Iamsterdam

Hello from Museumplein! It is currently around 5:30pm here. Here being a wold famous park in Southwest Amsterdam, Netherlands! It is host to the well known Iamsterdam sign and is surrounded by several museums and the fashion block.

I apologize for being so slow to finally update my blog. Internet access is just about everywhere (I'm actually using Amsterdam free-city-wifi in the park), but that is only in major cities. Staying with Anouk, I had to rely on her house for internet, but by the time we arrived home, I was usually too exhausted to even think about writing anything. I'll work on that, I think it will be better from now on.

Anyways.

I arrived in Amsterdam this morning at a quarter after nine my time, which is somewhere around one or two in the morning for most of you reading this. I took the night train from Baden, Switzerland, another city near Zurich. The best moment of this trip so far was when I stepped on that train. It's a rush when you actually make your first train by yourself. I was rushing up and down the platform trying to make sure it was the right one. When I finally found my seat, I asked my seat partner, in broken German, if he spoke English. He replied with a slow "ne-in" and frowned and turned forward. About that time he laughed with a "JUST KIDDING!" Turns out he was and American from Oregon. And the two people behind us were from Chicago. What are the chances? The remainder train ride itself was fairly pleasant, I chatted with the people around me for a few hours and slept the remainder of the twelve hour ride.

I awoke about half and hour from Amsterdam Central Station. After getting off the the train fretting for a couple hours - while wandering the city - about where I was going to stay, I sat down at a lovely little bakery shop and booked two separate hostels for the 4 days I'm going to be here. The World Cup is tomorrow and Holland happens to be playing! I'm stoked that I'll get to experience some real futbol fanaticism, let alone being in country for a team playing in the final! I made my way to the first hostel, about ten minute's walk from the park I'm in now and discovered that they have no wireless internet. Great. As long as I have it in the park.

That's about all for today, as I haven't done much but wander the city. I'll post some photos from my exploration of Amsterdam when I get the chance, probably tomorrow, and will sit down to write about my first four days in Switzerland, which you've probably already seen via my photo albums. (If you haven't, there's a link at the top of my blog.)

Doei! (That's Dutch for goodbye!)