Helo from Amsterdam,

We have been here for a couple of days now and are really enjoying ourselves. This is the most touristy city we have been to yet. There are a lot of people here. We did not know this was the fall break weekend for students and the place is swarming with people. It is very cold here. Today was bright and sunny but icey. So far we have explored the city on foot, gone to the Van Gogh and Rijks museums, and toured the red light district which is pretty seedy. We went to the Corrie Ten Boom house this morning and went on a canal walk (self guided). We have been eating more Indian food on this trip than any other type.

We are actually staying in the city of Haarlem which is 15 min from Amsterdam. Originally we were to stay in Amsterdam but the Hostel we were going to stay in was so horrible we cancled the reservation without knowing that every place would be booked due to the holiday/vactaion. Our hotel is in the middle of the Grote Market Square . This town is actually lovely and is much more mello than Amsterdam. The stairs in our hotel and almost every house we have been in are more like ladders. It is really funny just how steep they are. There was a market in the square this morning with all kinds of vegetables and breads. there were people playing music and selling all types of goods.

Okay so the bikes....are everywhere. Everyone has a bike. There are more parking garages for bikes than cars and thousands of bikes are lined up all over the city. I have seen mothers with 2-3 kids on her bike, it is really amazing. Old and young alike. Saw a guy carrying a matress on a bike today. We went to a coffee shop last night and it really is funny how pot and mushrooms are legal in this city. No one seems to think anything of it though and other than these oddities Amsterdam is a bustling city.

Amsterdam is very pretty. All the leaves are fall colors and most trees are poplars. The canals are everywhere with domed bridges covering them. The streets here instead of cobble stones are all made out of bricks of every shape and size. The houses are all made out of brick as well. The fronts of homes look more narrow at the bottom and wider at the top and they also lean forward as they get taller. This gives a kind of Dr. Seuss look to the city but this was done to preserve space. This is the most difficult city so far to navigate because all the trams run in a half circle.

Interesting tid bit: In about 1250 the city started, fishermen built up the banks of the Amstel River. They blocked the river with a "damme", and created a small village called "Amstel-damme" = Amsterdam.

Tonight we are going on a canal boat tour with the canals all lit up by lights like in the picture above. Tomorrow we are going to the Anne Frank house and renting some bikes for some cycling adventures.

Thank you to everyone for posting comments on my message board. It is so nice to know people are reading about our travels and it is nice to get mail. If I don't get back to the internet tomorrow I will write from London which is where we are off to next. Talk to you soon.

~Renel