The first stop on our whirlwind tour is Amsterdam. We have arrived here in an absolute blur and flurry of activity, but we are so glad to have created this incredible opportunity for ourselves. It was an absolutely surreal experience walking this beautiful city, over canals, literally breathing in centuries of typically European culture. We soaked up the sites and enjoyed the slightly wamer weather compared to the chilly Jo'burg we had left behind, as we meandered through the streets and alleyways. We visited the Jewish musuem, and after a short coffee break, had the truly privileged experience of visiting the Anne Frank House museum. It was absolutely incredible to experience a piece of history that we feel is our own, yet entirely encapsulated in a totally foreign city, once considered a home to the Frank family.
Maduradam, the mini-Holland was a great eye-opener as to what the country would look like if it were to fit on a putt-putt course, and its nice to say that we have visited The Hague, home of the international criminal court. We ended off our first (second to come at the end of Contiki) trip to Amsterdam with a trip to the south of the city, Vondelpark, and we admired the incredible art housed in the Van Gogh Museum. It was always so interesting to see people's reactions when we said "baie dankie", or perhaps even funnier when they started rattling off in Dutch only for us to say we don't speak Dutch! After the surreal experience of Amsterdam, we managed to keep our minds lucid enough to haul our luggage off to Schipol Airport. We are so excited to see the Israel / Burnham clan...