Alice in Amsterdam

We fell through the rabbit hole and landed ourselves in Amsterdam. More specifically, Bob's Youth Hostel in Amsterdam, a place just as sketchy as it sounds.

It actually wasn't bad, though the sight (and smell) of the common room would send most parents on the next plane to snatch up their children from the lenient grasp of the Netherlands.

(There was a strict no-smoking policy. It read, "NO SMOKING. CANNABIS ONLY." And there was no smoking at breakfast time.)

Due to the weekend-long downpour, we spent a fair portion of our time in the common room. Even after venturing out into the city, we found that Bob's was a popular hub, always crowded and always interesting. We became familiar with some of the regular characters. There was the artist: black peacoat, stringy black hair, spliff perpetually stuck in his fingers. He was painting one of the hallways of the hostel and kept us updated on his progess, always after asking if we had rolling papers. There was the manager: short older man that refused to acknowledge anyone's presence until they stood at the counter for at least a minute. There were plenty of fellow Americans: Washington, California, Oregon (trend?), etc. etc. The lights were dim, the tables were dirty, and the music was always too bohemian and too loud to be conducive to conversation, but hey. Every seat was full and it was it a good time.

Don't worry, we saw the city too. On the first rainy day, we walked past the permanent market that sells huge varieties of tulips, admiring the canals along the way.  On the second rainy day, we explored the neighborhood Jordaan, known for its narrow streets and quaint feel. We watched Alice and Wonderland while drying off and eating lunch. That night, we went into the oldest part of the city, and heeded the advice of an Amsterdam native, "Take a walk through the huge red light district at night. Feel uncomfortable with the women standing behind glass selling themselves, and feel uncomfortable as you see men leave, after their visit. It's a little weird, but you should go see it. It's part of Amsterdam."

The following day, we went to the central library, a fairly recent masterpiece. It was mod to the max, replete with study pods and odd chairs. The whitewashed, organized, and clean aesthetic of the library was, in retrospect, an exaggerated but accurate reflection of Amsterdam's less appreciated side. Many of the boutiques, government buildings, and even grocers favor this simple interior look, in contrast to the decorated northern architecture they are housed in.  From the library, we took a ferry to an abandoned shipyard and warehouse complex that has been repurposed by an artist colony. Stacks of massive shipping containers were refurnished into apartment building, each container is now a home. The top floor of the shipyard is a skatepark, apparently Tony Hawk's #2 favorite. The main floor is a sprawling market, with studios visible in the back of the building. The isolated, super-grafittied village was surreal. And then we got back onto the ferry and sailed away to the real world. Well, almost, since later that night, I discovered vla, a dutch pudding-like dessert that is sold in a milk cartoon. Clearly an otherworldly delight. I'm really going to miss Albert Heijn, the Netherlands' national grocery store (which we frequented every day).

With more travel ahead, we will surely miss the lazy, rainy days and nights spent in the common room of Bob's Hostel. Stay cool, Amsterdam. More backpackers want to breathe you in.

Love,
Alexis



*Pictures are on the way, we have no wifi right now*