arrival and first day

we made it!  despite a near-disastrous (non-) departure.  i won't tell it here since i still like to believe it never happened.  it will suffice to say that i found a way to slaughter the time that i  would have spent idling between flights.

our first day  in amsterdam was long  as we bumbled our way through  trains and unfamiliar streets in search of, first, our hostel, which was the Hotelboat Amsterdam on Pier 3 of the Oosterdok area.  It's small but clean and extremely friendly, run by a  guy named Hertzen who said we could call him Handsome since it'd be easier for our American tongues.  

i would post photos, but we are at the local Bibliotheek and can't plug in any hardware.  but we'll make it to an internet cafe soon enough. this library is sleek and modern and runs on macs. it looks like they designed the space so they could have these pretty machines sitting around.

anyway, we did a LOT of walking yesterday.  we didn't have an agenda and instead explored wherever our sore feet could take us. and there is a lot to see.  picturesque canals intersect every few streets; gorgeous old buildings that look like they house important goings-ons but are just malls or apartments.  beautiful parks and quaint old homes line the streets where people and their cute little dogs run freely, off-leash and obedient. and the BIKES!  i swear they must outnumber the population by the score!  everywhere  there are people on bikes, and then there are clusters parked on every available fence, square, and sidewalk space.  i think some of them have become permanent fixtures in the landscape, because they look rusty and old and virtually unrideable.  it didn't take too long to figure out whenever we were walking on the bike paths because bikers never hesitated to try to run over us!  it is heaven for bikers!

well, we gotta get outside and explore some more.  planning to hit some museums and other spots around town... then, perhaps a cafe and live music later tonight...