My eyes open again and a new day begins. There are numerous sights in Amsterdam like the Van Gogh Museum, Rembrandt Museum, Anne Frank's House and the world-class Rijksmuseum and yet simply watching life go by surpasses them all. I spent today much like the last few, dangling my feet over a canal with Raquel and watching the boats sail along. The bikes race by on a nearby street (everyone bikes in Amsterdam) but I'm removed from the high energy flow of normal lif...

I slept in late again today and by the time I was ready for the day it was around lunch time. Raquel and I walked to Dam Square and to the big Albert Heijn (a grocery chain) behind the palace. We packed a picnic and found a quiet canal to enjoy it by. The hours passed by just enjoying each other's company and the beauty of this amazing city. One of the local foods we tried are these indescribably delicious little waffles (I believe they're called stroopwaffels) t...

I awoke to another beautiful day in Amsterdam, although a bit late due to last night's fun. A girl from New York named Raquel overheard me asking the receptionist about the free city walking tour and decided to tag along. The tour started in Dam Square near the National Monument and right away it took us to the red light district. Our tour guide, Angel, gave us the low-down on prostitution in Amsterdam and rather knowledgeable information on the costs for differe...

Today I ditched Frankfurt for the "Venice of the North". I'm not going to lie, I've been dying to go to Amsterdam ever since I arrived in Europe and right from leaving the train station I knew that I wouldn't be disappointed. I caught the tram to an area near downtown swarming with tourists. Just a block away was my youth hostel on a street lined with restaurants and clubs. The hostel had to be one of the worst on my trip but luckily the location made u...