Amsterdamage

Amsterdam: is the Capital and the largest city of the Netherlands. It has a population of about 1.36 million comprising 173 different nationalities. Amsterdam is derived from Amstellardam, due to a dam in the river Amstel.

Settled in the 13th century as a small fishing village it developed into one of the most important ports in the world in the Dutch Golden Age.

In the 17th century 3 concentric canals where built, and is classed as the first planned city. There is over 1250 bridges in Amsterdam of which 500 date back to the 17th century.
There is no tide flows in canal system due to locks. Fresh water is pumped in 3 times week to keep the canals fresh.
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Almost in Amsterdam.....
After departing with Kayne and Shaun on Monday morning after a farewell beer) i had to wait until 9:30pm for my overnight bus to Amsterdam.

Being right near the zoo in Berlin i decided to get a ticket and drag my luggage around with me. Compared with Australian zoo's it was really nothing special, but a good way to pass the time. I slowly made my way to bus station to find a feed and await departure. Outside the station, found a steak place that provided internet and had my first steak for the trip, it was tasty but not as good as back home - they really do serve like to serve mayonnaise with everything over here.
NB: In Europe so far steaks are really expensive to buy, so i wont be indulging all that often.

I jumped on my overnight bus connection, which was then delayed by about an hour while we waited for some stragglers to show up....We eventually got underway..woot. The 2 girls I had in front of me put there chairs right back which really cramped my style.. (mind you I did have 2 seats to myself so shouldn't be complaining,) busing it is really not the most comfortable way to travel...

Amsterdam :)

I got to Amstel station at about 6:30am and it was poring with rain, I think this is the most I have seen it rain since I have been in Europe.

Rather than decipher the public transport system on no sleep and with the poring rain, i just jumped in a cab and headed for the hostel (I knew that it was not that far away so wouldn't cost me much via cab)

First thing i noticed was the amount of traffic mediums that are at play in Amsterdam, there's a lane for cars, trams, bicycles, people and canals for the boats, its all very confusing...(especially after visiting a coffee shop, and is even worse at night lol)

Getting to the hostel I just chilled, just wanting to get some rest due to no sleep while traveling (again - I just cant sleep while in transit).
My first stop is in the Orfeo Hostel which is right in the thick of things, only a 10 min walk from everything.

The weather so far has been largely overcast and raining and was only 12 degrees the first day I got here...

Once checked in I decided to head out for a wander. I made it around the corner (less than 500m) and found a coffee shop, 'when in Rome' after all. I settled on a sample of 'G13Amnezia Haze', which i found decidedly strong for me and consequently really needed a lie down, (not at all surprising really, with no sleep and in a new country n all) I must be getting old...lol

After having a lie down I decided I should get some dinner, and ended up having a huge meal at the pizza place across the road, with soup n bread, pizza, tiramisu, 2 pints of heineken and a coffee, i was really hungry for some reason?? :p

I ventured out again to grab a 'coffee' and decided i wold not go as strong this time, and got the 'Chocolope' a much nicer brew.

For the first 6 days in Amsterdam, I am staying at the Orfeo Hostel in a 4 person dorm. This as you can imagine is a very small room, consisting of 2 bunks and a small sink, a communal bathroom for about 4 other rooms.

Initially I was bunking with 2 Scottish lads and Tim from Perth, who has been busking his way through Europe and plays some awesome acoustic folk music, see Tim Montgomery
 
The staff have been very helpful and friendly people and I have had a few great conversations with them so far, they certainly make the place hospitable. Breakfast is provided, which includes a boiled egg, bread and cheese, with juice and coffee. I have found a supermarket up the road, and for about 12 euros I can get dinner and lunch and 6 cans of beer (Heineken or Amstel) This has been a great money saver..
So far i have just been taking it easy, I brought a cough with me from Berlin and I have been trying to keep it at bay, which is somewhat in Amsterdam.

I decided first on a canal cruise which is an easy way to see the city and a good way getting your bareings and planning your future moves. You get a 24 hour ticket and you can ride on any or all of the 4 different cruises offered, I jumped on the Red Line and did a lap of the city, I exited outside the Anne Franks Museum and at this point I went exploring not fully knowing where I was...(I am trying to stick to the plan of getting lost in everyplace I visit)

I wandered around for a bit until it started poring with rain and ducked in for a quick pint. The rain stopped a short time after and I ventured out and manged to get more lost...there is something about the canals here, they are just not good landmarks because there is soo many of them, in fact I think it makes you lose your bearings more...

lucky rainbow

It was at this point while contemplating pulling a map out I saw the rainbow :) this with the sunlight lit up the street in front of me so I followed.  As I ventured down I saw some familiar landmarks and found my way home again.

That night after venturing down to the local coffee shop and getting well baked I came back to the hostel and played President and Assholes until late with Tim, Ally and Bronwen (friends I met at the hostel)  - it has been a long time since playing this card game.

The more I stay in anywhere in Europe the more you really notice how many Aussies are everywhere.

The morning saw the exodus of my dorm room, so I had the chance to upgrade my bunk to the best one...(bottom near the window :)

Having done this I headed back to the canal cruise and did the orange line, the longest of the journeys. On this trip we got to go past the only windmill left standing in the city area

There are soo many bicycles in Amsterdam, this bike park (to the right) holds some 7000 bicycles, and it is completely full every day, and there are hundreds more parked around the base, and in the general vicinity of this structure. More than 40% of the city's traffic is by bike.
There is said that the Amsterdam canals are 3 meters deep; 1 meter water, 1 meter mud and 1 meter bicycles

In the afternoon, saw the creation of this blog :)  after skypeing with Jim for a little while it was decided the blog was going to happen, and after an intensive skype tutorial (with Jim) = I got trained up good, then got cracking to get the blog up to speed, where it almost is now :)

Last night I met up with Bronwen Ally and Tim again and we all paid a lil visit to a well acquainted coffee shop, with a few other peeps that we met at the hostel.. (two of which are my new roomies), we all headed down to the Iamsterdam sign (beacause I thought it was lit up, however  all the lights were smashed in :(

We then missioned back towards the hostel via some food suppliers....

That brings up to today :) finally. woot woot
So far I have just completed my blog. It has been raining again on and off all day, and I had already to take today off, so win win. Minimal Amsterdamage YET today lol..it is Friday night however :)