Netherlands 2018
I took my very first international flight overnight direct from Boston to Amsterdam to meet up with a friend of mine who was flying over from another location. Choosing the Netherlands as my first international destination was a good decision, as I had heard that most people speak very good English and it would be easy to get around and ask questions if needed. It turned out to be 100 percent true. I used Delta Airlines for this flight and I was quite nervous since it was my first time overseas. I believe the flight landed around 11:00 AM local time. Gathering my baggage from the carousel and going through customs was much easier and less scary than anticipated. The agents were very friendly.
It was really simple to find a taxi driver once outside the airport. The driver was kind enough to tell me before we drove off that my hotel was just a few hundred yards away. I felt a little silly, but thanked him kindly, and walked to the hotel.
Once there, I immediately checked into our hotel for a quick nap whilst awaiting for my friend to arrive from Stuttgart, Germany. Once she arrived, we wasted no time getting on the train to head to where all the action was. First stop...The Sex Museum. Needless to say, the sex museum has a lot of displays that are not family-friendly, so I will not post any pictures that may be considered too risqué. We spent maybe two hours there and got a lot of good laughs.
Afterwards, we decided to just walk around and see what was happening in the area. Most of the activities on the trip were spontaneous, as we were only there for a few days.
We walked up and down so many streets and wound up going to two museums, numerous shops (just to look, obviously), and even spent a few hours at a sauna.
I loved the canals and the buildings along them. They were especially cool at night and kind of gave off a romantic feel...at least for me, anyway.
Who would have ever thought there would be a museum dedicated to the prostitution industry? I don't know how we really found it, but I guess just happened across it walking up and down the streets. It was very educational and respectful. They even posted an instruction guide on how to be successful in the industry! The other museum we went to was the Ripley's Museum...also a lot of fun.
We later stumbled upon Sauna Deco, which is a health and wellness spa. I do not recall the fee to enter, but it was reasonable. The facilities included steam baths, sauna cabins, infrared cabins, a cold plunge bath, and other amenities. I especially enjoyed the infrared cabin and I left there feeling like a million bucks. Be forewarned, though, if you are uncomfortable being nude around others, then this may not be the place for you.
The street food looked good, but we decided to dine in sit-down restaurants, and all of them were phenomenal. Sadly, I did not take any pictures of my meals, and I do not recall the names of the places we dined at. It was not until recently that I decided I wanted to document my adventures and create this webpage.
But, there really is something to be said about the taste and quality of foods in the US versus Europe. Whenever I visit Europe, I always feel healthier after eating there a few weeks.
We ventured out into Dam Square on our way to a pub crawl. Again, I was not thinking about pictures at the time, so I can only share the few I have. But, we saw the Royal Palace, which looked amazing. We decided to go back the next morning to take a tour. It was just as amazing on the inside as it was on the outside. By the way, the pub crawl was cool, too. I only had a couple of drinks, so I could make it through the entire crawl.
I would be remiss if I did not mention our trek through the Red Light District. It is exactly how everyone describes it. Need I say more?
Finally, on our last day in the Netherlands, we decided to take the train and bus to Kaatsheuvel to spend the day at Efteling, which is a fantasy-themed amusement park where the attractions are based on fairytales, fables, and folklore.
The park was opened in 1952, and has some of the most amazing rollercoaster for those of you who are rollercoaster aficionados, like myself. My favorite ride there has to be Vogel Rok (translates to English as Bird Rok), which is an enclosed roller coaster. There are many other cool rides and attractions there, so if you ever find yourself in the Netherlands, spend a day there. You will not be disappointed.
