Each day was super-long, but there was a LOT of travel involved… so not all of it was hopping with excitement so much…
Day 1: At the rendezvous (Earl's Court) by 5:45 am for a 6 am pickup. Of course I didn't get to bed early the night before… and of course this is an insane and stupid time of the day. Almost got into the wrong Anderson van that was going to Stonehenge or somewhere clearly NOT abroad… (smaller van). But a chick from my tour showed up and we waited together. Also, the bus driver didn't let me on the wrong bus… good man! The right bus came, and the day began… The way these tours work is that Earl's Court is the first stop--and the closest stop to me--but then I have to wait for 4 or 5 other stops around London before we actually even hit the road. So imagine me on a bus just bouncing around London from 6 am until roughly 9… You would be right if you imagined some snoozing… and if you imagined me enjoying the sunrise from the car… even having this thought: "This is my favorite time of day…" which is decidedly a WRONG statement. What I meant to myself (this is all in my head, mind you) is that I do LOVE watching the sunrise at the beginning of a proper road trip. That IS one of my favorite things about road trips!
Also--if I drift into crazy road trip stories or attitudes, you must forgive it… I am definitely from a road trip family-- AND I just watched Fast & Furious 7 and then re-watched the other and am now in a total "ride or die" fist bumping kind of mood. NOT that I have driven anything in months, mind you. And it's pretty difficult to feel "ride or die" while riding the Tube… But at least on the bus--on a ferry--into other countries-- that felt a little more like normal. :)
Speaking of the ferry-- That was fun. It was my first ferry ride across the channel. My other times have been by air or Chunnel… So it was a trip to see the water for once. :)
Of course, I stayed outside a bit--some crazy windiness and coldness as is ALWAYS the case for me in Northern Europe it seems drove me back inside sooner than usual. Changed my money on the ferry (oh, Cardinal sin of economics) as there weren't going to be convenient bank ATM stops for a while, and I might need cash. So I sucked it up and paid my %^&* fees and got my %^&* crappy exchange rates. But didn't regret it for the rest of the weekend! So THAT'S value. ;)
Into Calais, and mad dashing it to a little town outside of Amsterdam called Monnikendam. There was a quick road stop where I got a yummy pizza actually. They warned us not to eat too much there, as we would be having dinner (all paid for and such) when we got to the hotel. BUT in hindsight I'm glad I ate more at the fresh yummy road stop-- there was also a mint orange juice full of oh-so necessary vitamins-- as I always forget that the Dutch believe that vegetarian food is the Devil, and they just refuse to have any around…
SO now we're at the hotel… VERY basic, probably quite cheap for the tour company… but clean and I somehow worked a room all to myself… So that was definitely for the win!! Checked in and down for such a gross dinner: it was a buffet with, let's say, six dishes… ALL meat. There was meat, meat, meat, then rice (with ham), potatoes, (with ham), dessert (with ham??)!!. I had fries-- and we're NOT going to discuss what they were probably cooked in… There was also iceberg lettuce. YUCK! Apparently the ham with a side of lamb with a side of… ???… was quite nice, though, for the others who at that sort of thing…
We're at about 8 pm now, and there is an open bar at the hotel for the rest of the evening… a brilliant strategy on their part, btw… We grab a drink, and then there is the suggestion of taking the bus into town and getting started on our Amsterdam vacation proper… Turns out quite a few of the other travelers haven't ever been to Amsterdam, have no idea of what the red light district is like, have never even smoked out… I feel very old… but not totally in a bad way. So I say YOLO and go into town with--mostly to watch them watching the women in the windows. One guy we're with absolutely refuses even to walk past the "blue lights" which is for the men in the windows… He is a chicken! We go to a coffee shop and get some joints, and… I inhale… which is no big deal for someone from a state that has legal medical marijuana… But again, it's fun to watch 3 or 4 girls with the group smoke for the first time… One girl later in the evening was completely upset that she didn't see dancing creatures or pink elephants or whatever. I LAUGHED… this isn't that kind of high, lady! But it was cute… (Did I mention the old feeling?)
Amsterdam is a small city--not dissimilar in size and general feel from San Francisco, though of course they always compare it to Venice b/c of the canals. They should compare it more to SF, I say! So we just walked up one street and down another, and THAT was the entertainment of the evening. And it was entertaining!! There were a few stag nights and hen parties-- and they would duck into one door or another… The absolute best part of the red light women is how utterly bored they always look… watching tv or smoking or talking on the phone… all in their work lingerie… They don't have to make the effort, it seems, the men will take care of that…
Eventually, we got dessert, waffles and apple strudel things and such… which is the theme of the weekend, as well… These are a people who love their desserts!! And I love them for it! Some time after midnight we decided to catch the bus back… as the next day would be the big day in town… And we were wrecked from all the traveling…
Head hits pillow, and...
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