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.