June 13, 1997
Hey all,
Get me out of this place! For the first time on this trip, I found a city I didn't like: Amsterdam. I suppose if legal drugs and prostitution are your equivalent of heaven, this would be Nirvana. I just didn't get into the atmosphere. Anything you've heard about this city is true. And while I did enjoy "window shopping" in the Red Light District for a while, the whole experience left me just feeling disgusted. We escaped to a small coastal town in Northern Holland yesterday, Den Helder.
It was much better.
A city I really enjoyed was Antwerp. I rented a bike and roamed the city on my own, visiting the Cathedral, the old town, the castle, the pedestrian shopping malls. I even had a run-in with a cop for riding my bike on the sidewalk! But he let me go quickly on my way, and my mood wasn't spoiled.
In a couple hours, we're headed to a small town near Hanover, Germany, to spend a night or two with some of Eugene's family. It's going to be really nice to have private showers, laundry, and real food for the first time in a while. I'll probably email next from Berlin, which will be our next stop.
Take care all,
Lance
