Amsterdam, Netherlands

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And so I land in Amsterdam.
The flight was long, the in flight movies were mildly entertaining, and the food was passable. Now the real fun begins.

As I go through the usual airport routine, I am surprised to learn that one may only stay a maximum of three months in Europe without a special visa. I am surprised at this undue restriction on people who come to spend all their money, but shrug it off, thinking it's not likely to be much of a problem.
In contrast to the above, I am pleased to find I am treated in a relatively humane manner when making my way through the airport. I am not interrogated by customs, and do not have to strip naked for the amusement of those running the x-ray machines. Must be a European thing.
Lastly, as I make my way towards the city center I am pleased to find the detailed and efficient underground system Europe is famous for, and prepaid SIM cards available for cash.

Brimming with a positive outlook, I board the train and make my way towards my hostel. As with any good journey, I begin by getting completely lost. I wonder the city for hours without a proper map, a smart-phone who's GPS system refuses to work properly, and a poor sense of direction. A few hours and couple vague directions later, I arrive, check in, and drop off my things.

Freed from the tyranny of my backpack, I decide to take to the city yet again. I bump into an interesting Armenian fellow who's been traveling the middle east for three months, and we become fast friends. We tour the city at night, grab a bite to eat, and turn in.

First morning on a new continent, and I am up hours before anyone else. Naturally, I make my way to the common area and kill some time. Hours later, breakfast is served and a few people stumble in from their beds. I grab some food, meet a few people, and head out to see the city by daylight.

I decide to buy a 24 hour pass to the city's attractions with the Armenian, and proceed to the Van Gogh museum. I'm especially impressed by the self portraits and enjoy seeing the originals of the famous works. Starry Night and The Scream are surprisingly absent, but otherwise, a good morning out.

We grab some food, and wonder about some more. We decide to take a bout tour of the city and I fall asleep almost immediately. I am told I did not snore, but rather laid back in my seat with my mouth agape.

The sun is now going down, and we decide it's time to tour the red light district. Surprisingly, we do not find it, despite wondering around for hours.

Following day I wonder about some more and find a lovely park on the outskirts. I join a free guided tour and leave about half-way through to catch a ride to Frankfurt.