Europe Tour : Amsterdam - Day 5

Woke up early in the morning and took a cab to the train station. I had breakfast at McDonald's alone and then board the earliest ICE train to Amsterdam at 9.14 am. The journey from Dusseldorf to Amsterdam took about 3 hours and I am expected to arrive Amsterdam Central Station at about 12.00 pm.

Arrived Amsterdam at about 12.15 pm and the weather is real cold as compared to Germany. The next thing I should do is to look for the hotel I booked online and with the heavy luggage and a map, I hop into the tram hopefully I get into the right tram to get to my destination. Hop off at Leidseplen and ask around how to get to the hotel. Thank god, within 15 minutes, finally I found the hotel. Check into the hotel but the room is not ready and the receptionist asked me to go for a walk and have my lunch first cos the room will not be ready after 2 pm.

2 more hours to wait so I walked out again to the street and walk around and look for food to munch cos I am really hungry. The weather is so gloomy and it is raining. It is real cold with the wind blowing. The second thing is that I am going to freeze to death.

With the map I am referring to, I managed to find the Flower Floating Market. Not too bad yeah, walk alone like crazy woman also can find the place. Here are some random pictures around Leidseplen.

In Amsterdam itself, there are more than 120 canals.

Flower Floating Market

I loves the flowers so much

Flower bulbs for sale and I am so tempted to get the tulip bulbs back here

Clock Tower

It is almost 2 pm and it rains again. Waited for almost 1/2 hour outside a shop hoping that the rain will stop but it is too cold for me. End up got to go and buy a stupid umbrella which cost me EURO 5.00 to get myself back to the hotel as soon as possible.

Once I get into my room, I need some rest cos my 'kepala pening '. At that moment my Dearie Suki called to check whether I am OK or not. The next thing I told him is that I want to go back cos the weather is so gloomy and makes me don't have the mood to extend this trip. Tears almost dropping out cos I miss him so much plus the kids. It seems every night the kids have fun with him at McDonalds. I just feel like going back.

Slept for 2 hours and woke up around 5 pm and the sun is out again. Hooray..... I get myself ready to take the tram to the city and to check it out with the local tours agency where can I go tonight without wasting my time in the hotel room sleeping.

Around Amsterdam city, the first thing I did is to look for the tour agency which I have booked my 2 days tour through internet. Finally found the office and asked the receptionist any place to recommend. She recommended on the Cruise Excursion around Amsterdam city and another one is the walking tour at night to the Red Light District. Finally I choose the walking tour to the Red Light District and it is a 2 hours walking tour with a realiable tour guide accompanying me to the place and also guarantee me the safetly back to the agency. Total I paid EURO 20.00 for this walking tour.

The tour start at 8 pm and I still have 2 1/2 hours to go. Walk around Amsterdam city and took some pictures and dinner , I had KFC. ( so crazy hor.... go there eat KFC )

Random pictures of Amsterdam City

Shopping Mall

Walk into the ROLEX shop with a group of Chinese from China. I just followed them into the shop as though I am on of the tourist with the tour. hihihihi....smart ya. The ROLEX watch is so nice especially the one with diamond studs and it is not cheap too.

A view from Amsterdam Central Square. Its a school holiday in Amsterdam and they have this fun fair for the kids.

Amsterdam Central Square

At 8 pm the tour started and there are about 15 persons who signed up for this tour. The tour guide brought us to the Prostitute Information Centre, where we are offered some drinks and a former prostitute explained to us the prostitution system in Amsterdam and showed us the girls ( kok kok ) standing behind the windows and the rooms in different sexy clubs.

After this, the tour guide brought us to Wallen, where by it is the Red Light District where all the ' kok kok' standing behind the windows trying to lure the man walking past them. Wah.. it could be quite dangerous walking alone there and I wouldn't dare to do that alone. The tour continues passing through a monuments and some old buildings and some Dutch pubs whereby you can see people in there looked stoned cos they taken drugs. Well in Amsterdam, PROSTITUTION and DRUGS is a ILLEGAL LEGAL JOB. ( Thanks ya Joe, typo error la )

The Coffeeshop and Sex Shop

The Red Light District

The tour ended at about 10 pm and hop into the tram to get back to the hotel. Walking back to the hotel is scary because the street is quite quiet. I walked so fast and finally reached the hotel. Took a hot bath and go to sleep at about 11 pm cos the next day I will be in Belgium.

***** Belgium - Day 6 coming up soon *****