Amsterdam

So as many of you know, I took a week long trip to Amsterdam, Prague and then Paris, where I was present for the terrorist attacks. Many have asked me if I will do a blog on Paris and the answer is yes, but I will break the week into three different posts, hopefully giving my brain a little more time to process what happened and how I feel on the subject. With that in mind I hope you all enjoy the first of 3 installments, Amsterdam!

We arrived in Amsterdam on on Saturday Nov. 7 and planned to stay there until the 12th. Our plane was crazy early in the morning and so three of us (being cheap) rode the last bus to the airport the night before and slept there overnight for our 6:50 am flight the next morning. Tip: get there early or all of the booths will be taken and you will have to sleep on the floor.

By the time our flight landed in Amsterdam, we spent the rest of the day wandering around the city, attempting to find our hotel, and eating Belgian Waffles (which were not as good but we didn't expect too much.) We also found this wonderful creation called stroopwaffles which they set out free samples of and we promptly ate them all. Sorry. Kind of.

Wandering around the city like tourists.

That night was my first night in a hostel and as there was a total of 7 of us traveling in Amsterdam, we got a room almost entirely to ourselves. The first night there was a very small asian woman who was going to sleep above me but later that night she also snuck in her boyfriend and they shared the bed. Which was weird.

The next day we went on a hop-on-hop-off tour of Amsterdam and a Canal Cruise. Now to clarify, I didn't really expect to like Amsterdam, I don't know what I expected it to be but thankfully I was proven wrong. The city was beautiful and had a rich history. All of the buildings look like something from a painting (mostly because as historical landmarks, they are required to stay that way.) and everyone was very friendly.

One stop on the tour was the National Holocaust Museum, set in an old theater that at one time was a shelter for Jews in Amsterdam. We saw the progression of hate towards the Jewish community and saw the circumstances that sent many into hiding. I think this was my first time experiencing a holocaust museum in the exact spot where these people once walked and can only say that the feeling is indescribable.

This is a post card thrown from a railcar that was taking Jews to concentration camps. Many quickly scribbled these notes in the hopes that their families would get what they believed to be their last correspondence. 

A few others from our group did the Heineken experience and said they loved it while I'm sure, deep down in their hearts, Guinness still wins. Our canal cruise was amazing, taking us all over Amsterdam in the many canals and also passing the Anne Frank House which we visited the next day.

Update on the hostel bed situation: Night two, thankfully the couple was gone and I no longer feared any shenanigans on the bed above me but almost immediately after I had gone to sleep, a very large man got on the top bunk of my very rickety bed and spent the entire night tossing and turning and basically scaring me to death.

I have always been interested in learning about the Holocaust and so it was no surprise to me that I found the Anne Frank House to be so captivating. We arrived around 9:30 am, prepared to wait for a very long time. Thankfully we had each other to keep us entertained however not much could keep the cold away.

"Jenna stop taking pictures of me! I'm cold!" -Alexis

"Wait no take a picture of us!" -Jayden
"Guys STOP! No more pictures!" -Alexis
Laughing and more pictures- all of us

Once inside we were asked to not take anymore pictures, and I whole heartedly believed that I could not take picture that would do this building justice. My heart broke for this young girl as I saw the building she had been trapped in due to hate and violence. For almost 2 years, the Frank Family, the Van Pels Family and Fritz Pfeffer hid behind a bookcase. They made no noise during the day, afraid to even flush the toilet and had to rely on helpers in the office below them for food.

The people in hiding were betrayed (although to this day no one knows who did it) and Anne Frank and her sister died just 1 short month before the Bergen-Belsen Camp was liberated. The only survivor of the house was Otto Frank, who returned and had his daughter's diary published, and the house made into a museum as a constant reminder that this happened to people then and if good men do nothing, it could happen to people now.

Of the entire trip, my favorite part had to be the Anne Frank house and personally, it devastated me. We spent the remainder of the day walking around and generally enjoying the city.

Update on the hostel: 3 of our acquaintances left and so that night 4 of us stayed in the room. By some stroke of luck, we had no roommates. Unfortunately the first two nights our heater didn't work, so we left it on its highest setting. Well that night it decided to work so we all woke up, drenched in sweat. Ooops.

The next day we left for Prague which will be the subject of my next blog!

"I keep my ideals, because in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart."
- Anne Frank