June 14th - Amsterdam, Netherlands (Hoeeeeeeeee-down!)

Amsterdam! One of those places where you've got to wonder, is it everything it's cracked up to be? I thought it was. It was a great time!

After a quick and seamless flight, we got to our hostel (Hans Brinker Budget Hotel...oh yeah) which was actually awesome. It had a bar, club, free internet, and clean rooms, which is all someone can really ask for. And it was pretty cheap, and located in a great part of town.

Our first night was spent chillin in the hotel bar, eating some dinner, when all of a sudden...Bernard and I hear 'Yeeee-haaaaaaaa!' followed by 'Hoeeeeeeee-downnnnnnn!!'. We nearly messed ourselves. Could it be? Canadian Engineers? No! English field hockey players from Portsmouth, UK! They know that game? Their whole university does, not just the Engineers. Needless to say, Bernardus and I taught them the Canadian rules, and like always, they got smashed. So did we. Cheap pints of Heineken flowed faster than water at that place.

The next day was good times again, with lots of touristy stuff. Only after a very good breakfast though. Eggs, bread, cheese, meat and NUTELLA! Well, the Dutch version, but it was just as good. And free, what a deal. The Anne Frank house and the Heineken brewery were on the menu for today, and both were pretty awesome. At the end of the Heineken tour, we got two free small drinks, but being Bernard and myself, we ended up behind the bar with several more pints and full control over the music system. We had that bar going! Pictures definitely to come. That night, we hit the infamous Red Light District, which is just as messed up as people think it is, but still cool to see. My sources tell me services go for 50 EUR for 15 minutes, just in case you were wondering (and I know you were, pervert).

The last day of our trip was spent on bikes getting around the only way the Dutch know how. Everyone rides a bike! We trekked through Vondelpark, through their markets, and into their coffeeshops. Amsterdam is one of those places where you just want to keep on staying sometimes...dank u Amsterdaam!