Hi Folks,
Thanks to Chris and Company, Iam now back in action. I will be doing a daily Blog for a one weeker in Holland, since moving from Holland and that was back in July of 2006. I have gotten married, gotten duel citizenship, and pay more taxes then any person should have to pay ever. At any rate, it will start on Thursday the 20th of August 2009, and will go till the 27th, and this is just to bring everyone back up to par, with whats up with Holland, I heard a lot of changes from friends, and saw loads of things trying to be changed, this will hopefully get eveyone that needs that Amsterdam fix, plus a bit of the Harbor City, Rotterdam, one of the largest and busiest ports in the world.

Lets hope the people, and the exchange rate are decent, other then that. Thank goodness, I can still speak Dutch.


OKe, van de een traveler thats still using my Columbia two piece, we will see how far I get at check- in 0645am departure thats a 0445 check in whoah, I will need like triple shot of expresson before I can even tie my laces for this day.

Im already almost 1am here in England so better get to sleep, so the packing list can begin.

will update asap, all the time, and no its not going to be ablout dope, and such, more like whats new, and whats not.

Till Thursday, and big shout out to Court if she is still around.

ciaociao

Well, People I must say after a week in Holland and now just down the road in the ardiennes, at the spa franco champs formula one circuit its pissing rain and cold. Two great days last week in Amsterdam.
I mean is Amsterdam just getting better or worse??????

I spoke to a long friend of mine and he is selling his 4 storey building including everything inside for 1.3 million euros. Thats great because, you can not transfer a coffeeshop liscense like a bed and breakfast/ bar/ rest. etc.... I would probable rearrange but thats a different thread.

The trains fare is 4,40 euros one way 2nd class. thats a lot more then when i remember it being 2,80 then 3,30, but you got to have it. The trams is 1.60 euros for a one hour ride and where just about i paid like twice you just gotta know what tram to get on to avoid paying. Also the hotels seem to be giving away the rooms, even though I stayed at a friends B&B for a price break, he still let me bring in my own alcohol, and even served me, even though I would find a euro or two for a glass and some ice. A pint of Guinness is 5.00 Euros sorry not a full pint that a 500 ml glass a think a pint is 548mls am I close????


Thats a lot of cash, the pics of the street will depict the area I stayed at, so that way, the closer you are to dam square and centraal station. The more expensive it gets.

Once I arrived my old city I lived for 5 years Rotterdam, I still found centraal station a mess and over 16 months behind schedule, glad im not paying taxes in that place. I also found a great deal on a room with breakfast and tax for 35.00 euros single 44.00 dbl i belive. Maritime hotel stayed there many times and used it as an inbound hotel on tour groups when i worked there. Unless its a special event which is normally booked up long in advance. I could have stayed at friends but after being in a B and B I wanted some privacy TV and a bit of relaxation on the large amount of work that had to be done in 5 days. The BMI baby flight was still a good deal if you can find a printer and internet, if not your out 20.00 quid that 10 each way, besides I never buy a seat in advance I wait 3 days before departure and they send you a email that reminds yout o check in and you can pick your seat then for free.

Both flights in the morning were on time, unlike evening when you have probably 400 times more people, because of flight that depart to asia, india, middle east and africa, spain, etc, most North american, canada etc, is early like mine was, so it was trouble free at passport control and security.

I thought for sure it would be harder and even more cumbersome then before, but I also had the humbug artic monkeys cd on the ipod so that helped a little. The food and drink is very much cheaper and such a slower pace in rotterdam then amsterdam. It's so loud, you cant hear even a coin fall from your pocket and hit the ground, I lost a piece of jade second piece in amsterdam, one was from burma, but I think thats a different thread too, this one was from my wife to keep me safe, I lost it the first day, but I had the jet around my neck so I was safe.


I will add some pics, The maarkt on tuesday and saturday proved to be profitable the euro was avgerage 1.11 euros to the 1 pound mark. not sure about us currency.

I also had a few run ins, but no need to go there, thank god i had'nt forgotton dutch.


Overall I would say if you never have never been to Amsterdam then go, once, then I would soak up loads of other destinations, like even rotterdam, which tourists never go, since i still run rotterdam smoke tours, there were 68 coffeeshops when i began that map, there are 22 now, I hardley have enough to get the map printed this year, but will still keep printing it off because people still want it.

The belgie way is also a bit layed back, bit F1 is far from laid back. its cooler and wetter now, but is supposed to get better, I will be back on monday that flight back to the uk, then back to belgium is the only way to go, change from pack A too pack B which is basically already packed, and then just jam to to airport, normally I would have not gone that way, but I had a friend traveling with me that had never been anywhere, and wasnt gonna shove someone on a train then a plane, that had never flown, or even been out of the UK. Oh i think he went to scotland once, thats another country isnt it?

pic description:

Americans like to go to Amsterdam, Europeans don't.

The British seem to like it well enough, and so do many europeans. I distinctly remember a group of 20 Italians that loved Amsterdam, as an example.

Well, I just got back to UK tonight, this was a delayed start after a big party for the finn f1 driver K.R.
ven though I was drunk on Stella, I switched to Jagermeister and forgot the entire evening.

Including my flight home, the train, pretty much everything.

I am sorry to end on a bummer, but, at least I did not get my money stolen from me.

I will be putting a few new threads on, and do not be afraid to post on my thread, 5 posts, seems a small amount, for such a vibrant city.

so till my next thread. Hope everyone is doing well, and enjoying their own travels.

If you need any questions about travel, I still do my travel agency and sell mostly packages, thats what pays the bills, but I would help someone out on a RTW


Later on,