Immediately after arriving at central station and getting coffee, we got on a cab to the house boat. Our first real impression of the city was our angry cab driver, and we couldn't quite figure out what we had done to make him so angry. We're still not sure if we under-paid him because he threw us and our bags out so quickly.
So after being thrown out onto the street, there we stood, on a bridge with our brightly colored luggage. Using our little knowledge of the address of the boat, we found it, but were not able to connect with the owner to get the key. So, we dropped our bags at my future home and set off to explore the city.
A few discoveries I had:
One thing- The temperature was about 40 degrees. Not that cold, right? Wrong. The wind pierces right through you.
Another thing, I could fall right into the toilets if I'm not careful! I thought I had wide hips, but seriously, the Dutch must have quads of steel. My first experience with these large-mouthed toilets was in the bathroom at the airport where it's apparently normal for women to sit on the floor while they groom themselves. I would hope the janitorial staff is great.
Also, the Dutch version of Santa Claus comes in from Spain and has black guys as his elves! Am I the only one here who finds this disturbing? Everywhere you see Santa, you see some black guys near him. Really, look:
Before I left, everyone said, "Oh, you better stay out of those brown cafes," implying that the brown cafes are where weed is sold. But really, the brown cafes are harmless. They're just cozy little bars where you can get a beer and some traditional dutch food. It's the coffee shops you want to stay out of.
Last but not least, the red light district. It's not a big deal. I thought before I came that it was this blocked off place where you had to sneak in to and I imagined it to be hidden. Really, we just walked there. I remember saying to my dad, "Are we here?" You could almost find yourself there by accident. Oh look, there's a woman standing in that window. Oh, and she's wearing some underwear. I hope it's warm in there because it's not out here...
Anyways, tot ziens for now.
