Saket Vora

We got a full rest last night and started the day well. We pack sandwiches made at breakfast which saves us money for lunch, leaving more for nice dinners. We first went to Vondelpark and strolled through it a bit. It is alright…closer to Varoslighet than Hyde Park. Afterward we headed into inner Amsterdam on foot, crossing the four main canals that encircle the city. Our first stop was the Amsterdam Historische Museum. It tells the history of the city over the past 1500 years. It was quite interesting to see how the city started from a few dozen homes along the Amstel river, grew into a bigger city, and the development of the unique pattern of canals that run all around the city. It was a good museum, lots of varied presentations and information. Afterward we walked over the main square in Amsterdam, the Damrak, and then crossed into the southern edge of the ‘Red Light District’. I know we weren’t in the heart of the district, but it wasn’t that big of a deal. There were normal people there with kids and such. A slighter higher concentration of ‘coffee shops’ than normal, but that’s about it. We got to the place where there is currently a LOT of construction going on. The only Metro line that goes into inner Amsterdam runs out of the central station going east by southeast. There are construction a north-south Metro line, which would be rather nice, because most of the main Amsterdam sights lie in that direction. We took it pretty leisurely after that, strolling through some of the shopping areas and picked up some extra things to eat for lunch. We went back to the hotel to eat. If it were spring and not cloudy/dark, I would have headed directly to Vondelpark for a picnic in the park. It’s ok. Tonight we will eat at an Indian restaurant. If you walk along Leidsestraat just north of Leidseplein and simply look to your left and ride down the side streets, you can see 8 Indian restaurants in two blocks. I’ve been telling my sisters that we shall avoid Italian food or pizza as long as we can. Amsterdam is quite impressive for its multicultural nature. The current trendy culinary habit for people are take-away Asian noodles eaten with chopsticks. There are innumerable ethnic restaurants to visit.

We are currently planning on taking the 9:30am train to Belgium scheduled to arrive in Brussels at around 12:30. We will go to the hotel, drop off our bags, then immediately head out into the city. Brussels is not as big as Amsterdam, so it should be easier to see. The following day we will take a day trip to the city of Bruges, which is lauded for its charm and beauty. I desperately need to check my internet. I have not yet found one of those internet cafes that isn’t in a drug haze filled ‘coffee shop’. Sigh. Maybe tomorrow. We need to call home tonight too.