THE video

Here is 40 + minutes of footage from the trip over the course of the last few months. I have spent way too much time working on this, and am glad to finally be able to present it to the general public. Enjoy!

Last day...

Destination... Cologne!

Cologne, Germany is another huge German city. Here we were in awe of their giant cathedral which is the center piece for the city. We climbed over 500 stairs to go the the top of the cathedral for some spectacular views and photos. Here we also went to the chocolate museum, where we saw the entire chocolate making process and learned more about chocolate then I would ever need to know. One of the coolest things we did is drink and eat at a bar that is so old that it was first mentioned in texts from the 1300's. They throw beers down on the table before you even sit, and make sure that you never run out. Here we ate some liverwurst and pickled herring, which tasted much better than the "fine" French food from the fancy Paris place. Cologne was the perfect was to end our mad dash through Europe.

Destination... Dusseldorf!

Dusseldorf, Germany Is home to the "Worlds longest Bar". This means that there are some 40 or so bars right next to each other, effectively making it the worlds longest. We went to a hand full of these bars trying the local beer and having exotic drinks (I tried a "Flaming Moe" and almost burnt my hand off). The German people were very friendly and helped us when we got lost (Dusseldorf is huge!). We went up in a giant tower and took pictures of the city and the beautiful Rhine river. We also went and looked at the Old Town, which has some interesting buildings and some strange surprises (See photo). Miranda spent her birthday here and we had a whole lot of fun.

Destination... Paris!

Paris, France was an experience to say the least. This city is larger than life, everyone of it's inhabitants is a character, and every hour brought a new story. To write about everything that happened in Paris would be difficult, so I'll do my best.
French people are crazy. The walk around eating 3ft sticks of bread, they wear heavy black jackets in the hot sun, and they Drive like maniacs. The strangest thing about the French people, is that they seem to think I am someone who I am not. Maybe I look like someone famous in France, because I was constantly getting the strangest looks from people. At first I thought there was something on my face. Then I thought maybe they just like to stare. I was assured there was nothing on my face, and no one else was getting the confused looks. Soon I noticed a French guy tap his girlfriend shoulder to get her attention, he then said something and pointed at me, her face lit up and they both got really exited. A group of guys ran up to me, one of them began repeating "salut, salut!", which I am told is a greeting usually reserved for friends and people you know. Soon Erin noticed a lady who's jaw dropped when she saw me. I walked by a cafe patio full of about fifty people enjoying the sunny day (still all dressed in black jackets), at least a hand full of them were visibly freaked out by the sight of "me". This continued to happen throughout my time in France (and even by a French couple we sat next to in a coffeeshop back in Amsterdam). I am pretty sure that this is my punishment for the whole Cap'n Creepy Picture poaching fiasco. (Whatever, who hasn't taken a photo of a stranger and manipulated it to be an iconic image featured on T-shirts and G-string thong underwear.)
There was also what I call "The great Paris Dinner Fiasco"... We all got dressed up all fancy with the intent of going to a nice French restaurant. It was an extremely nice restaurant, and very busy. While waiting for our table we went to the bar, Jeff saw a half empty mixed drink sitting on the table, and asked the bartender what it was. The bartender said something in French and made the same drink for him. I walked in, and like an idiot, and said "I'll have what he's having". We then get seated, and well, we all kind of start to get sick. Erin, seemed to start feeling bad first. We tried to stop her food from coming out, and seriously pissed off our stereotypical French waiter. Soon our fish came, by now both Miranda and I were feeling dizzy. The fish did not help, and we had some problems eating it. Not eating the food pissed off the whole staff. Miranda overheard them talking "smack" about the "Americanos" We had to get our bill early and leave (it wasn't exactly "cheap" either). Oh yeah, and the drinks we had at the bar... were made with Absinthe (Damn, we are stupid).
We Did plenty of sightseeing. The Eiffel Tower, Arc De Triumph, Louvre Museum, all very fun. I got to see the Mona Lisa, which was really cool, and very small. Also hung out at the Eiffel tower, didn't make it to the top though (It's just not my scene, man). I did make up to the second level though (I took the stairs... ouch).

Happy B-day to the most beautiful girl in the world

Miranda, I love you more than anything and everything. There is no place or time I would rather be, than right here with you, right now. Thanks for dealing with my shit for another year. Happy birthday.

Cap'n Creepy

With 8.1 mega-pixels of photographic power available to me, I have noticed that small details of my photographs can be enlarged with little to no distortion. Take a look at the following photograph-

Just a normal pic of another busy Amsterdam street corner... right? Wrong! Look what happens when I zoom in a little closer-

Yeah, my thoughts exactly.... I was just as shocked as you. Go ahead and take a moment to really absorb what you are looking at before you read any further...
As you can see, the man I have dubbed "Cap'n Creepy" has invaded one of my photos (and he haunts me in my dreams, Freddy Kruger style). Who the hell is this guy? I hope he does not invade any of my other photo's-

Damn You, Cap'n Creepy! Why must you ruin my photos!. I will turn lemons into lemonade and make this a positive thing, by turning your image into an iconic black and white stencil graphic. I will then have this graphic turned into stickers and other merchandise (G-String thong underwear). I will sell these fairly priced items to my loyal readers for a healthy profit-

Also I will get really F'd up one night and and make a psychedelic Rasta inspired image of you, Cap'n Creepy. I will put this image on quality made tee-shirts perfect for men or women of all ages and sizes.

Take that! Picture poaching (and dream stalking) Captain creepy! One day when you run across an image of yourself on a tee-shirt worn by a drunken American (and his six drunken buddies), you will change your mind about invading my photographic space (and nightmares). (and you will most likely sue the crap out of me).

Click Here To Buy it all Now! All money earned goes to me! You know you want to...

Communication breakdown

Talking with locals has proven to be one of the best ways to learn about other peoples culture. During these simple conversations, there always seems to be some funny things that get lost in the translation. We were asked the other day what word Americans used for three wheeled bicycles with wheelbarrow attachments... I simply responded "uh... I don't think we have those things in America.".

There was a couple in the sauna at the waterpark we attempted to conversate with. After we realized that they speak no English at all, an awkward silence fell upon the room. I shifted myself, and pushed a foot stool aside, inadvertently making a faux farting sound as the wooden stool rubbed against the tile floor. Three more seconds go by and I reach the awkward moment breaking point, "It wasn't me." I said pointing to the stool. The couple let out a laugh and all was well. It is good to know that fart jokes are universal.

I asked for a hot tea in a coffeeshop, the man replied "There is no such thing as a cold tea".

There was a confusing exchange when a train employee was trying to tell me that the train was "finished", and I thought she was asking if I spoke Finnish. "No." I kept saying, "English!".

There was a drunk Dutchman at the bar last night who kept saying things like; "Yer jerst stooped merikans, can't tell me that time trrraveel int posslibble!", "Woo needs mer burrs?!" and "Yer ok in my blook cos yer from naar Canada... Bot I love merkans though."

The plan...

With less than two weeks before we are obligated to return home, we still have so many things to do and places to see. So, now is when we kick things into high gear. Tomorrow we board the train to Paris, France, where we will spend three days. After Paris, we go to both Düsseldorf, and Cologne, Germany. I'm looking forward to drinking a giant beer in a German hall and eating a "wurst" of some type.

5 best foods so far

We have encountered some excellent food in the small time we have spent here in Europe. Here is a quick rundown-
5- Gigantic apple-bacon-cheese pancake from the Pancake Bakery
4- Pickled Herring sandwich from Stubb's Haring (The Dutch version of the hot dog)
3- The best Asian fast food ever from Wok to Walk (I could hardly "walk" afterwards)
2- Cheese and steak fondue from Cafe Bern
1- "African surprise" from Restaurant Semhar Etheopian and African food (I dont know what it was that I ate, and the waiter refused to tell me. Because that would have ruined the "surprise".)

Also, an honorable mention goes to Cafe Letting, for having the best French toast EVER... (sorry mom).

Pirate ship postcard

I know we look innocent...

Joey was a little shy to write about this, so I, Miranda, am temporarily taking over this blog, and it's even for the 50th post!
We all decided to go to a sex show, like you have to do when you are in Amsterdam. We went to the same one that our O.A.T. recommended when we came here the first time and saw the cigar. There are eight different shows that you watch, and when it gets back to the show you started with, thats when you leave. So, after chugging the fourth drink that came with the ticket we were going to leave, when the lady on stage began looking in my direction. She must of been able to tell I had a few drinks in me, so she started to try to get me to go on stage for participation. With the help of the rest of our group, I decided to go, I was the 1st of 4 that she needed. After awhile she had talked Erin into getting on stage as well. The next was this little British girl, who looked at me and asked in fear, "What are we going to do?" I of course replied that we were going to be eating a banana... and her eyes got huge. So after the lady got a guy as the 4th, she had us all dance around stage (with a guy in a gorilla suit) before we all sat down on the stage and she turned to us, look off her underwear, peeled a banana and put it... Luckily, Erin was 1st, I was second, and thank god the guy was last, because at that point she ripped off all but a little of the banana and wrapped her legs around his head as he ate the last piece. I felt bad that Erin and Jeff didn't have a chance to see the cigar, but I think that this made up for it, and I was told if I need to make any extra money while in Amsterdam...
A note from Joey: In the interest of full disclosure I should mention that the banana was never actually put INSIDE anything (but it was pretty damn close to the "Danger Zone"). This was more of a naughty comedy act, than a parlor trick... Oh, the things we have done (and written about).

Street Music in Brussels

Don't worry, we paid him to let us film.

When all else fails, ask Rick Steves.

Destination... Brussels!

For Valentines day, we took a train to Brussels, Belgium. Here the main spoken language is French, making communication difficult (and humorous). We were lucky to have Erin along to give us a crash course in French formalities. We spent most of the first day at the "Oceade" indoor waterpark. This was an excellent way to fight the winter blues. Oceade features amazing waterslides, including one that simulates the birthing process by spitting you out blind and unable to breathe. There was also a huge wave pool, tube slides, and an adults only area with a steam room, hottub, sauna and tanning beds. Plus they had excellent cheap Belgian beer to enhance the experience.
While in Belgium we made sure to try some fine foods. Of course I tried a Belgian waffle (which tastes the same as it does in the U.S.), and some choclates. Brussels is the official unofficial Capitol of europe, making it a very busy and diverse city. We stayed on the outskirts of the city in a very small and friendly hotel. It was freezing outside and the fog was extremely thick, making photos very difficult.
There was a hilarious incident that occoured on the train ride back to Amsterdam. Our train came to a stop in a small empty town somewhere in Belgium. This older lady with a confused look on her face came aboard and looked at me, "Finnish?" she asked. "No." I replied, "English".... She became more confused saying, "No, FINNISH!". I think I responded "No, ENGLISH!". You see, I thought she was asking if I spoke Finnish, when she was actually telling me that the train was FINISHED, and that we needed to leave now... The train conductor assured us that a train to Amsterdam would arrive in seven minutes. He lied. Fourty-five minutes later we boarded another train... Which came to an end ten miles later in the next small town. When we eventually made it home on Valentines night, we were tired and went to bed... all full of waffles, choclates, and beer.

Ice cream fondue before & after

*** WIN STUFF ***

This photo speaks for itself, but it still needs a funny caption. Here's where you come in... Leave a comment with your funniest caption for this photo, if your comment is the funniest you will win the super prize of an Amsterdam salt & pepper shaker set!*

*Not valid in Alaska.Prize may be changed without prior notice.Salt & pepper shaker may be shaped like a penis.Funniest comment will be chosen by us... while drunk.Prices and participation may vary.sorry, no c.o.d's.Prize must be surrendered upon request.Limit one penis shaped salt & pepper shaker set per household.Requires enrollment in the "Genital shaped kitchen item of the month" club.Not for use with food.Not for any use.Salt & pepper not included.

UPDATE: THE CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED! THE WINNER IS..... WINNINGATMYOWNGAME! VIEW THE COMMENTS SECTION TO READ THE WINNING CAPTION.

Jeff Merhar presents: Filming people while eating.

Look at Erin trying to "act natural". Look at the fire in my eyes, as I shovel food down my trap. Look at the obviously annoyed old man in the background smoking on a reefer. Look at Miranda attacking her food with pure unfiltered aggression. Listen to Jeff talk as he's making the worst video ever.

The booze will keep us warm

Going to an ice bar has been on my to-do list for quite some time. The concept is simple, everything is made of ice. The walls, the chairs, the tables, the glasses almost everything (except the floor and a television). We had stopped by another cheaper local bar to kick start the evening, by the time we slid into the ice bar we were already good and lit. First you enter a modern cocktail lounge, have a few drinks and wait for the ice bar to become available. Then you are whisked away, given a heavy parka, a pair of gloves, and herded through a hallway into a heavy freezer door. Once I became oriented, I found myself in a indoor winter ice wonderland of booze consumption. I was given the choice between Heineken, or "pink stuff", I chose the "pink stuff". After two glasses of "pink stuff" I was feeling pretty good, and had the brilliant idea of smashing my two empty ice glasses together (It was like that scene from 2001 A Space Odyssey, when the monkey first discovers he can use a stick as a hitting device). Soon others joined in on the destruction, smashing their glasses to little bits of ice shards. The ice wasn't the only thing to be smashed though. Being a drunken idiot with ice cold numb hands, I dropped a strangers camera when she handed it to me to take a group photo of her and her friends. It was not ALL my fault as it never quite made it into my grasp... but I felt very bad either way (It hit the icy floor really hard). After some more glass-smashing and another glass of "pink stuff" we headed out in an attempt to make it home. The long walk was made even longer by the fact that we were walking with a drunken swagger. We finally made it home after a million pit stops, an attempted camera heist by a scam artist, and a drunken photo session in Dam Square.

Hello from the Ice Bar

Back from the break...

Ok, lets try this again. Erin and Jeff are adjusting well, and seem to have perfectly fit into the Dutch way of daily life. The only problem is trying to sync four peoples sleeping schedules together. I think I finally fell asleep at 5:00am this morning, Miranda went out for "coffee" at around 8:00am, and I am just waking up now at around 2:00pm (We don't believe in the use of alarm clocks while in Amsterdam). Things are kicking into high gear as our guests jet lag finally has worn off. Tonight we go to the "Ice Bar" where everything is made of ice (including the walls, tables, floors, glasses, etc.). It should be pretty cool, and it should be fun to just chill out for the night.
You may have noticed some cool new things on the web site. First, there is the cool slide show on the right sidebar (which replaces the lame slideshow that was there before), also we now have the abilty to post video clips from you-tube (and yes, that is my best godzilla impression on that last video). Our video clips will be of a higher quality going forward, that last clip can be thought of more as a "test", and not an indicator of the videos that will be featured in the future (I'll be doing King Kong impressions in future videos). Also, tons more photos have been added as we now have four people and six cameras between us. Look out for more new stuff in the near future, also Erin and Jeff might do some blog posts here... if I can ever wake them up.

Whats new...

Jeff and Erin have arrived in Amsterdam. They are adjusting to the time change, and adjusting to dutch culture (Translation: We are getting trashed). It's actually like five in the morning here... and I have no business trying to write, so maybe more posts tomorrow!... or maybe not.

Clog Blog

There are clogs everywhere here in the Netherlands, however I have yet to see anyone actually wearing them. I would be worried about getting splinters, or blisters, or clog-foot. The giant clog pictured above was left by 60ft. tall Dutch Milk maid.

Video!

New night time photos in album

A quick break

I'll be taking a quick blogging break to welcome Erin and Jeff to Amsterdam. Be sure to check back after a few days, to see how they are adjusting. Also look out for new site features, and dont forget you can always look at old posts in the blog archive.

Ominous church postcard

Let's talk about the weather

It seems that the weather here is consistently better than all of Washington state. I keep hearing reports of massive amounts of snow in Spokane. Also, I'm hearing there's constant snow on the ground in Bellingham. Apparently Washington is having the "snow of the century"... Well not here, nope the weather here can best be described as "mild" or "ideal". Besides some rain a week or so ago, and an amazing thunder storm the other night, we have had it pretty good... My biggest concern right now, is getting a sun burn. Jeff, you and Erin might want to bring some sunglasses, and sunscreen. Also don't forget to drink plenty of water and stay in the shade (and if you can pack a beach ball, that would be great). So, if you'll excuse me, I have some bikini and squirt-gun shopping to do.
UPDATE: Ok, so I may have over exagerated on this one a little. But you can't deny our weather is kicking ass. (I bet y'all Texan readers are kickin all our asses though).

Crooked buildings

Most of Amsterdam was built on sand, a long time ago. Today many of the older houses are leaning, crooked or otherwise deformed. I would have to overcome my issues with nausia before stepping foot inside.

Meeting new friends

We have been meeting so many nice people (and dogs). Today we met some friends of the guy we switched houses with. One of the guys is a german talk show host who told us where to buy cheap (stolen) bikes. The other guy is a food fanatic who told us which restaurants to visit and which to avoid. Also met a fellow Bellingham-ian... Or is it Bellingham-ite... I met a fellow American from Bellingham, WA who now lives on the same block as our borrowed pad (small world). She brought over her dog, and told us tales of her years in Amsterdam. She actually offered me € 100,00 a week to watch her (huge) house and (cute) dog while she is on vacation in Seattle. Also, she offered to pay to have me train her dog (even though I swore I would never train dogs for money again). The only problem is she needs someone from late March to mid April. Do I dare entertain the thought of staying longer? Probably not... But who knows...????

By request, a pic of our front door

The "Star-Wars" bar

There is one coffeeshop we frequent, that reminds me a little of that scene from the first Star Wars movie. The Spirit coffeeshop is always full of diverse people from different parts of the world, as the Star Wars bar was full of space creatures from different galaxies. The music here is a mixed bag, consisting of your average Bob Marley, The Doors, and Pink Floyd tunes, to the worst club techno music you have ever heard. The wierd thing is, the old haggard locals sing along to the rave style euro-trash beats (imagine your grandpa singing along to "Barbie girl"). Not only is the music eclectic, but this place has some respectable atmosphere. The walls are lined with 1980's psychedelic fantasy art, and the skylights provide some natural light to illuminate the thick smoke lingering above the pooltables.
The best thing about the Spirit Coffeeshop is the games, they have billiards, foosball, air hockey and more. I found my self getting whomped at 8-ball by some middle eastern guys. They showed me how to play by "Dutch rules" which means I get my ass handed to me (it was actually really close). Though lately I have been working on my pool game and soon hope to hustle them for some serious €€€... (Just kidding).

Some quick notes

We have retired the i-phone of its picture taking duties, and are now using a standard digital camera coupled with the powerful Sony PSP (Think of me as future McGuyver). This means higher quality pic's, and less stuff for us to carry around. Also, a laptop computer will be arriving with Jeff and Erin, so say goodbye to the i-phone exclusive method of blogging. Check out all the new pic's by clicking on any photo, and viewing my folder. Keep in mind that ALL the pictures have been shrunk down to fit on this blog, the full sized ones will be available once we are back in Bellingham.

Amsterdam sunset postcard

5 reasons not to eat at FEBO

For those who dont know, FEBO is fast food served from a coin-op toaster oven. It is the equivalent of eating at an American 7-11. Here are 5 reasons to avoid it.
5- Guy at front who keeps repeating "esctacy-cocaine".
4- Prostitutes on lunch break
3- Mild hallucinations
2- FEBO shits.
1- € 5,00 for a bacteria ridden Hot-Pocket!?

Going forward and looking back

We have been having so much fun. It has been two weeks now, yet we feel like we just got here yesterday. The days seem to fly by, which Is only because we are having so much fun (and because the sun is only out for 7 hours a day).
I have learned alot about a new culture. Miranda and I have gotten some much needed time together. We have eaten things we don't understand. We survived the streets of Amsterdam on foot and on bicycle (Too bad about the bike though). We have learned to break into our own house when locked out (two times now). We have found favorite cafes and coffeeshops. I have developed an internal G.P.S. device for finding the nearest public urinals (sorry Miranda).
As the last two weeks flew by, I'm sure the next two will as well. On Monday, our good friends Jeff and Erin will be joining us in the Netherlands. Neither of them have been to this land before, and Miranda and I are looking forward to becoming official Amsterdam tour guides (O.A.Ts). Our good friend Jake was our O.A.T. last time, I could only hope to do half as good as he did. One thing Im looking forward to in particular, is having someone here to take pictures of us (I have been told this blog is lacking in that department). We are also psyched about our trips into Germany, Brussels, and elsewhere. Germany should be interesting, as I'm meeting up with distant relatives in Munich and near Düsseldorf. What if I encounter a bizarro German version of myself? I guess I will find out soon enough... Hey maybe Jeff and Erin can meet their bizarro European doppelgängers as well. Wish Jeff and Erin good luck.

Rotterdam

Took an hour or so train ride to Rotterdam today. Rotterdam is in stark contrast from amsterdam, the two cities feel nothing alike. The once great city was completely destroyed during WWII, so all the buildings are pretty new. Rotterdam is known for its amazing modern skyscrapers and futuristic buildings. It is also known for its big business, and for having the worlds second largest shipping port. We went and saw these famous "cube houses" that were really cool looking, but make me dizzy to look at. The whole city seemed to be under construction. They were building skyscrapers left and right as well as new roads. We could not find much to do here other than admiring the modern skyline and viewing the endless number of shops and shopping malls. But we did get some cool photos, and I get to add a new city to my list. Also we ate some stroopwaffles which are like flattened sandwiches with Carmel and waffles... Yum.

Rotterdam cube houses

Living and learning in Amsterdam

Lately we have become very familiar with the small city of Amsterdam. I am rarely getting lost anymore. Also gone is my fear of the traffic and bicycles. I am beginning to understand many Dutch words (and can at least say 2 or 3). The Dutch "laid back" attitude has started rubbing off on me, as we find ourselfs just hanging out alot. The locals are even warming up to us. The half naked neighbor lady keeps waving at us. The old man at the coffeeshop down the street now knows Miranda's favorite tea flavor. Also had a long chat with a local about the i-phone (and all the magical futuristic stuff the i-phone can do).... (like being used to make this blog). Seeing and meeting lots of Americans, lots of weird Americans... each one weirder then the last. Including some high strung college students from Arizona, and two guys that hate the local shops techno music.

5 Amsterdam souvenirs that should not exist

5- Assorted brightly colored clog slippers
4- Pot-leaf rain poncho (even worse when an entire family is wearing them).
3- Ceramic prostitute figurines
2- Red eyed Jesus smoking a joint post card
1- faux Delftware ceramic penis shaped salt & pepper shakers with pictures of windmills and pot-leafs (no joke, see the fore-ground of the photo!)

Postcard, nighttime

Day trip to Zaanse Schans

Zaanse Schans is a small town about 15 minutes from Amsterdam by train. The town is the closest place to see real working windmills, and the beautiful Dutch countryside. The first thing you notice about Zaanse Schans is that the whole town smells like chocolate (which is strange, because I didn't see any chocolate while I was there). The windmills were pretty cool. We went inside a working sawmill, and got to see how it was built (via instructional DVD). Most of all the windmills were built in the 1700's (except for the one we went in, which was built last summer... lame). There was also a cheese farm, that had tons of cheese to sample and a view of the cheese making process. There was also lots of the usual shops with windmill replicas, and a wooden clog maker (I call it the "clogery"). Ok... The whole thing was a little "cheesy". The town is the pre-packaged Dutch experience that can be seen in under an hour. I found this to be a classic tourist trap, but enjoyed the scenery. I managed to escape without buying any clogs, cheese, delftware, or mini-windmills (I really wanted to paint my own clogs though).
Cheesy as it was, I will always remember Zaanse Schans (because the chocolate smell has permiated my clothes). For more info visit www.zaanseschans.nl

Public urination

nothing is more liberating. Only in Amsterdam (and while camping). And yes, that is me in there.
UPDATE... I have been informed that this is not unique to Amsterdam, and can be found in other European countries. Hehehe... European, your-a-pee-in.

Playground postcard

Miranda kicks ass

Note: This post was removed due to the content no longer being correct. I had to leave the beautiful photo up though.

Recovery time

After a marathon bike ride and a week of constant walking, we chose to take it easy the last two days. On top of my ass still hurting from the bike seat, I managed to pull an important leg muscle, making walking painful. Thankfully no major mishaps or injuries to report. There were some pretty close calls, including a delivery truck that whizzed by me leaving no more than 4" between us. Its amazing how many near misses there were. I saw a car hit a bicyclist and I saw a scooter hit a bicyclist (don't worry, they were ok). The cool thing is, I strapped the video camera to the bikes front rack, so now I have some really cool video footage.

Biking in Amsterdam

Last time we were here, it was scary trying to dodge trams, busses, cars, bikes, motorcycles, people and dog shit. This time by recommendation from our official Amsterdam tourguide Jake, we went biking. We went all over town, we were on small alley ways and busy roads, we even went through the park. After a long bike ride we realized we didn't get any good video. So, of course we did what was probably a ten mile ride, again. It was fun, though partly through it we sure started to ache. We desided to take it easy today, since we can't even walk around without hurting. How do the Dutch do it? They must have buns of steel. All and all, it was worth it, we had a great ride all around Amsterdam and we survived. We even got to experience a real Amsterdam bike theft. When we woke up this morning, our friend's bike was gone from the front yard. No worries, he says its all just part of Amsterdam.
Miranda Skar

Another day, another postcard

A day at the Artis Zoo

The only thing better than a day at the zoo, is if that zoo is located in Amsterdam. The Artis zoo is hands down amazing. Admission includes the zoo, aquarium, zoological museum planetarium, geological museum butterfly pavilion, and lots more. There are hundreds of exotic creatures to gawk at. Too bad all the info was in Dutch, we had a hard time figuring out what was what. At one point we came across a critter that looked like a cross between a giant cat, and some kind of rodent. The beast looked angry, its eyes sunken in, its ears were full of rips and holes, and it had a snaggletooth that said "I mean business". I don't know what kind of beast it was, but the warning sign on the cage got the point across (see above picture). The zoo was built over 100 years ago and as a result, some of the animals habitats are either too small or too close for comfort. Some of the animals seemed stressed and just continually paced back and forth. Some of the animals would stick their heads through the fence and try to bite us. While this was sad, it was still the best zoo experience I have had. Also I should note the aquarium was small but equally impressive. I could have spent all day in there...but looking at all the animals and fish made me want to eat. For more info go to www.Artis.nl