Day 7: Old Amsterdam Pt.1

Chapter the fifth, wherein our hero loses his mind, finds new purpose and discovers true love. Monday, September 20 2004. I awoke as from a great slumber, echoes of another life clinging to my consciousness. A world of vibrant peoples and cultures, a city from the past, ideas from the future. But this world is no dream. It is real, and its name is Amsterdam.

Wow. Amsterdam hit me like a Mac truck - and I found myself in love. What an amazing city, where you can find anything and everything for sale. Fashion for any wardrobe, food for any palette, culture for any sophistication, companionship for any desire. Among it all, the city flows - canals, bridges and venerable old buildings tie everything together and keep you within the dream. And of course, everywhere you go, the scent of weed lingers in the air like the official perfume of Amsterdam.

I spent my first day in Amsterdam with no plan at all except to take in the city. Amsterdam is one of those rare cities that wears its heart on its sleeve - the antithesis of Los Angeles or Berlin. Everywhere you go, the energy of the city is there. From the hip shopping boutiques to the fantastic restaurants to the architecture, which perfected "understated sophistication" before our generation even defined the concept. And of course, you have to admire the Dutch commitment to tolerance regardless of your politics. Despite being a small city, Amsterdam walked tall. When you cleared away all the flotsam and jetsam of tourists and the tourism industry, Amsterdam was still a progressive, cosmopolitan city. In many ways, it reminded me of New York in its urban character and its busy beehive routine. Quite fitting, considering that New York was founded by the Dutch and originally named New Amsterdam.

As the day wore on, I met some local Dutch kids who gave me some tips on where to hang out, and so I found myself looking for a club called Bitterzoet. Like Amsterdam, it was a small unassuming club but the place simply oozed cool. I was in the mood for hip-hop, so that's what the kids had pointed me towards, and this was some of the best underground hip-hop I've heard in a long time. The type of scene that I've only experienced in San Francisco. In one part of the club, an indie clothing company called Razk was hawking some seriously dope t-shirts and clothing. In another part, a group of graffiti artists were painting a giant mural of the most brilliant graffiti I have ever seen. I talked to one of them, a guy named Garrett who was part of a professional graffiti collective called The London Police. It turned out, he was actually from San Francisco and had moved to Amsterdam 5 years ago. And that, quite simply, was my moment of epiphany. Why not move to Amsterdam?! I'd always wanted to live in San Francisco and now I'm doing it. It was something to sleep on anyway, as Day 1 of the Amsterdam dream was coming to a close.

Amsterdam soundtrack: Deep Dish "Junk Science". Just pure smooth house deliciousness, but edgy and progressive like Amsterdam. Various other trance and electronica. Sorry I didn't have any Bob Marley!

Note: I apologize for the long lapse in posting. I didn't want to write about Amsterdam until I was done there. I tried to write about it when I arrived in Brussels, but just about every internet cafe in Belgium uses the wacky AZERTY keyboard layout, which is like trying to type backwards! After Brussels, I visited my friend in Leuven and was too busy entertaining to sit for hours in an internet cafe. Anyway, I should be back on schedule now!

Day 6: Hanging in Haarlem

From Rotterdam, I had every intention of heading to Amsterdam next. But my bank account had different ideas. It turns out that a Saturday night stay in Amsterdam is about US$200 more than a Sunday or weeknight stay, so I did a little research into towns outside Amsterdam and was recommended Haarlem "Hemp City" on several web boards.

Haarlem is really a charming little town, with a bustling town centre - the Grote Market, good examples of traditional Dutch architecture, great boutique shopping (ironically, the best shopping I have seen so far), more sidewalk cafes and diverse restaurants than you could shake a stick at and of course, a vibrant coffeeshop culture. I met a cool American girl working at the Subway's who travelled around Europe for a while then settled down in Haarlem and has been here for over 2 years.

Unfortunately, there's not much to do besides shop, walk around town (takes about half a day), and "take in" the local "culture" at the coffeeshops. So it's just as well that I'm only here for a day.

Haarlem soundtrack: none! It just didn't seem right to drown out this genuine town. So, I let the TaiPod have a day off and listened to what the town had to say.

Days 4-5: "The other"-dam

Most people would not immediately put Rotterdam on their list of places to visit in Europe. Truth be told, it wasn't on my list either, but the conflagration of coincidences we choose to call fate had conspired to bring me there, as I found an extremely cheap flight on Basiq Air.

It turns out, Rotterdam has quite a few gems for lovers of modern architecture. Rotterdam hadn't chosen to reinvent itself as the most modernised city in the Netherlands, so much as it was forced to by a devastating German carpet bombing attack during "Dubya Dubya II". An act all the more sad because it occurred after the Dutch had already surrendered to the Germans. In any case, most of the pre-war buildings had been destoyed and the face of Rotterdam was changed forever. Outstanding architecture includes the Willems Bridge, the KPN Telecom Building, the Sonneveld House, the Netherlands Architecture Institute, the Cube Houses and of course the Erasmus Bridge. I was particularly excited to see the Cube Houses as I remember them so clearly from my college Architecture courses, and of course the Erasmus Bridge is a mecca for all bridge lovers - easily the most beautiful bridge in the world. Unlike Copenhagen, Rotterdam had very little Olde Worlde feel to it, except for maybe the Old Harbour or Delfhaven areas which are very much like Copenhagen's Nyhavn (which ironically means "New Harbour").

To end my time in Rotterdam, I decided to take the obligatory trip to the top of their observation tower, the Euromast. The Euromast was pretty much like any other communication/observation tower in any other city, except that when I got to the door, I noticed several thick ropes hanging from the sky. And then, looking up, several people rapelling down from its twenty-something story top. So, I did what any sane person would do and joined them. The Dutch call it abseiling, and it turns out that the company that does this usually only operates on weekends but was there that day for a private corporate event, so I really lucked out! Fed with a steady diet of Fear Factor, I was completely prepared to be terrified, but I found it was really a breeze to lower myself over the edge of the wall and look down on the tiny little ants below me. A real thrill, I hope I can put up pictures soon!

Rotterdam soundtrack: 100% hip-hop, my own mix. Rotterdam had a very vibrant "street culture" and the kids hanging out on the street had a lot of attiude. It was fun to put on my headphones, pull up my hoodie and do my best impression of a punk hanging on the streets of Rotterdam.

Days 2-3: Not so rotten...

Copenhagen, land of Hans Christian Andersen. It says a lot about a city when it has multiple statues, roads and buildings in honor of a man who wrote childrens' tales for a living. In many ways, Copenhagen is still trying to live that fairy tale. Its architecture is quaint and Olde Worlde, its people not so interested in being trendy and modern. In other ways, though, Copenhagen is just a little bit stuck in the past.

My first stop was the "world famous" Tivoli Gardens. At least, the brochure claimed that it was world famous. In any case, it was right by my hotel so it was the path of least resistance. It turns out that it was just a has-been amusement park which looked like it hadn't been renovated since the 60's. Most of the rides weren't any better than the carnival which comes through town. Except for one, which strapped little kids into chairs hanging from the top of a tall pole. The kids had to pull themselves up to the top under their own power - a mechanically assisted version of the gym rope climb if you will. I'll have to hand it to the designers on this one - save money on electricty and expensive machinery, make the little buggers work for their fun and hopefully tire them out so their parents could get a rest. Pure genius!

The rest of Copenhagen was quite charming. It managed to retain a lot of its Olde Worlde charm, especially in its architecture. Classic Danish architecture manages to be intricate without being too flowery and has a penchant for the most incredible spires. Unlike the sprawling mess which was Berlin, Copenhagen is extremely compact and I managed to walk most of the city in one day. Recommended sights: Nyhavn harbor, a tour of the canals, Christiansborg Palace, and Christiana "hippie town".

One thing about Copenhagen, the food is expensive! US$8 for a McDonalds Big Mac meal?! I'm sure the weakness of the dollar hasn't helped any, but I just could not afford to eat anywhere nice. I managed to find a hole-in-the-wall Chinese Restaurant and was comforted by the old Chinese man behind the counter with a Chinese accent. Finally, something I could relate to - no matter California or Copenhagen, I'm down with my yellow peoples! And "Grandpa", as I came to know him during those wistful September days, made a mean fried rice for the reasonable sum of US$6. Okay, so I didn't come to know him nor did I ever call him "Grandpa", but you know what I mean.

Now, you're probably wondering why I haven't been crowing about my hotel like in Berlin. That's probably because the matter is best left alone. When I checked in to my obviously 2-star hotel, my ears perked up when the receptionist told me that "I had been upgraded...". Then my heart promptly sank again when she finished "...to a room with a private bath". Yikes, I really dodged a bullet there! Other than that, it was in a very nice neighborhood. My room looked out on the main street, which made for a lot of entertainment at night as I watched the local "working girls" out my window, trading their wares.

Copenhagen soundtrack- Chuck Mangione "The Best of Chuck Mangione", because like Copenhagen, he hasn't been in fashion for several decades now, but he still has that indisputable charm.

Day 1: Ich Bin Ein Berliner

I arrived at Berlin Tegel Airport at 11:10am Monday morning September 13. Sleep-deprived and jet-lagged, I began to understand what William Gibson meant when he wrote that travellers arrived at their destinations hours before their souls did. A disadvantage to be sure, but I would have to get by without a soul for the time being. After all, George W. Bush has done pretty well for himself without one so I should be able to manage for a while!

Apparently, Berliners are very smart and resourceful people, because the airport architect saw no need to place any Information kiosks anywhere. Instead, there were endless ticket desks for what seemed to be every European airline in existence, all advertising ridiculously cheap fares, and also advertising "No Information At This Desk". Hmph, thanks a lot. All I wanted was to find out where I could find some public transportation into town, as the only ground transportation I could see was taxis, and I was determined to save some money. The airport was shaped like a donut and I swear, I must have walked around 95% of that damn donut before I finally saw a sign for a bus.

One hour and a botched bus transfer later, I finally arrived at the Marriott Berlin, just off Potsdamer Platz. The Marriott was my first priceline purchase and I have to say, Priceline really came through!! A Category 4 Marriott, rack rate of EUR 209.00, for just US$65/night! I'm hoping the place does not spoil me for the rest of the trip. Oh well, there are worst things than getting a great deal on a hotel.

Since I had to cut my Berlin stay short and will be leaving tomorrow morning, it's a good thing that the Marriott is right in the heart of Potsdamer Platz, one block from the impressive Sony Center with its Paul Bunyan-sized canopy and a 5-minute walk from the iconic Brandenburg Gate and must-see Reichstag. All good things, worth seeing, but I came off with a mildly disappointed opinion of Berlin. An altogether unfair appraisal to make considering that I've only been here for half a day, but I couldn't help but feel that Berlin was Germany's version of Los Angeles - a sprawling metropolis with lots to offer once you get to know it, but not immediately friendly to visitors and somewhat lacking in a soul. Maybe it's the ghost of the Cold War still haunting the city, or the fact that much of its heritage and soul was destroyed in the war, but the city seems a little depressing.

On a side note, I started a little vacation tradition today. This is the first real trip I have taken with my "TaiPod", and I've found that having a "soundtrack" to your meanderings adds an interesting extra element. Berlin was just begging to have Radiohead played. Somehow the melancholy crooning of Thom Yorke over those harsh unforgiving beats fit Berlin perfectly. Nine Inch Nails would have done well also, but alas I didn't have any. Ah well, next stop Copenhagen. I wonder what music goes with cookies and elf shoes?

Transit: Down the Rabbit Hole

Somewhere along the way, flying became routine for me - no more or less unique an event than going to the gas station. It's been so long since I got on a plane for anything other than work, it didn't really hit me that I was leaving for my vacation. Fortunately - bless international flights - the free alcohol knocked some sense into me and I managed to land in Amsterdam in a mostly replenished vacation mode. I made it!!

Amsterdam has a very cool airport - all shiny and new with shopping and food around every corner. The Dutch must be a truly enlightened people, for they have come up with several inventions which have eluded us in the States: decent airport food at decent prices, a 0.5 liter of Heinekin for US$4 and airport lounge chairs that are actually comfortable (what a concept!). And by comfortable, I mean that I found a lounge with comfy designer chairs straight out of an IKEA catalog. Except that you don't have to assemble them yourself and they're actually made out of quality materials. Very dangerous to a man who just came off a red-eye and was trying desperately to stay awake for his next flight!

I almost regretted that this was just a connection, but no fear! I would return in a week, to conquer the city in MacArthur-esque fashion. For now, this brief stop would have to serve as foreshadowing, as any good tale must have.