First day by ourselves! Almost, ham/nat, Eliot/tale are still here, but all the loose ends have been tied haha;) we wake up early at 730 to wave, and say goodby to everyone. We make a little hug line as people get on the bus, and it's sad to say by to many. We wave them all off, and feel a by lost not going with them...but we get to go back to bed so its ok! We plan to meet Tals and Elliott at 130 and literally sleep until then. We walk to the bus stop like pros and grab a quick pizza before going separate ways until later. We walk to the train station to organize our transfer to Belgium when who should we see in a fluster but nat and ham! Wondering why they haven't organized their train tickets yet (they left at 9am) we hear their horrifying store of leaving their backpack with EVERYTHING in it on the bus. Traumatic. Luckily it was handed in, but they had to venture an hour out to collect it, then wait 2hrs to sort out their euro rail. Planning to meet them at the Heineken factory, we hang our heads and get ready for a very boring wait, when our ticket is called straight away!! Is it a mistake? Not caring we run forward and get glares from the many travelers sprawled on the ground, many looking like they've been there for days. The guy is wonderful and I don't think we were there for more that 5mims. Smiling at the though of tell the other two, we walk through the district to Anne franks house in the pretty Jewish quarter. We wait for about an hour in line, but it's worth it. The place is amazing, the history of how her dad built the secret annex in his factory, the office staff who kept their secret and feed them from their own rations, the dirty snitch who sold them out! You walk through and just can't believe it, the bookcase is still on display! For how much longer I can't say, so I feel so glad we saw it when we did. It really is so cleverly hidden when you walk though and up the stairs. How they hid for 2yrs without going crazy is beyond me. Not being able to move from 830-530 when the workers were their would have been agony. And then that they all went into concentration camps and died except the father is so tough. Anne died only 2 months before the end of the war, after her sister died, she just gave up as she had no way of knowing:(. Her father went to the train station every day for 3 months waiting for someone to return, made me want to cry!! It was he who published her diary, although it took him nearly a year to read it. An amazing place. We have to hurry now though, as we've got to meet the others for the beer tour! We decide to walk and on this, I realize why people live here. It's very pretty. Canals, flowers, and skinny houses, I'm so glad we stayed the extra day and got to experience the more really side of Amsterdam. Unfortunately we don't make the tour though, so wait across the road in a really cool bar where Tals and Elliott are already waiting! We have very cheap Heineken from across the road and chill out without having to check schedules or meeting time. So good. Once ham and nat come across, we have delicious gourmet burger and chips:) we then waddle back to the hotel very fool and chat on our river side balconies until the bugs reach an overpower number. Crawling into bed, we are excited to start our new European adventure tomorrow! Ps. The piggy is from the near by farm! I think...there are no fences so animals can pretty much wonder about wherever! Happy animals!