Holland – Day 1
Getting Acquainted – April 12
Though the plane was supposedly delayed – I don’t remember actually looking for how long the trip was postponed 
because I was too tired – we arrived at the Amsterdam airport earlier than scheduled. I was quite pleased with the trip, or at least as pleased as I can possibly be when relegated to an airplane seat. I kept my eyes closed for most of the seven and a half hours and tried to sleep for as many of those hours as possible, and I think I was successful. Of course, it wasn’t the lovely beauty sleep I enjoy back at home!
The plane touched down on the tarmac at around 12:00 in the afternoon, and though I didn’t get the best rest, I was ready to go! My first meal in Holland was a Burger King crispy chicken sandwich that cost way too much for fast food, but… I was hungry! Malka, though motionless the entire flight, eyes closed and head leaning on the window, apparently received no slumber and so she was moody for our journey through the airport.
The hotel my mother, Malka, and I are staying at is called The Albus. It was described to me, by my sister, as a very swanky place to stay, and she was very excited to see it. I can’t say I am disappointed by our accommodations, as I am easy to please when it comes to a bed, but I don’t think it is as amazing as it was previously described.
When we arrived, the room was not yet cleaned, so we had to venture out before resting our tired eyes and sore 
bottoms. We strolled slowly down the small streets nearby The Albus. Of all the places I’ve gone to visit – England, Scotland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Spain – I think Amsterdam is the most “different” of places. Let me explain. London wasn’t very different from any other big city one might venture to, and Bath, though very beautiful, was very orderly. What I mean by that is that the architecture is all Georgian in Bath. Scotland I can hardly remember, but again, Glasgow and Edinburgh are normal cities. I don’t need to go through each of the countries I’ve visited, but what I am trying to get at is the layout and architecture of Amsterdam. The buildings seem haphazardly built – the architecture differs from building to building, and most of the doors and windows seem crooked. The streets are paved and flat, all the better to ride a bicycle on. All in all, I’d say Amsterdam is much quainter than the other places I’ve visited. Don’t get me wrong, the Cotswolds of England are adorable but in a more picturesque, historic manner. Amsterdam… is just different!
After moseying around Rembrantplein (plein = plaza), and after Mom and Malka had some lunch (fried hamburgers
layered with ketchup and mayonnaise), we returned to the hotel for a MUCH NEEDED nap. Because I move a lot in my sleep, my mom and sister decided to give me the single bed. I’m not arguing! It’s tucked away in a nice corner underneath the rafters of the building – our room is on one of the top floors.
Our nighttime activity was to venture to the Red Light District – probably the place in Holland that excites my sister the most. She was so happy to see all the prostitutes in the window, and was disappointed when she wasn’t able to take pictures – once she tried to sneak a shot on her phone, and the prostitute inside the door glared at her! The area is very tight and crowded, and the streets are filled with sex shops, novelty stores (Condomerie being one that we visited), and adult 
lounges. Bachelor parties can be seen far and wide, and rowdy, young men are seen bartering with the prostitutes at their doors. Another kind of place quite prevalent on the streets are coffee shops, or better yet, marijuana lounges. The stench that comes out of those establishments!
After looking around for a restaurant for a while, we finally found a place called Hasta La Pasta. I assumed the “create your own pasta” restaurant would be similar to Pax or Hot & Crusty back in NYC, but the chef here was phenomenal! I ordered pasta with pesto sauce, my sister ordered pasta with bolognese, and my mom got cream of broccoli soup. All of the ingredients were fresh, and the sole cook made us everything from scratch! Absolutely delicious!!!
