I woke up around 8AM with a cramp in my back. I looked around and the other four beds in the room were now occupied by a group of two guys and two girls. We got ready and headed downstairs to get coffee and some bread with cheese. We figured out some things that we wanted to do and then headed out.
The aforementioned stairs of death
Death-stairs #2
We saw the Flower market first which was simply a bunch of shops selling tulip buds lining the street. Ashley got some tulips that could be taken to the USA since most were not 'health inspected' apparently.
Flower market
After this we went into a gigantic record shop where Ashley bought a David Bowie record for her sister. We walked around and stopped for some coffee, a chocolate croissant, and a heated Dutch waffle-thing which is apparently quite popular (and delicious). We walked around more, saw a Rembrandt statue, an Anne Franke statue, etc.
Rembrandt statue in the background with a 3-dimensional statue-rendering of one of his works of art in the foreground
We went into this recommended sandwich place as it started to drizzle. The sandwiches were good but not as hearty as the guidebook had suggested. It took them a long time to get us our check and when it came, we got charged for two waters instead of one... so we had to wait longer for all that business.
Random picture of a typical Amsterdam canal
Finally, we got out of there and saw the 'Homomonument' (thats its official name), which is a monument composed of 3 pink triangles in the ground in recognition of homosexuals. The pink triangle was a symbol given to homosexuals by Nazis during WW2 but since then it has become an emblem of pride. After looking at that for a few moments we went into a multiple-language bookstore where we looked around for a long time - I got Nietzsche's 'Ecce Homo' (No, not related to the previously seen Homomonument... It means "Behold, the man," said about Jesus when he was turned in and put before the masses). After the bookstore we went into a small cafe for some more coffee and Ashley got these tiny, sugar-powdered pancake things. We came back to our new hostel, Aivenau Youth Hostel, around 4pm when I read some of the new Nietzsche book. We napped for a little bit and then went out.... we spent a long time looking for a Geldautomaat (ATM) and we eventually found one in a part of town that we hadn't been to before.
One of many clock-towers in Amsterdam
A closer look at the war monument
An entertainer juggling a flaming stick & a knife while eating an apple
A marching band from Switzerland or something
Looking up stuff in "Let's Go Germany"
We walked by one dude who made eye-contact and just said the word 'sniff' loudly... perhaps a street name for a drug or perhaps he was asking to smell me... Anyways, we walked along the canals looking for a place to eat and another guy walked by and said 'ecstasy pills.' No thanks. Right up the street was a coffee shop coincidentally called "Extasi."
These phallic posts are everywhere on every street in Amsterdam - they even have 'XXX' written vertically, which happens to be part of Amsterdam's coat of arms. Who woulda' thunk...
We looked at the restaurant called "In de Waag" but it was too nice and expensive so we looked for some recommended place in the travel book, but unfortunately it didn't exist anymore. We settled on Thai food around the area which was quite good - their peanut sauce was nice. I tried Jupiler beer which was also good. I almost knocked the table over twice because it was unstable.
Sweetheart candies from the Thai restaurant
After dinner we walked to the river Amstel and saw a place on the water called Café de Jahés which was chill and inexpensive. I tried to get a Jim Beam and the waitress said "Jimmy?" and I was like "Yea, I guess" but instead got a Chimay beer which tasted like a dunkel (dark) version of Hefeweizen. It was worth it I think. We stayed there for a long time enjoying the water & view, and decided we would go back there sometime.
Café on the canal #1
Café on the canal #2
Café on the canal #3
After that we wandered around the Red-light district looking at all the women in the windows and all the varieties of sex shows, shops, and purveyors. It was actually a lot smaller than I imagined - you can meander through the whole district in about 8 minutes. We eventually made our way back to the hostel to pass out. I was awoken by loud, strange snoring and other episodes during the night...
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