MORE ABOUT THE O.A.T. AMSTERDAM STOPOVER

REFLECTION: In real time and definitely in retrospect, we were very happy that we added the stopover in Amsterdam to our Serengeti itinerary. Since we flew from the west coast, and a little town east of Seattle that has only two flights a day in and out, the first day of transit from Walla Walla to Seattle to Amsterdam took us a total of 14 hours. To immediately continue on from Amsterdam to Kilimanjaro for the pre-trip excursion (an 8-hour flight by itself) would have certainly done us in. It was much better to gain our sleep equilibrium and reset our body clocks with three days in this amazing city. 

For those contemplating a trip to Africa that takes you through Amsterdam or any other European city, I would highly recommend a 2-3 day layover. 

As for my impressions of Amsterdam, read on.

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE BIKE: First rule of thumb I learned on our initial walking tour of Amsterdam is watch out for the bikes. They are everywhere and the pedestrian appears to be the low man or woman on the totem pole.

Everybody rides bikes in Amsterdam, or so it seems. Old and young alike pedal effortlessly along these narrow, mostly level streets, that is unless the street runs up and over a dike. The ding-ding of the old-fashioned bicycle bell may be the only sound you hear, and by then it may already be too late as they whizz on past you, leaving you clutching your pearls in both fear and thankfulness that you were spared. . . this time.

Besides the pedal bikes, mopeds and scooters are also allowed along the same pathways, so it’s wise to beware of them since they move a bit more quickly along the narrow streets of the old part of the city.

ABC-Amsterdam, Bicycles, and Canals (with houseboats.)

Along every bridge and canal you can see bikes parked and chained to whatever upright post there may be. In most places, there are bicycle racks, but a quick look tells you that some of these bikes have been locked there for awhile. I asked our tour guide if it was fair game to lock your bike anywhere, and she said the city frowns upon bikes on the bridges and have actually built underground bike lots to get them off the streets. All I know is that in this part of town, there are bikes parked everywhere you can see.

This bike is a three-wheeled carry-all version with what appears to be a motor assist.
 Notice that it’s locked on a bridge with the houseboats in the canal behind.

I’m not sure about this bike. With only one seat, it’s not a tandem; but with only one set of visible handlebars in the rear,
I’m not sure how the rider controls the front half.

Just your average sight outside a shop. With the narrow streets and limited parking for cars, bicycles make a lot of sense.

There are 3-wheeled bikes that carry several children or whatever else will fit in the front.

Here’s a single child carrier on the front of a bike.
I was happy to see that this toddler wore a helmet even though you’ll notice
no helmets on anyone else.
Motorcyclists are required to wear helmets;
bicyclists and scooter riders are not.

This is a scooter with its distinctive blue license plate.
It is allowed to be driven in the same red-colored pathways as bicycles,
but it cannot go over 25KPH. The driver also is not required
to wear a helmet, whereas motorcyclists must.

3-DAY STOPOVER IN AMSTERDAM

And we're off! After many months of waiting, planning, and anticipating, we are finally off on our first Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) trip. Because our final destination in Tanzania is such a long trip, we chose to take advantage of OAT's 3-day stopover in Amsterdam. It would break up the long flight to Africa and allow us to acclimate to the big time change.

In anticipation, I pre-planned our days in Amsterdam with several city walking tours and museum visits. Now as I write this sitting in the airport waiting to fly to Kilimanjaro, I realize I may have overdone our scheduling a bit. But honestly, I also don't know what I would eliminate. Here are a few highlights. I would have more, but I am still figuring out how to transfer photos to this blog. Bear with me.

The Barbizon Palace, the hotel booked for us by OAT as part of the stopover, is located right across from Central Station. It is a prime location to get to the old, medieval part of the city which includes the Red Light District along with an abundance of history, restaurants, shops and people watching. This city center is the orange/rust color section on the map below. As the city grew, layers were added much like an onion, making rings around the original section. 

Upon our arrival to the city after traveling more than 15 hours and losing half a day, we were tired but ready to see the sights. I had arranged for a private walking tour which turned out great because it gave us the lay of the land, so to speak. That said, because we were tired (an old), Marielle, our guide, adapted the tour to fit our needs and desires which worked our perfectly. I can't say enough for these private tours because they are very flexible unlike a large group that must stick to the published itinerary.

If one picture could capture the feeling of Amsterdam, this is it. The houses line the canals and narrow streets like soldiers standing at attention. Being that the city is built on clay and sand, houses are built on wooden stilts. Hence, they are not always perfectly plumb. But their regularity and orderly window placement fascinates my artistic and photographic eye.

In addition to canals, the city is also known for its bicycles. And we learned quickly to be both aware and wary of them as they are everywhere. 

As a cyclist myself, I enjoyed seeing all of the different sizes and shapes of bikes, most of which are different than my road bike at home. Here, most cyclists ride fat-tired bikes with upright seats and handlebars. And because the city is basically flat, they sure can go fast. 

Apparently, cyclists have the right of way over all other traffic including cars, motorcycles, and pedestrians. As a result we learned to look both ways not once, not twice, but multiple times before walking anywhere. And then, when you think you are good to go, commit and move quickly. As can be seen by this photo, they ride close and fast and it's the pedestrian's duty to get out of their way.

WHO LIVES HERE?

Guessing from the two bicycles, one a woman's frame 

and the other a man's frame with a rear child seat, 

I think it's a young family of three. 

The laundry hanging on the second story supports my guess. 

What do you think? 

This was a photography two-fer for me--

hanging laundry and bicycles--two favorite subjects. 

It's always important to look up as I walk. 

If I hadn't, I could have easily missed this shot.

Taken on Lido di Venezia, 7-mile sandbar in Venice, home to 20,000 residents. 

It is also a favorite summertime weekend getaway for Italians and foreign tourists alike.