to Brugge around 11:30 this morning after getting stuck in Antwerp for the night (train issues… no more to be said). They showered, slammed a couple cups of coffee, and we hit the streets of the Jordaan shortly thereafter. We wandered through little cafes, sat next to the canal and grabbed a few beers, and played some eight-ball in a coffee shop. It was nice to explore the canals and the neighborhood without rushing to see a certain site... no plans, just time.

After several stops and hours later, we made it to Restaurant Cinema Paradiso for an early dinner. The restaurant is similar to Foreign Cinema in San Francisco, illuminating classic movies on the screen as customers dined on pizza and pasta. The food and movies at Foreign Cinema are better, but we still had fun since we were with the whole crew.

During the day tomorrow we'll head to The Hague, avoid the crowds in Amsterdam, and see another part of Holland. Don’t worry though; we’ll be back in time to bring in the New Year with the masses. Happy New Year!

A Taste of Reality...

Amsterdam, Holland

December 29, 2007
N52°22.800
E004°53.320

Today marks eleven months since we left San Francisco on our adventure, The Big Trip. We still remember how anxious we were before we embarked on our trip. We’ve seen a lot, done a lot, and enjoyed every minute over the past eleven months. However, now that we’re only one month from going home we are starting to have a “reverse” anxiety. Let me explain.

Before we left on our trip we counted down the months, the days, the hours, we were very excited to go, but at the same time we had a feeling in our stomachs; an ache that represented the unknown. I remember our last day in our home before we left. We both stood in the kitchen crying; unsure of what the next several months would bring. We weren’t scared, we were ready; but at the same time we were diving into a space we had never been to. It brought an adventure that is for sure!

That familiar pit in our stomachs is back, but now it’s anxiety related to re-entering society—getting jobs, moving back into our home and living what many people call a “normal” life. Returning home and the end of our trip, comes up almost daily in our conversations. We catch each other pondering; thinking about what it will be like at reentry.

Marc told me the other day he feels like an astronaut (we are in Amsterdam). He feels like he’s been in space, weightless, no responsibility except for doing what he loves, traveling. However, the shuttle is headed back to Earth. Gravity is beginning to take hold, feet feeling heavier, and thoughts about reentry. The last week will feel like hitting Earth’s atmosphere… turbulence, tiles flying off the wings, God I hope the parachute ejects! Once on the ground he can “really” only explain his journey to other “astronauts”… the good news is I’m an astronaut too in Marc’s world. We will have stories of our trip to share forever.

I seriously doubt we’ll stand in our last hotel room, in Tokyo, looking at each other amazed we survived the year together. I think we will feel triumph for successfully spending a year together, a year really understanding each other, a year becoming closer, a year simply being a traveler and never once engaging in a no-holds-barred all out brawl.

We spent the day, our 11 month milestone, doing laundry, a necessity when sitting in smoke-filled brown cafes. I even sewed-up a hole in my jeans, something I would never do at home. I would do what every other good American does—throw the jeans away and buy a new pair, but since we’re still tracking to our budget I don’t want to blow it on a new pair of jeans. I will wait until we get home.

Our final month will be as fun as the last eleven months as we wrap up Europe, explore our own country’s capitol and relax on the beach for a few weeks to cap off our trip. We will continue the job search, but for now our lives in San Francisco are still unknown. If it turns out like the past eleven months, then I guess we shouldn’t worry.

Lets Gogh Crazy...

Amsterdam, Holland

December 27, 2007
N52°22.800
E004°53.320

After two back-to-back holidays, the streets were again buzzing with activity. In retrospect, we enjoyed the quiet streets to ourselves, not worrying about being run over by a bike or a random car; free to wander the numerous canals, take photos and simply enjoy the quiet of Amsterdam. It really is a beautiful and unique city, with all the canals, leaning houses, and cobbled streets.

We made our way to the Van Gogh museum today; we weaved our way through crowds of people arriving in the city to celebrate New Year’s Eve, grabbed a Strippenkaart, rolled out to Museumplein, and found ourselves three feet from Sunflowers in less than an hour. The memorable works from the obsessive artist did not disappoint us as we got lost in the museum for a few hours. Our favorite work was Wheat Field with Crows and thought it would look good over our large sofa… we’ll have to keep our eye’s peeled to see if it ever goes on a 50% off-sale.

We snapped back into reality as we stepped back out on the beautiful streets, right into a cold wind and the lead sky of a setting sun. It was around 4:30 PM, the lamps along the canals were glowing orange, and we decided it was time for lunch/dinner. The whole crew ducked into a recommended Indonesian restaurant for some traditional food. BTW… good choice!

With the night still young, we continued to explore the city, constantly taken back by the beauty. We peered into trendy restaurants, checked out menus and vowed to come back another night when we didn’t just eat. As we strolled along the canals we looked into the windows of families celebrating the holidays. Christmas trees, presents, empty bottles of beer, turkey, and gravy boats. It’s odd. Many people leave their window blinds open all day and night; allowing perfect views of their tidy little abodes. As we continued our walk we found a few houses in our neighborhood, the Jordaan, with houses decorated for Christmas… nothing that compares to Mel & Bev and Bob & Kathy.

There’s a lot to see in Amsterdam; thank goodness we have several more days to explore all of the intricate canals, shops and markets of the city.

Amsterxmas... (Censored)

Amsterdam, Holland

December 25, 2007
N52°22.800
E004°53.320

V.2.0
It was a very mellow Christmas in Amsterdam to say the least. The euphoria from our first night in Amsterdam finally wore off after two days, the fog lifted, I could think, and see, clearly again. Even today, two days later, I’m blaming my lapse of memory, bad jokes and inability to walk straight, on the our first night back in Amsterdam.

One thing I know for sure… Christmas is the time to be with family. Even though we’re having a wonderful time in Amsterdam, I still wish I was home enjoying the chaos of Christmas. I know Marc is my family, but the comfort of Mom and Dad never goes away regardless of how old you are. We’ll be home next year for sure!

We each took turns calling our family to say Merry Christmas over the last few days. I might have called more than once, I have to admit. It sounds like everyone at home is having a grand time, as usual. They might miss us, yes, but the celebration was as much fun as if we were there.

After a great egg scramble for brunch and a long walk through Amsterdam, we added a few real ornaments to our tinsel tree and ended up with a beautiful tree/centerpiece. We’ll keep the tree decorated throughout our time in Amsterdam and then pack it up in the tube it came in and use it next year.

Tomorrow is another holiday in Amsterdam, Boxing Day, so things will remain mello. An easy day-trip to Harlaam or visiting one of the museums will be how we’ll start the day; nothing real exciting… but who knows how things will end.

Chicken in Amsterdam...

Amsterdam, Holland

December 24, 2007
N52°22.800
E004°53.320

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night…

As we approach midnight here in Amsterdam on Christmas Eve, our bellies full from a traditional meal of chicken, stuffing, mashed potatoes and green beans. The meal turned out okay even with the limited tools in the house, especially the lack of an oven and a descent knife.

After dinner we got into the Christmas spirit by watching Christmas episodes of “South Park,” including a few special Mr. Hankey Christmas episodes. We sat around our tinsel tree decorated with beer coasters—very classy. It does the trick for Amsterdam though.

Our family is in our thoughts even though we are thousands of miles away from them. This is the first Christmas I’ve ever been away from my family and I know I’m very lucky to have Shelby and Dustin here with us. It helps to ward-off the bouts of home sickness we’re feeling; especially after being gone for so long.

We’ll have a nice Christmas brunch tomorrow morning before heading out to explore the city. We expect most businesses to be closed over the next few days, so we’ll take long walks through the parks, along the canals and pass through the Dam at least five or six times… all in an attempt to soak-up as much of Amsterdam as possible.

Merry Christmas Evening...

Amsterdam, Holland

December 23-24, 2007
N52°22.800
E004°53.320

When we were in the planning phase for our trip, we always knew we would spend Christmas and New Years in Amsterdam. Today was the day we made the trek from Brussels to Amsterdam to kick off Christmas and enjoy some of our last days in Europe, and the last days of our trip, as a whole. All of us, Shelby, Dustin, Marc and I, boarded the 12:19 PM train to Amsterdam.

We enjoyed a few days in Brussels, taking in the beauty of the town square, the light Christmas Light show at night and an opera in the square on Saturday night. Unfortunately, numerous police officers roamed the streets, on high alert, after 13 terrorist suspects were arrested and released the following day in Brussels. The Christmas markets were packed with tourists and locals doing last minute Christmas shopping.

(Marc): This is where we need to pause our story. Laura is hard-at-work in the shitty little kitchen in our apartment in Amsterdam. She’s doing her best to make a Christmas dinner to be “remembered” (hamstrung by crappy tools) and unfazed by the challenge of cooking a 2.5 kg chicken in the Sharp R-852W Magnetron (combimagnetron) oven. We’ll make sure to give an update on the outcome within the next couple days… of course that depends on tonight’s dinner ;-)