Amsterdam, Netherlands

canals and cannabis  chocomel

I've been waiting eagerly to write about Amsterdam. It's truly one of those must-visit bucket list places, and although I didn't spend much time (or any, to be frank) in the infamous coffeeshops, I did have an amazing travel experience in Amsterdam.

As soon as we landed at the Amsterdam Schipol Airport, me and my fellow traveling buddies, Monica from Edinburgh and Tashia from Liverpool, went on the train to drop off our bags at the hotel. Our train ride consisted of me laughing at the big "Welkom Bij Amsterdam" (meaning Welcome to Amsterdam) plastered on the interior of the train. Welkom Bij. I know I'm terribly immature for a 20 year old. But come on.

We wasted no time and headed off to the Van Gogh Museum, five stories worth of original artworks by the great painter himself. Because this is a personal, informal blog, I think I can collect some courage to admit that it was extremely boring, and the paintings look much more grander and cooler in google images. There, I said it, sorry art-enthusiasts :( But Van Gogh and us had something in common though: our love for selfies! (Of course, back then he had to do it the old-fashioned way of painting a self-portrait.....) After making our way through the museum, we visited the mecca for all tourists in Amsterdam: the I AM AMSTERDAM statue photostop! We didn't have much luck because there were too many asian kids running around while their parents tried to snap a good picture, but we had delicious stroop-waffles to make up for it.

We battled the harsh winds and stormy rain to get to the Anne Frank House just in time before it closed that day. Although I didn't know much about the detailed history of the Holocaust, being there was an eye-opening experience. We got to go up the small, squished alleys and staircases and see where Anne Frank and her family hid. To make sure we didn't end the day with such a depressing note, we went on a canal cruise around Amsterdam in the night, enjoying the lights festival that was going on. This city with all of its canals really took my breath away, I mean I've never been to Venice yet, but seeing so many rivers and canals and bridges in a busy town like Amsterdam is really a beautiful experience. Interestingly, we saw lots of nice tall houses with their windows wide open to the point where you can see what paintings they have and what books they were reading, which according to the tour guide, was a form of culture in Amsterdam. I definitely would not survive well here, remembering all the Beyonce performances I do in my room when no one is looking... Our boat also passed under the Skinny Bridge- according to legends, couples that kiss when going underneath this bridge will last forever. Surely enough, the whole boat started making out while Monica, Tashia and I just stared at the ceiling awkwardly. #SingleGirlProblems 

The next day I visited Den Haag, the seat of the Netherlands government, to catch up with my friend Nindy who lives there. Den Haag is pretty cool, it was great to see more modern buildings for a change from the traditional Amsterdam scenery. Although the short time I had at The Hague was great, the weather was not, and after battling a storm with just a hoodie on, running around town with Nindy, and missing my train back to Amsterdam, I finally arrived back in time for dinner with the other girls in the city. 

They say you haven't visited Amsterdam if you haven't been around the Red Light District. Of course, being awkward asian tourists, we went there at 7 PM, only to find no girls, no red lights, no windows whatsoever. But of course, after dinner at around 9 PM, we started to see many red beams of light turning on and walked through small lanes with girls posing on the windows. This was probably the most uncomfortable I've ever been in my life, but it was surely an eye-opening experience. Of course, after seeing a fat asian man exit one of the rooms with a perverted grin across his face, our fascination soon turned into mere disgust, and we decided to call it a night. We weren't allowed to take pictures though, so you'll have to use your imagination!

The next day we visited the Christmas market where we munched on dutch snacks and dessert like there's no tomorrow. We also stopped by the sex museum, which was according to Monica, the highlight of our Amsterdam trip. The museum had lots of silly stuff, including a gigantic penis statue in the middle of the building. Yup. We also made pitstops at the Amsterdam Zoo (please don't question our sightseeing choices) and the famous Rijksmuseum. 

Amsterdam is one of my favorite travel destinations in Europe because it offers a diverse range of unique experiences that you won't get anywhere else. There's something for everyone here, whether you're an art geek, someone who enjoys beautiful scenery, foodies, people-watchers, potheads, perverts, photographers, you name it. Amsterdam taught me that there's a first time for everything. Amsterdam taught me that I complain too much about British weather, when the Netherlands actually have worse winds and rain. Amsterdam taught me that it's okay to be out of your comfort zone, because it is in those moments that you can begin to understand life through a more open-minded perspective. I mean, isn't that the point of traveling (or of living, for that matter)? To ironically feel comforted by being uncomfortable, opening up to new experiences that you'll never forget for the rest of your life.