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Woke up at 4:45. (Why the
hell do I do that?) Showered, went to the lounge for
“breakfast” as usual. No coffee, no juice. Well, debarkation day
is hectic for everyone, I'm sure. Passengers had started leaving the
ship at 4 a.m. We were sandwiched between two other Viking ships, all
unloading passengers in preparation for taking on a new group this
afternoon. We were instructed to have our suitcases outside our rooms
by 9 a.m. I'd arranged for a cab to pick me up at 9:30.
Much milling around,
organized confusion. Lobby packed with suitcases with
different-colored tags to indicate when they were to be offloaded for
whatever transportation (airport, etc.) was required from the ship.
Mine was green for people staying in Amsterdam. Said goodbye to
several people only to run into them again a few minutes later. They
finally announced my cab was waiting. I didn't see my suitcase with
all the others, but assume they had already taken it up to the place
where taxis waited, and a Viking crew member overlooked things. No
suitcase. Back to the ship, found Andrew who said he'd go look for
it. Gone about ten minutes, then finally appeared with my case.
The Blue Tower Hotel is a 20
euro ($30+) ride from the ship, in a very quiet residential and
largely muslim neighborhood and, I learned, about a 20 minute cab or
tram ride from the city center. The sidewalks are a mess, with debris
everywhere. The hotel itself is quite nice, with 3 slow elevators.
Everyone speaking English. I asked about a laundromat and was told
there is one about 10 minutes away (I hope they're talking “walk”
rather than taxi or tram), but are closed on Sunday, of course. So
there first thing in the morning, then to the Rijksmuseum.
Oh, one strange thing about
the hotel. They give you two key cards...one for the door and one to
turn on the lights!
Think I'll take a canal
cruise today, which involves going back almost to where I left the
Prestige, just a few blocks from the Central Station. Will also try
to find an Amsterdam hoodie while I'm out.
There are people who should
not be allowed to roam about unchaperoned. I am one of them. Lest you
ask, when you reach the end of this blog, why there are so very few
photos of my first day in Amsterdam, I will tell you now. It is a
rather pathetic tale, so why do I seemingly take perverse glee in
telling you, thereby airing my failings in public? I suppose it is
because, if to err is human, I have to be one of the most human
creatures on earth.
Ready for the story?
(Dorien, by the way, washes his hand of the entire incident, watching
a passing cloud and idly whistling a little tune as I relate my mea
culpas.) Okay, here it is. I did set out for the canal trip. It was
raining. I walked to the tram line a block from the hotel, where I'd
been instructed to take tram #14 or #21. I got on #21. Folded my
umbrella and laid it on the seat next to me, then realized I did not
have my camera. I immediately got up, and got off at the next stop,
walking back to the hotel to get it. It wasn't here. Obviously, I had
had it with me in the same hand as the umbrella, set them both down,
did my “Oh, Gee, I forgot the camera” number, took my umbrella
and did not look back to see if the camera was on the seat, which
obviously it was. Oh, well, when you're as wealthy (or delusional) as I, losing a
$160 camera means nothing.
Asked the desk where I might
find a camera shop, for this trip is nothing if I don't record every
possible moment of it. They said there were lots of camera stores in
the city center. Back to the tram for a fifteen minute ride to the
city center. Did I mention it was raining? Got off at the Dom stop
(“Dom” apparently being Dutch for “Cathedral” and started
searching for a camera store. And searching. Asked five or six people
with no success other than the pointing in several different
directions. Finally found one, bought the identical camera as the one
I'd lost from a really cute clerk who made giving up the money a bit
less painful.
So with a new camera, I
could start taking photos immediately, right? Uh, not quite. The
battery has to be charged first. So I returned to the hotel and am
watching the battery charge. Only a bit more exciting than watching
paint dry (at least you can try to count the number of blinks the
little green light makes as it charges...I lost track somewhere after
2,347). Finally charged and I went out to take a few local photos,
which will be posted with this blog.
And there you have it. The
adventures continue. And tomorrow is another day.
Oh, I did have lunch at a
little place not far from here. A really tasty soup and some unusual
bread I'd not seen before.
And I did find a hoodie! It
says “Amsterdam 75.” I asked the clerk what the 75 meant, and it
turns out Amsterdam was founded in the year 1275. Why the hoodie
leaves off the 12, I have no idea. I'm sure most people in America
will think it's the number of some quarterback on the Amsterdam
football team (unlikely as that may be) or that I was here in 1975,
which would make the hoodie 37 years old.
See, now you've learned
something. Won't make up for the lack of more photos, but....
Dorien will be posting
frequent blogs and photos while on his current European adventure.
You can see the photos on www.doriengreyandme.com...scroll
down past the blog. You're also invited to check out his website at
www.doriengrey.com.
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