Amsterdam
The first
thing you notice about Amsterdam are the cyclists. Many of them. In designated
bike lanes. All without helmets. There are more of them than cars and walkers
combined! As a matter of fact, a recent BBC article cited that over 70% of the
Dutch bike! With so many bikers (not to
mention the narrow streets because of the canals), driving would be a complete
nightmare in this city, and I’m so glad that I don’t live in Amsterdam because
I actually love driving. But for just a visit, the biking is actually kind of a
fun experience…I rented one myself and biked throughout most of the city,
ending by chilling at Vondelpark (a huge, pretty park that takes over an hour…by
bike, and that, if I lived in Amsterdam, I would pretty much sleep at over during
the summers) Besides, it’s good exercise, that really works out the legs….how
else do you think a country of just 2 million people always has such strong
national soccer teams?
Once you venture
out onto Amsterdam’s streets, you’ll be blown away by the canals. They are
seemingly on every side street. You could take boats on them (I even took a
boat tour). Abutting most of the canals are apartment complexes. It looks
pretty cool, and on a warm summer day I’d be tempted to swim. But, no one does;
unfortunately, just as with Boston’s Charles River, the water is too dirty. Ironic,
isn’t it? All that water, yet nothing to drink, and nowhere to swim. Also, I’d
totally wanna know why I didn’t see any jet skis? If it were me, I’d totally rent
a jet ski and just explore the city via water for a day…is this even legal?
Of course,
Amsterdam is most famous for its legalized prostitution and pot smoking, and
yes, these are both sights to behold. If you go to the Red Light District at
night, you will literally find an entire street lined with houses. In each room
of the house, a scantily-clad whore appears (if free, if fucking, the curtains
will be drawn closed), waiting for clients to walk into her room. Taking photos
are strictly forbidden here, and my friend has heard stories of pimps who have
actually confiscated cameras and threw them into the canals. It’s a crazy site
that you will probably find nowhere else in the world, not even at Vegas.
Besides whores, the Red Light District also has strip clubs. Let’s just say
that you can touch the already naked bartenders and strippers more….liberally.
Now, enough of the sluts, and on to the weed. The coffee shops are like bars,
except they offer weed. Joints, bongs, brownies, you name it. Amsterdam may
also be the only place in the world that has a Hemp Museum AND an “Erotica
Museum”. Now, I work professionally. I go to grad school. So for personal and
professional reasons. I shall not divulge what I did or what I did not do at
the Red Light District. I will however argue that “whatever happens in
Vegas OR Amsterdam stays in Vegas….OR in
Amsterdam!
OK, on to
things to do that you can actually tell your parents about. Amsterdam is
historically known as a very artistic city, and its museums certainly don’t
disappoint in that regard. The Rijksmuseum, the Stedelijic Musum (modern art),
and especially the Van Gogh Museum all have some pretty neat art. The Van Gogh
Museum even has microscopes, where people can see artwork that Van Gogh made
earlier, but later painted over…it’s pretty cool! Also, the Amsterdam
Historical Museum is worth checking out; it basically summarizes Amsterdam’s
rich history and as a history buff, this was a pretty sweet experience for me.
One thing that the Dutch need to work on at their museums are the ridiculously
long lines, though. At the Van Gogh Museum, I waited for over 2 hours just to
get in! This is because there are only 2 tellers working…less than at my local
movie theater during weekends! And even then, the security guards just space
out once in a while…when it was my turn to buy a ticket, I had to wait for like
5 minutes, despite both tellers being free, for the freaking security guard to
finally wake up and wave me through! So to sum up…check out the museums, but book
tickets to all museums early to avoid the long lines. And some friendly advice
to the city of Amsterdam…hire more tellers, and more competent security guards,
damn it!
Amsterdam is
also known for formerly hosting a vibrant Jewish community, one whose experiences
are vividly illustrated by the Joos Historisch Museum. First, there were the richer Sephardic Jews,
fleeing the Inquisition in Spain, and later, also the poorer Ashkenazi Jews
came, fleeing anti-Semitism form much of Eastern and even Western Europe. The
Netherlands was one of the few countries that treated its Jews like people, and
Jews, at least technically on paper, could work anywhere they wanted, even in some
low levels of government. However, old European anti-Semitic habits die hard.
Although there were some successful Jews, especially Sephardic ones, even in
some low levels of government, general anti-Semitism kept most Jews poor. As a
matter of fact, the Jewish Dutch community was one of the poorest ones in the
country. Nevertheless, the Jewish community was well off in Holland before
World War II, until Hitler invaded them and most of them perished during the
Holocaust. Their plight is vividly reflected by the experiences of Anne Frank,
and the house where she hid is eye-opening, and a must-visit. It was so bad
that Tram #8, “The Jew Tram”, which was mostly used by Jews before world War II
became nearly empty, and was retired. Till this day, there is no Tram #8 in
Amsterdam, as a mark of respect to the Jewish Dutch victims of the Holocaust.
After World War II, most of the Dutch Jews who survived the Holocaust believed
that there was nothing left for them in Europe. The majority moved to Israel
(most of them), the USA, Canada, or Australia. Of those living in the Netherlands
today, most lie in Amsterdam, and over 70% are so secular that they don’t even
celebrate the Jewish high holidays!
Berlin
Walk into downtown
Berlin and it feels like you’ve just stepped into a museum specializing in 20th
Century German History. When you walk downtown you see so many sites associated
with World War II. Here, the Nazis began their Third Reich, over there, the
Allies had their last battles in the streets, and yonder, Hitler committed
suicide, in his bunker. On the streets,
there are detailed galleries and museums depicting battles between the Nazis
and the Communists, the rise of the Nazis, the brutality of the Hitler Youth, book
burnings, Jew Shaming, Kristallnacht (the Night of Broken Glass, mass pro-Nazi
rallies and parades, top Nazis and their
work…just a historical timeline of the rise and fall of Nazism, basically. There
is also a monument of stones dedicated to the 6 million Jewish victims of the
Holocaust, trees and bushes planted for gypsies, and other monuments to homosexuals,
political opponents, and other victims of Nazi persecution. I like that about
Berlin…unlike the Holocaust museums in Jerusalem in DC, ALL victims are
remembered, both the 6 million Jews AND the 6 million non-Jews.
Once you
finish absorbing Berlin’s history throughout Nazism, move on to the next stage…Capitalists
s Communists, Americans and the West vs The Soviet Union, West Berlin s East Berlin.
The Berlin Wall once divided entire families from 1961 till its fall in 1989 …because
West Berlin had the better life, and East
Berliners wanted to escape there (yay Capitalism!) Berlin’s history during this time period is
long and complicated. But once you are in Berlin, you not only learn about it,
you see it. Communist repression, Checkpoint Charlie, the Soviet blockade, the
East Berlin airlifts….reminders are all over the city, as well as on the East
Side gallery, which illustrates this time period, along with random art and is neat
to look over. If you are at all interested in history, even just American
history, Berlin is a must-see!
Thankfully
for Berliners, their once again city united is not just about the past, but
very much about its present. For a city so steeped in history, it has a very
modern feel. The clubs are crazy….I’ve even hear d (but did not go to)of an
underground one where people openly have sex with each other, and both guys and
girls can just attach themselves to a partner randomly! The Brandenburg Gate
(that same site where over a million Germans gathered to march in support of
Americans on 9/11) is a cool site, and it is located right next to most
embassies including the American one, which, of course, is the biggest embassy
there, complete with its own fountains. Abutting the American embassy is the
Albion Hotel, which is $15,000 per night, comes with a personal butler and
where Michael Jackson once famously dangled his own baby. How do other
Americans feel about our diplomats in Germany using our tax money to stay in
$15,000 per night hotels? Germany also boasts the gorgeous River Spree, which
is a great place to relax and enjoy the summer. There is even a swimming pool
ON THE FREAKING RIVER! Berlin is also comparatively cheaper to most of Europe.
Beer is affordable, as is the vast amount of food the Germans consume (sausage,
potatoes, burgers, salads….whoa. epresenting
the new, unified, modern Germany, is the Reichstag, in the heart of Berlin.
From its roof, you can see the entire city of Berlin, and it’s such a beautiful
site. Also, a visit to the Reichstag gets you a mini-book on how their
government works. To sum up, the 5 parties split the seats according to the
poll numbers by German districts, and these representatives (and not the German
people) elect the Chancellor. It’s a
complex system, and I would need to learn more about it before passing judgment
whether or not it is superior to the American one.
Dresden
Unfortunately,
we only stayed in Dresden for a couple of hours, on our way to Prague. But
staying for dinner in Dresden was the best decision we could have made. This
ancient city, nearly destroyed to rubble of Allied bombing toward the end of
World War II, has since recovered and still boasts stunning architecture. The
designs of the churches and buildings are beautiful. There are nice arching
bridges, leading up to the river. There
are a lot of green areas and parks. In the middle of the square, are some cool
places for dinner. The one we went to had a whole store filled with antique souvenirs,
and I did a lot of my shopping her. Dresden also is a hub for college study…Boston
University has its engineering Study Abroad campus here, and one of my
coworkers also studied abroad here, all the way for his university in the Ivory
Coast. A vibrant student life, awesome architecture, delicious food, neat
little parks next to the river, and plentiful shopping, how could you not want
to live in Dresden for a few months? It’s a pity that we could not stay longer,
but unfortunately with the trip itinerary we planned, Dresden was simply not in
the cards.
Prague
At first
glance, Prague did not appear too welcoming, especially on our first night
there. It was difficult to drive on the cobbled roads, narrow streets, and even
up and down STEPS (LOL!), and even harder to find overnight parking next to our
hostel. Also, it was much chillier than in Amsterdam or Berlin, and the next day
it was raining. But the next morning, we realized why they say that “looks can
be deceiving”. Simply put, a day in Prague feels like you have just been
transferred back in time. The architecture of the buildings is stunning. There
are tall, beautifully built houses, churches, and the numerous synagogues in Old Jewish Quarter. The scenary is a must-see,
especially overlooking the Vlata River from the Charles Bridge, where on one
side you see the huge Prague Castle, and on the other, downtown Prague, with
its ancient but awesome architectural buildings. We only stayed for a day at
Prague, and this is a huge pity, as you need at least 3 days to truly check
this wonderful city out properly. I’m especially disappointed that we ran out
of time to go inside the Prague Castle!
The
nightlife in Prague is vibrant, probably because of the super-cheap beers and
the huge amounts of alcohol served out in Bacardi buckets. Prague’s bars boast
a cool system to serve beer…there are taps located on tables, and whenever you
want a beer, you just fill out your glass from the tap, press your number, and
it automatically calculates how much alcohol you bought, based on how much you
have poured. I’ve never seen a system like this, but it is every innovative. It
could potentially save American bars millions because these machines could
pretty much replace bartenders…the down-side of this, of course, is that most
bartenders would lose their jobs. Prague also boasts a beer spa, where you can
bathe in beer (drinking it is not recommended)…while drinking hand-held beer
(in an actual bottle, of course). At the clubs, they serve Bacardi buckets of
hard liquor! Multiple people share this with straws…at our party…7 people. This
thing probably holds at least a Liter, if not more of alcohol, and I need to
host a party with such a bucket soon! Check out my pictures on Facebook…you’ll
see what I mean!
Munich
In Munich, for
the first couple of days, I had the opportunity to chill some of my closest
friends, who now live or study there, or who came on my Eurotrip with me. The
first day, we went to a beer garden. What’s a beer garden, you ask? Basically, it’s
a large outdoor area where you order a HUGE German-sized beer glass and eat
German food, basically lots and lots of sausages. It’s a nice, relaxing way to
socialize with friends, on weekends, or after work. During huge football
matches (huge Bayern Munchen games, German National Team, etc), I hear that
huge screens are set up, and people watch from here. Though the beer glasses
are sturdy, apparently if you toast them at the exact right angle, they can
break, and one of my friends actually broke his, with the beer still inside,
even after the breakage! The Germans love drinking beer so much that apparently
you can even drink it in public by the river, which is why my friends and I
spent most of my second day in Munich sipping beers by the River Issa. Apparently,
you can even swim in this river.
However, because I left my swimming trunks at my friend’s house, since it was
chilly outside, and since the bottom of the River Issa was rocky, I did not go
swimming.
The first
point of interest I saw in Munich was Dachau Concentration Camp, the first
concentration camp built by the Nazis. It was a chilling, but eye-opening
exhibit. Walking in the same places as people were murdered in cold blood,
where they were tortured, where they were enslaved, was creepy. The galleries
of how the victims lived here, especially the torture methods, as well as the
sick medical expectations, were chilling to the bone. The most surreal part, is
there is the death camp, and literally right next to it are houses, cars, a
road. How could the civilians who lived there not known? How could they pretend
that they saw nothing? It’s bullshit; of course they saw and heard everything;
they were the neighbors living right next door! Anyways, enough about Dachau
Concentration Camp. To actually appreciate it, one needs to actually visit it,
and I am very glad that I had the opportunity to do so.
On my fourth
day in Munich, I was planning to visit the Deutsche Museum and the BMW Museum,
but the previous night, I went to a Serbian nightclub, and somehow only got
home at around 7 AM. So I went to sleep, right? Wrong! Hung over, without a
minute of sleep, and exhausted I went ahead to see the museums anyways! The
Deutsche Museum is pretty neat…basically, it’s a science and technology museum.
There are really cool exhibits on boats, cars, planes, engines, light exhibits,
farming exhibits, medicine exhibits, astronomy exhibits. For someone who sucks
at science, and who, remember, was hung over and sleepy, I spent quite a while
exploring these, and if I had more energy, I would have definitely stayed
longer because there are other exhibits there that I did not have enough time
or energy to see. After the Deutsche Museum, I went to the BMW Museum. It was
pretty cool to see the company’s history, and how its cars, motorcycles, and
have evolved over the years. The one thing that you won’t see at the BMW
Museum, however, is exploiting slaves from Dachau Concentration Camp to work
for them, as free labor. That was in the past, though; now they make
high-quality cars. After the museums, I was so exhausted though, I don’t even
know how I got back to my friend’s house before passing out on the bed….
On my last
day in Munich, I went to visit the castles in Fussen, a 2 hour train ride from
Munich, and on the border between Germany and Austria, divided by the Alps. The
sites are simply stunning. The Hohenschwangau Castle (built by King Maxmilian II of Bavaria) The
Neuschwanstein Castle (built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria, as a homage to the
musician Richard Wagner) are huge and gorgeous, both inside and outside. In the
background are the beautiful Alps, and a gorgeous, pristine lake. I should have
gotten here at 9 AM< instead of 12 PM, to actually have some time to hike
and get closer to the Alps, big loss! Such a beautiful place though, great
sights, nice nature, and healthy athletic activity!
