First Trip To Amsterdam: Part 2 of 3
I don't remember much of the following day. I don't remember at all what I did in the daytime so it could not have been very interesting...oh yes, hahhaa, I went for a walk to see if I could find something in the south of the city. However, I took a wrong turning and ended up traveling due west, by foot, for a few miles. During my wild walking, I came across a university and contemplated trying to sneak inside to pretend to be a student and eat in the canteen. I am sure it would not have been problematic but I was not brave enough and instead walked on, finding a street full of diamond shops. I was amazed at how many jewellery shops there were, and by the prices.
Then the rains came. Again. I stood with a lot of locals outside of a shop, hiding beneath the awnings and enjoying the close community spirit. And guarding my pockets against spirited pocket-pickers. The rains stopped and I continued to walk.
I can now juggle three balls.
I then went on another expedition this time intending to go west, and managed it nicely. I wanted to find a sort of nightclub that apparently had live music playing on the top floor - a rock theme music room. I saw something interesting on the map and assumed it to be that. Since I knew the night might involve walking in quiet places after dark, I tore my map in half to save my pocket from bulging too much. I kept the northern half.
After a ten minute walk, a ten minute tram ride, I then walked to find the road. My map told me to walk north and to follow the tramline at the crossroads to the east, which I did. I would then reach a canal and the northern road would be mine. I reached it, happily, and checked the road name, which had two many words and not enough letters. Turds. I then checked the road. No tram lines! Turds again. I retraced my steps and continued to walk along the first road, to the north...for about thirty minutes. I eventually met somebody and asked for directions. He did not speak English, so I spoke in French to him instead and he pointed to a place on my map that was actually about 5 miles south of where I thought I was. I think he was wrong. The major giveaway was that the road he pointed to was in fact a bridge, and I was in the middle of a housing estate.
I eventually found my way (by myself, bitter, bitter me) and walked all the way along the road I had located. The night club thing was actually a theatre, which was totally useless since it was now 11pm. I walked to the end of the road and felt that I had been there before. I checked the road sign. It again had too many words, but this time not enough syllables. Interesting.
I walked back towards the town centre until about 11:55pm when a tram went past. The people at the station had told me that there are no trams after midnight, so I chased after it and jumped on, getting partially squashed by the closing doors and rather upsetting the driver.
"Are you going to central station?"
"What? By chance?"
"Yes, by chance."
"No, I'm not...."
He was actually much more rude than that, but anyway, I jumped off and caught a bus instead and made it back to the city, eventually... and went back to my hotel to continue my juggling lessons.
By 2am I was becoming bored of juggling so I went for another walk. I had been told to stay away from dark alleys and the RLD after dark as it can be very dangerous. I decided to test this by walking through the darkest alleys and in the most quiet of places. I was enjoying the risk too, right up until I overheard a conversation:
"yeah thanks for leaving me with something man, I mean, most of them just break your back, y'know..."
'Great,' thought I.
I continued to walk past the gang which consisted mostly of black men and one white man, and another man who they were holding off the ground by the scruff of his collar.
"HEY YOU!"
'Double Great,' thought I.
I continued walking, having learned the earlier lesson to not reply.
"HRIPKRIP A HIPPETY KRIPPETY KRIPF" <=== This is what very fast angry Dutch sounds like to me.
I continued walking.
"HRIPKRIP A HIPPETY KRIPPETY KRIPF" "HRIPKRIP A HIPPETY KRIPPETY KRIPF!!!" <== This is what it sounds like when it is worse.
Anyway, so I continued to walk, now a little bit faster. They tried in English:
"Do you see him running?"
"Yes I do,"
"Shit!"
Shit. Quite. I turned left and walked a little faster, checking the eyes of the smiling beauty in one of the windows, to see where she was looking. She smiled at me, dancing her sexy dance. I was ignoring her dance and enticing expression.... waiting... watching... walking... then her eyes flicked to a point behind me.
"Hey you!!"
....to be continued...
#1: Guest #2 (John) - at 14:29 on 01 Oct 2012
Can\'t wait for part 3 lol John