4 August 2014 11:30 am
the train from Amsterdam to Berlin
The first leg of our journey is over! We are currently on
the train (about a 6 hour ride) to Berlin where we have 2.5 days. The travel
from Madrid to Amsterdam was not the best for me- I had some disappointments
and frustrations and a bit of crying in the middle of the airport, but overall,
I made it! Traveling may appear to be glamorous and all full of fun, but there’s
a lot of work and stress that go into it in the background. I had the
opportunity to stay with my friend Bastienne in the town of Schagen about an
hour by train from Amsterdam. I met her randomly on my family’s trip to
Thailand and fortunately we’ve stayed in touch- thank you Bastienne and Stefan
if you’re reading this! :) Their hospitality was so appreciated! Meet people on
your travels because you never know how they can help you out in the future
(saving me a day and a half on my own without Gretchen).
Amsterdam is such an interesting city I think because of how
it is perceived by Americans compared to how it actually is. Everyone in the US
thinks, “oh, let’s go to Amsterdam, full of drugs and prostitutes and partying!”
It is so much more than that- a city built around beautiful canals with
beautiful architecture. Gretchen and I took a while to find our hostel (we didn’t
really plan in advance where to go) but then we finally got to put our
backpacks down and explore the city. Walking is such a good way to get around,
even if you get lost, you just get to see more! This trip is an experiment for Gretchen
and I because we are both really huge planners- like we’re scarily organized
when it comes to school and most other things in our lives. Yes, we know
exactly what cities we’re visiting and when, and we have lists of what we want
to see in each place, but we haven’t planned out what we’re doing day by day.
SHOCKING! Luckily we also have adventurous spirits that allow us to do this. As
long as we confirm that we have somewhere to sleep and a way to get there, I don’t
think either of us will be full of too much stress.
The culture in Amsterdam is so fascinating; you can
especially notice the difference when walking through the Red Light District on
a Saturday night. The sex workers line the streets in red-lit windows, scantily
dressed and looking for work. They are completely legally working- they pay
taxes and rent out the spaces they use. It isn’t taboo like it is in the US.
Also, no matter 10 am or 10 pm Monday through Sunday, you will smell weed
everywhere you go. It is not actually legal, but the government supports it
because it brings in money for the country and the city. I don’t remember the
exact figure but it’s like hundreds of millions of Euros each year.
Finally, I would encourage anyone who’s reading, especially
young people, to do a trip like this! It’s so fun to not live glamorously, in a
room with 20 other people, out of a single backpack. We’re eating street food
and living as cheaply as possible by walking and it’s so exciting. I’ll try to
write after each place, I’ll probably have time on the trains!
See ya later!
-Anna
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