After the excitement of being in Africa, we planned a couple days in Europe on the way home to the US. We had to change flights in Amsterdam, so we packed in a couple extra days on the return flight to see what Amsterdam had to offer. I left 24 hours before Erin did due to the vagaries of airline schedules and their crazy airfare structure, in order to save myself over $1000. So as I said goodbye to Erin and Adam in Tanzania, it was with the knowledge that I would be seeing Erin again soon, a much easier leave taking than the last time I said goodbye, knowing it would be months! (I won't even talk about my thoughts at leaving Adam alone in Africa. Some things are best left unsaid!)
My flight to Amsterdam was an overnight journey, and I was scheduled to arrive in the morning, exhausted, but with a plan. It was my goal to check into the hotel, clean up, then explore Amsterdam a little so we could hit the ground running when Erin arrived. I wanted to figure out how the train system worked, scope out the city a little and get my bearings, and last but not least, visit the Anne Frank Museum.
Oh, the best laid plans.... The summer cold started coming on before we left the airport, I was so congested I could hardly breathe by the time we were over the Mediterranean, and when we landed in Amsterdam, I was coughing and miserable. Welcome to Europe!
Then the real fun began. The first trial was simply finding the free shuttle that was supposed to drop me at the door of my convenient hotel, (which should have been called hostel, because that is what it was.) I searched for the hotel shuttles, asked for help, got sent in four different directions, none of them right, and eventually just stumbled across it when I was standing outside the airport, frustrated and ready to go home. Then I waited. And waited. And waited.
At long last, the shuttle came, picked me and my luggage up, and away we went. The culture shock was immediate, as the clean streets, the big vehicles and the well regulated driving took the place of the noise and chaos of Arusha. The signs, mostly in English, were a welcome relief, and I allowed everything to wash over me as I rode quietly to the hotel.
The next culture shock came in the form of prices, as I was charged extra for every hour early I checked in. I paid. I think the clerk was relieved I wasn't going to stand there coughing on her any longer, but it was a tough decision, because those prices are unbelievable.
The room was microscopic, with about two feet of space on each side of the bed, and a counter and small shelf to put items on. It's a good thing I was coming from Arusha, where luxury was a lukewarm shower. My expectations were low, and the hot shower compensated for everything! I have rarely enjoyed the experience more!
I laid down for a little while, but then decided I only had a short time in Europe, and I needed to make the most of it. So I went to find food, and then planned to spend the day out and about.
Oh, the food. The thing I will remember most about Europe is the unbelievably delicious food. The pastries are delectable, the meats perfectly prepared, the breads are simply to die for. The prices were high, but the satisfaction level was equal to it, so all in all, it was a good meal! And I hadn't even left the hotel yet.
I headed back to the airport on the shuttle to catch the train into the city, and spent another confusing period of time trying to make sense of the system. If you are ever going to Europe and don't know about the trains, I suggest you read up in advance. They didn't make any sense to me, and I wasted a lot of time trying to figure it out with no obvious information or people available to help me.
I finally got a ticket by asking a random man who was impatiently waiting at the kiosk behind me, and he walked me through the experience. I located the correct platform, and waited for the train to arrive. It was fun, if confusing. No one ever checked a ticket the entire time I was in Amsterdam. I am still a little befuddled and wondering if I did something wrong.
I arrived at the Central Station in downtown Amsterdam and exited the train into a European wonderland. It looked like a fairy tale come to life, with the quaint buildings and the charming canals, the sidewalk cafes and the bicycles everywhere. I had a small map in my hand, looking like a tourist, and began searching for the street that would take me to the Anne Frank house. It was a ways away, but the weather was lovely, the air was brisk, and a walk was exactly what I needed to clear my head and make me forget about my sore throat and aching head.
I became familiar with Anne Frank as a child, when I picked up her diary, and realized that everyone didn't live the charmed life that I did. Her story drew me in, horrified me, captivated me, and I couldn't leave Amsterdam without visiting the Secret Annex where she spent her life in hiding and eventually was captured. To be a child undergoing such horror is unimaginable, and she brought it to life in a way that no one else ever has. Thus, it was not surprising to arrive at my destination and find a long line waiting to enter what is almost sacred space.
The museum itself is sparse, the floors empty and stark. There are photos on the wall to tell us what the place looked like when Anne and her family were in hiding there, but there is nothing there now but empty space. It was an awe inspiring moment to duck under the wall and access the stairway that led to their secret abode, realizing that Anne herself had walked those very steps so many times before.
When I was done walking through the museum and had absorbed everything I could, I decided that in the interests of having a better experience with Erin the next day, I needed to go back to the hotel and go to bed for the night. I easily found the central station again, and finally found the train back to the airport. I located the shuttle station without trouble, (I felt like an old pro by now,) and finally, at long last, after an eventful 24 hours which had seen me travel from the raw developing world to the historical significance of developed Europe, I laid my head down on a pillow, waiting for morning and Erin to arrive.
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