Hamsterdam:)

What a great time I had in the Netherlands...Oh Amsterdam with your alluring tall men and people with skin so clear it would put Irina out of business. (I'm seriously considering making herring a regular part of my diet. I'm convinced that's what does it.) I stayed at the Stayokay hostel just next to Vonder Park and in was lovely. Some of you will be able to appreciate the following: When I arrived after travelling on the train I wanted to take a shower so I got my towel and clothes and left the room to find the showers. I walked the whole floor before deciding to knock on a neighbors door for directions. (Fortunately they didn't answer...) I went back to the room, frustrated and tired from my journey, to discover the private bathroom and shower in our room!! It even had a regular twist faucet and not the push kind that spays water for 10 seconds like I'm used to.
I met the nicest bunch of girls in Amsterdam!! The first was my roommate Heloisa, a 29 year old from Brazil also traveling alone:) She was great and I miss her company already. While she was at the library checking her email she met two other girls, Elvira and Maria, who happened to be locals. They took us out to a little Latin salsa bar where we shared dance moves and met their friends Tanya and Sophie. All of us are in the picture posted on my Facebook page:) They taught me the funniest Dutch sayings...like when something happens that you knew would you say "There comes the monkey out of the sleeve" and when something goes your way you say, "I always get my sin". When someone makes you mad you say they've "got the blood under your nails" and when someone won't leave things in the past tell them "Don't pull the old cow out of the water". My favorite was used to describe why the oldest prostitute in the red light district was so popular "To learn, you need and old bike". Ha!! I love it.
I went to the market and had some authentic local food and went to the Van Gogh museum. I had a great time in Amsterdam and have the girls above to thank for it:) Thanks for the memories!!