Backpacking Adventures: Europe Part I

5. Amsterdam

Do you remember the bus ride Josh and I took from the Dublin airport to the hostel? There were no problems on the way there. But going back to the airport was an issue.

Our flight to Amsterdam left at 7:00 AM. We didn't realize when we booked our tickets, but the last bus to the airport left at midnight; there wouldn't be another one until 6:00 AM. This left us with a difficult decision between two options. Option one (we'll call it the expensive option) was to stay an extra night in the hostel and then take a taxi in the morning. Option two (the cheaper option) was taking the midnight bus to the airport and sleeping there overnight.

I want to clarify that Josh and I are not necessarily penny-pinchers. However, we were traveling on a budget and trying to squeeze the most out of our resources. While we ate budget-friendly meals and stayed in hostels, we didn't let cost dictate which attractions we visited. My philosophy is that while you can find good food anywhere, there's only one Colosseum or Mona Lisa. If you can save money without sacrificing experiences, that's the smart way to travel.

Given this, we decided to go with option two. We hopped on the midnight bus, which arrived at the airport around 12:45 AM. The first thing we did was find a secure spot on the floor. We needed a place where we could sleep without worrying about our safety. Next, we wrapped our backpacks around ourselves and securely fastened the straps. Our biggest concern was getting robbed while we were sleeping. We needed to be careful that our bags couldn't be opened without disturbing us. Our goal was to wake up with all our belongings intact.

I managed to sleep soundly on the floor of the Dublin airport, but Josh struggled to doze off. He was worried about two things, theft, and oversleeping. So, he didn't get much shuteye. Fortunately, I slept like a baby.

A few hours later, Josh woke me up when it was time to check-in. Still groggy, I followed him through security to our gate, and we made our flight.

A Peddler's Town

Amsterdam is a truly unique city. What stands out to me most is the abundance of bicycles. Bikes are available for rent everywhere, and a large percentage of the population uses them as their primary mode of transportation.

Our first morning in Amsterdam, we left our hostel at 8:30 AM. Immediately, we were shocked by the sight of hundreds of people on bikes. And most are commuting to work or school, not just riding leisurely. This is quite different from where I'm from, where biking is less common due to the spread-out nature of the city.

One of the characteristics of Amsterdam is its density. The city contains over 900,000 people, mostly being built upwards. The benefit of a densely populated area is that it's possible to get around by bike. This means fewer cars on the road, particularly during rush hour, providing a peaceful and calming atmosphere.

Instead of honking horns and engines roaring, the sounds come from people. Biking is a more intimate experience than driving a car. As a bicycle passes, you hear someone chatting on the phone, listening to music, or simply saying hello. In car-dominated cities, it's hard to interact with locals. But in Amsterdam, where bikes rule the road, there's a real opportunity for communication.

Red-Light District

Walking around Amsterdam's city center at night offers a vastly different experience. Compared to the bustling streets during the day, particularly in the renowned Red-Light District, the atmosphere is poles apart. As Wikipedia states, a red-light district is "an area within an urban location with a high concentration of sex-oriented businesses, such as strip clubs, sex shops, and adult theaters." (I figured I would give you the Wikipedia definition of a red-light district rather than trying to explain it myself. I didn't want to use my own words for that.)