Excited to be in Amsterdam

 We have landed!

We took the train from the Airport to Amsterdam Centraal Station.

And we were introduced right away to the bicycle culture of Amsterdam.

We had pre arranged, through an app called  Bounce, to store our luggage for the day at a coffee shop near the station. 

We then walked to the flower market.  There was a lot to see on the walk to see the flowers. 

A Rubber Duck store.

Steve got some Rick Steve's books about the cities we are visiting.  He said that because Holland was built on wooden pilings and fill, the buildings often start sinking and getting out of square.  The Dutch square up the building with metal rods.  The metal decorations on the outside of many  buildings are the ends of those rods.

He also said that the buildings usually had a shop on the bottom, the residence in the next floor or two, and then the top was used as a warehouse.  They designed the building so the top leans out.  That way when they were using pulleys to lower the goods from the warehouse, the goods were less likely to hit the lower windows.

We saw lots of packed bicycle parking areas.

One narrow street we turned down was almost completely blocked by a truck unloading beer.  We were able to squeeze by, but a guy with a bicycle couldn't fit his handlebars in the narrow space between the truck and the building wall.

What is learned at the sex museum is that 70% of the sex workers are married or in long term relationships. 

There are 9,000 sex workers in Amsterdam.  Prostitution became legal here in 2000.  We saw a few sex workers standing in their showcase window/door.  It made my stomach turn. I didn't know where to put my eyes.  I made eye contact with one, and ... it was just too, I don't know.  Many are proud of their work, and don't want my sympathy or judgement.  

There was a lot to look at, but the afternoon got drizzly and cold.

At 2 pm we went and got our bags and went to our first lodging rental.  We were excited to stay in a houseboat.  It was cute.  I rang the bell because there was no lock box.

The owner answered and said we did not have it booked for this weekend.  I checked the email.  Shit!  The dates on the reservation are for June!  And this is the weekend of the Kings Birthday Celebration! 

The owner told us of a motel nearby that might have openings.  We walked there, it was fully booked.

We found a room at a motel one mile away.  It was much pricier than we pay for lodging.  Over $300 US per night!  But we have had a full day and just wanted to get warm and rest.

This is our view out the window.  We are looking down on several cruise barges lined up in the canal.