Getting to central Amsterdam from near the Schipol airport was very easy. I just jumped on a shuttle back to Schipol and bought a day pass on the train for only six Euros and change. Total transit time was maybe 40 minutes.
When I arrived I walked out of the station and crossed the street to come right up on the canal boat tour docks that I was looking for. For another thirteen Euros I had a day pass for the “hop on, hop off” tour via the canals, which was exactly what I was looking for. I was glad to get there quickly. The weather in Amsterdam when I arrived was cool and rainy, with the rain at times coming down pretty hard. I picked up a cheap umbrella right there on the dock for just five Euros and that was all I needed to stay dry while waiting on the boat.
Central Station in Amsterdam
My first stop was the Anne Frank House. A new pen pal of mine in Dallas had recommended that I go there, and honestly had she not I wouldn’t have even thought of it. I’ve heard of Anne Frank of course, but did not remember that her sad story unfolded in Amsterdam. The house is, of course, a global attraction. Even in the rain there was a line wrapped around the block to get in, so I had to wait a while. It was well worth the time and the money to see. The image of Otto Frank standing in the Secret Annex after the war is one of the most haunting images I’ve ever laid eyes on. One of the officers at my company has a print of the photo in his house, which was the first time I ever saw it. The one at the Ann Frank house is a much larger print – nearly life sized.
Waiting in the Rain at the Anne Frank House
After that it was lunch time. I walked around the Jordaan neighborhood a bit looking for a cafe to get a sandwich and a Coke. By this time I was very hungry and thirsty. Sitting at a table next to me were four American guys that had the bohemian “we’re touring Europe after grad school” look about them. I didn’t take much notice until one of them pulled out his MacBook. Aha. Two things.
- Maybe this dude had similar power supply troubles and could suggest what to do about it now that I was stuck in Holland with no juice for my personal laptop.
- It is really striking to me how many Apple users look like the stereotype of Apple users. These guys could have walked right out of an Apple commercial. Hip, sort of rumpled, not clean shaven.
Success. Apple Dude #1 figured that my wall adapter was probably the culprit to my fried power supply and after hearing his explanation I agreed. My adapter did not have a ground plug. The outlet I used in Bangkok did have a ground plug. Made sense. Even better, just a few blocks down the street from where we were there was an Apple reseller where I could get a replacement power supply with a European plug. Awesome. I went there straight after I was done with my sandwich. Tip: if you are traveling outside of the US in a country where Apple had no retail stores, be sure to hit the “reseller” link on their web site. It is very likely to help you find something local in a major city like Amsterdam where Apple has no stores of their own, something I figured out after the fact.
From a canal bridge to Jordaan
After picking up my power supply, I wandered around a landmark church near the canal boat dock while I was waiting on the next pickup. It was like a museum inside – perfectly preserved, nice little gift shop for tourists, not actually used anymore.
A Dutch Museum of Christianity
I found it interesting that on the way in the guide audio on the boat was quick to point out that hardly anyone actually attended church in Holland anymore and that many of the churches were being converted to office buildings. I paid careful attention for the next two days and noted something I had never thought of before. There were ZERO outward indications of religious belief anywhere in Holland. Contrast that with riding around in the US and the many church vans, “What would Jesus do?” bracelets and “In case of Rapture this car will be unmanned” bumper stickers. The cultural difference between Europe and America in that regard is no exaggeration.
Anyway, after killing a little time there it was back to the tour boat and on to the Rijksmuseum. I wanted to go there to see the Rembrandts and Vermeers that they had on display. After all, when would I be likely to see those again? Folks, if you like art or history at all you simply have to go there if you are in Amsterdam. Forget about the fact that it’s under renovation. The thing is so huge that the part that’s not under renovation is still very large and very much worth seeing. Of course they wouldn’t let me take pictures inside, but I’ve copied just two of the paintings from online sources to give you a tiny glimpse of the original works that I got to see.
Rembrandt’s The Night Watch. It covered a huge wall. Enormous painting.
One of the many Vermeer paintings on display
After the tour of the Rijksmuseum the sun came out. Wow. That’s when I got the picture that I posted below. It’s hard to describe how pretty Amsterdam is in the Spring sunshine.
One thing I did not go to see – the Red Light District. When you travel to places like Bangkok, Las Vegas, New York City, Mexico and Shanghai coming into contact with prostitutes is almost unavoidable. If you are out and about you are going to see them. So there was no novelty for me in the idea of seeing what that part of town would be like. And I did not want to watch pretty young women selling themselves to strangers. I have a daughter and it’s hard for me to not think about the fact that those women are somebody’s daughter too, however tragically estranged they might be from their families and even themselves. So I couldn’t tell you what Amsterdam’s famous red light district is like. I did see this somewhat amusing text in my guidebook however:
“Prostitution: If you visit one of the women, we would like to remind you, they are not always women… If you have any problems with a girl or a pimp, do not hesitate to ask a police officer. We know why you are there and you can hardly surprise us.”
Instead of wasting my time there I bought some souvenirs for friends and family and headed back to the central train station. On the ride back I was seated next to Julia, a really nice grad student from Michigan who had just finished her masters degree in Rotterdam and was headed back to the US. We had a nice chat about world travels and said our goodbyes when the train got to Schipol.
Another good day of international travel. Man am I fortunate to get have the job that I have.
