Tag 17 (Amsterdam Tag 3)

We got up around 9 and ate breakfast & had coffee at a small place by our hostel, From there we went to this open market and looked around for a while. Ashley tried on an M.C. Escher dress but we didn't buy anything. From there, we walked past the Hortus Botanicus but we didn't go inside because it cost money. So we went into a little pub and got some drinks. We chilled there for a while until we decided to walk to this park area...

Small river running through the park

Looking out on the park

This part of town didn't look like the other, main part of Amsterdam. We walked through the park and sat down by a stream at part where there were ducks and a couple swans. After that, we walked to 'Mankind,' a small restaurant on the side of a canal, and had lunch there. I ordered a weiß beer from Belgium that they've been making since the 11th century. Ashley asked about 'Bitterballen,' which were recommended by the travel guide. The waitress answered that they were dough and meat bits rolled up and then fried. When Ashley said 'thanks I just wanted to know,' the waitress said something like "they sound pretty disgusting don't they?" and another waiter chimed in "they are disgusting!" After lunch we got that heated Dutche waffle-thing again and some ice cream at this place called 'Australian,' which had a chocolate fountain.

A most flattering picture of Ashley eating at 'Mankind'

We walked west along the south end of Amsterdam and eventually tried to find the 'Electric Ladyland' museum of fluorescent art. After some initial directional difficulties we found the place. We went in and found Nick, the store's/museum's owner. He showed us around the store up top as we asked about various pieces and the nature of the fluorescence itself. We paid 5 euro each and went down the Amsterdam-stairs (that is, absurdly steep) into the museum. 

These are all 'inorganic materials' which naturally 'fluoresce'

Part of his display

The fluorescent art display from afar with Ashley looking in the Shiva mirror part

It consisted of one free-standing case with various naturally fluorescent rocks, a sort of glass display like those that jewelry sellers have, and a big artistic display of this guy's work which you could literally walk into. He was really nice, chill, and talkative. There were tons of Hindu statues and symbols like Ganesh, Shiva lingams, and Om's. Sometimes he finished his sentence with a laugh and "Hare Ram Ram." In his display case he had fluorescent things from the 20's and 30's like old 'medical' tools that used black lights including 'miracle machines' which could supposedly cure all sorts of things from baldness to rickets (of course, they were getting suburnt at best and skin cancer at worst). He even showed us babies who got daily 'black light' treatments. He also showed us the black light features of certain everyday objects like credit cards, bank notes, and even basmati rice. He talked about things from government uses of black light to India to the inspiration behind his art pieces - it was nice to talk to someone so passionate about his work/art. Even though the place was small we spent almost 2 hours there.

Part of the display - the bright light is actually a light shining through a geode

The left side of the display with looking windows to see a naturally blue fluorescent rock from Britain

A picture of the store up above the museum area with a blurry picture of Nick, the artist and curator of this small place, and his girlfriend in the background

From there we sat down for some drinks at a bar and then got up to walk around. I felt like Iwas hungry again so we stopped for a falafel. After that we headed back to the hostel to rest for a while. Ashley's friend Kat and others came to Amsterdam today but Ashley can't make outgoing calls outside of Germany without loading money onto the phone. No one called.