Volume 2, Day 28
There is a lot to do in Amsterdam, certainly enough to fill a week. However, as a budget traveler with no interest in learning Dutch, I’m a bit allergic to the higher prices than Germany. The hostel was pretty nice, but 50% more than the higher end of places I had stayed in so far. At least it included breakfast. Of course, breakfast didn’t begin service until 8am, so I had to wait around for a while before I could eat.
After a fairly substantial meal of cereal, toast, and cappuccinos, I was ready for a full day tour of Amsterdam. If I was only going to spend one day in the “capital” of the Netherlands, I had a lot of ground to cover. I considered investing in a 1 day transit card (especially as I was a solid 4-5 km from the city center), but I ran into a little problem of being able to pay for said card. Since 2018, Amsterdam has gone completely cashless on its public transport. How it can be legal for a (presumably) government-operated service to so blatantly exclude tourists, immigrants, and the poor is beyond me. Though I have adjusted to buying Flixbus tickets online with my credit card (and to the best of my knowledge am incurring no additional fees), I really don’t want to start making these daily micropayments in their cashless society. Also, it is unclear whether they actually work with foreign cards or if I have to have a European bank issued card.
So, I decided to rack up my steps for the day and go about on foot. I haven’t been walking nearly enough so one long day wouldn’t kill me. Honestly, the walk to the Rijksmuseum took close to an hour, but it certainly didn’t feel like it. I got to see typical Dutch houses, cross canals, and cut through both Erasmus Park and Vondelpark (which is recommended as a top sight in the city). There was no line to buy tickets at the massive Rijksmuseum and I was able to pay cash (though I could tell they would have rather I had purchased it online). After a quick bathroom break and visit to the cloakroom to drop my backpack, I plunged into the first gallery of medieval and Renaissance art. When I bought the ticket, the sales clerk specifically pointed out that it granted full day access (meaning I could come in and out), so, considering that it was already 11am, I adjusted my viewing strategy to build in a lunch break. Essentially, I passed through the religious art and artifacts rather quickly then cut over to the “special exhibits,” which featured ship models, swords, guns, porcelain, textiles, and other miscellaneous items. After that, I skipped the first floor to follow the chronology through the 17th century.
Overall, the Rijksmuseum is very impressive. I suppose it qualifies as an art museum, but it did a good job of sneaking history lessons into everything. For example, one side room was concerned about the Ottoman Empire through the lense of relations with Dutch traders. Over a series of paintings and portraits, the signs told a multipart story of the Dutch ambassador visiting the court, the structure of the Ottoman court, an uprising, its suppression, and the succession to the next sultan. Everything in the museum was oriented around its role in Dutch history, and often organized thematically in terms of “Dutch naval power,” “domestic life,” or various colonies where the paintings or wall clocks or furniture pieces or silverware were selected to tell the story. Though I am still quite jumbled in the chronology of Dutch history, I feel gleaned quite a lot of history throughout the day.
After completing about half the museum and only taking a cursory glance in the Hall of Masters (where the most famous paintings, e.g. The Nightwatch, are on display), I took a lunch break and walked two blocks to find an Aldi, where I bought a salad. I took the salad back to the museum area which is arranged somewhat like the National Mall in D.C. with a central lawn surrounded by all the museums. Unlike Germany, the salad did not include a little plastic fork. That wouldn’t be a problem if I hadn’t misplaced my chopsticks, but I ate my Morocco-inspired couscous salad with my fingers next to the Van Gogh Museum. Heading back into the Rijksmuseum, I passed the street carts selling lunch and gave myself a big pat on the back for saving money while being healthier.
I spent a couple more hours in the Rijksmuseum, working my way through the first floor, which covers 18th and 19th century art (including a handful of Van Gogh’s and other Impressionist paintings) before going up the the third floor that includes a smaller selection of 20th century works. Because the museum has a road passing through it, the floors aren’t always directly connected. For example, after doing half the first floor, one has to go up to the second floor to reach the other half. Ditto with the third floor. The stairs really add up, but it gave me a chance to pass through the Hall of Masters a few more times and take in more paintings in detail with each pass.
When I finished with the museum, I was craving an afternoon pick me up, so I headed over to a little cafe that I had caught me eye (or more accurately my nose) on the way to the Aldi. It was a charming little place and the apple cake, with caramelization around the bottom crust was absolutely delightful. I read the first two chapters of “Player Piano” (Vonnegut’s first novel) and was amazed by the prescience of the fully automated dystopic future he describes.
I also wanted to visit the Anne Frank house/museum, but decided to take the scenic route through the city core, where the canals are more concentrated and the old houses are almost all shops. I saw a “coffee shop” and stopped to read the long list of rules posted to its door. Of course, I had no interest in going inside. If I was inclined, I’d rather wait to visit an American retail store. Overall, the walk through town was wonderful, despite being very commercial and touristy.
When I reached the Anne Frank house (which is conveniently open until 9 pm), I found that it inconveniently only sells tickets online, released daily in the morning and selling out each day like a Rolling Stones concert. There wasn’t even a house to see as the building was simply a mass of steel and glass. Dozens of people with computer printouts milled about outside the museum waiting for the 15 minute entry window. Oh well. Maybe next time. Though, given the rising fascism in the US, I really don’t have the strength to deal with any Holocaust stuff and not suffer a complete emotional breakdown.
My next plan was to seek a local craft beer brewery and I walked twenty minutes to the closest location. On the door, a sign read “No cash, PIN only” and I cursed under my breath. This is getting rather frustrating. I walked back to the old town, hoping to seek out one of the famous “brown cafes,” which are basically just old fashioned pubs. I passed several that were way too crowded for my taste and ended up passing through the red light district on the way to Central.
It was way too early for anything to be happening in the Red Light District, but given that the sun sets after 10pm, I wonder when the sex workers start their shift. There were certainly tour groups and families wandering around and I’m still having trouble wrapping my head around the idea that it is a tourist destination. Chinatown was right next to the red light district, and is only noticeable through a cluster of restaurants and shops with Chinese written on them.
I found the bar I was looking for (one recommended by the Lonely Planet) and it was to my surprise not overrun by tourists. It is a unique place with a wooden structure (as opposed to the typically brick houses) and full of monkey themed kitsch. I sat at the bar for a couple hours, slowly trying a couple different Belgian style beers.
I headed back to the hostel afterwards and with my bladder slowly filling up, the last couple of blocks felt rather longish. I had a long internal debate as to whether I should stop for something to eat (such as a Doner shop) or grab something from a supermarket (but eat with what utensils), and ultimately I just headed straight back to the hostel so I could relieve myself. I decided to skip dinner and chill up in the room. I watched maybe 15 minutes of a movie before I was falling asleep.
| Rijksmuseum | 20 EUR |
| Salad | 4 |
| Coffee & Apple Pie | 7.5 |
| 3 beers (Aepjen bier, Gulpener Lentebock, Korenwolf) | 12.6 |
| Total: | 44.1 EUR (344 RMB) (USD 49.9) |
Running Total: 10755 RMB (USD 1560.12)
Daily Average: 384.1 RMB (USD 55.72)