The Netherlands: Amsterdam

A few months back I was lucky enough to visit the Netherlands. My brother and my sister-in-law (Thomas and Danika) live in the Netherlands and I was lucky to be the first in the family with the opportunity to visit. They happened to be moving house on the day we arrived - a slight inconvenience - but we repaid them by helping them set up parts of the new house.

Since then I have finally found some time to update my blog on my experiences there. Instead of following my adventures chronologically, I shall cover one city at a time, incorporating a little history into each post. It seems inevitable that I should begin with the capital.

 

Sunset over the train station on the edge of Amsterdam.

 It's important to remember that the Netherlands is quite multi-cultural. While sipping sangria awaiting our meal merely a stone's throw from the Rembrandtplein, we were entertained by a group of Brazilians practicing either capoeira or some similar martial arts dancing.

The lights at night in Amsterdam are beautiful and this can best be seen at the waterfront near the train station. I was there in the Summer and I found I had to remind myself how dark the Netherlands could get in the Winter months.

 Here is a typical Summer scene in the Netherlands - hundreds of people relaxing at the park, enjoying a leisurely picnic.

Though a little hard to see, this is a bridge crossing a canal and on the right hand side are chairs and tables. This is one of many bridges that has restaurant seating spanning the bridge.

City History

Amsterdam is the capital city of The Netherlands, even though Den Haag (The Hague) is the seat of the Dutch government. In the 17^th Century Amsterdam became one of the most important ports in the world as a result of its innovative developments in trade. The Dutch people began the enterprise of shares in their shipping trades. Investors would invest capital in ships leaving port (which would often be away for well over a year, if not years). Investors who found themselves low in finances could then sell their share of the profits off to other investors or parties wishing to become investors. Usually the closer it was to the time of the ships’ return the higher the price of the shares. Unsurprisingly then the Amsterdam Stock Exchange is the oldest stock exchange in the world.

It was also one of (if not the) first country to legalise cannabis, putting it on par with alcohol as a recreational stimulant.

The Netherlands has historically been a place of learning and freedom of thought. Many non-religious people moved to the Netherlands in the past centuries in order to continue their studies free from religious bigotry and persecution.

Canals

The Amstel River terminates in the centre of Amsterdam where it is funnelled into various canals spanning more than 100kms. The three main canals form concentric rings that are the heart of Amsterdam. They are the Herengracht (the Lords’ Canal), the Keizersgracht (the Emperor’s Canal) and the Prinsengracht (the Prince’s Canal).

In the distance can be seen one of the few old-fashioned windmills that is still operational.

 

One canal boat passing another.

One of the great ways to see these canals is to join a canal tour. There are many that operate throughout the city, usually on a hop-on, hop-off system. They often double-up with other attractions to give you discounts, which help if you’re there to sight-see.

 

It's helpful to know that canal boats come equiped with lavatories. It's also important to know that the seats in them look more like tall bar stools and that the rooms are less than a metre wide. 

There comes a point when some canal  boat tours leave the canals and enter open water for short periods.

This boat, though unable to sail, is a recreation and (if I recall correctly) a museum in and of itself. The building behind is another museum and if you arrive before it gets to late (so unlike us) you'll be able to hop off here and take a look around.

 

Our last stint on a canal boat was near the end of the day just before the boats stopped running. As there were only a few of us on the boat (and because we had to wait for another boat to pass us by where a bridge was raised) the captain obliged us by leaning out over the water and collecting a glass-full of the canal water. What was surprising was how clear the water was. She advised us against drinking it, though.

In the Netherlands water is taken very seriously. This should seem natural as water is essential to life and because parts of the Netherlands are below sea-level. The people of the Netherlands ensure their water is taken care of. It's arguably the country with the healthiest tap-water.

Museums

The Rijks Museum and the Van Gogh Museum are close to each other, in the vicinity of a large open space that many use as a picnic spot. 

  

Across this open field one can see the Rijks Museum in the distance. Left, beyond the scope of this picture, lies the Van Gogh Museum.

 

 

The open field terminates at a road and, crossing it, one gets to a park/playground area before the Rijks Museum.

 

 

 

My advice to anyone who wishes to visit a museum is this: go early and only go to one place. It’s also a good idea to pre-book tickets to places. We went early and queued for over half an hour to get into the Van Gogh museum. By the time we came out there were people filing around the corner, waiting for hours. 

 

This was the queue when we exited the Van Gogh Museum. It spilled down onto the pavement and continues down the road. People there had been waiting hours and would continue to do so for many more. This was around midmorning.

The Anne Frank house was even worse. We took one look at the queue and moved on. There are a limited number of pre-book tickets for the Anne Frank house and they usually sell out about three months in advance.

Markets

Markets are a great part of life in the Netherlands. Amsterdam, like every other city, has its own markets. Some, like the flower market, are permanent. Others are set up on certain days of the week.

 

 The permanent Flower Market near the city centre.

 

 

Cat Boat

There is a wonderful boat sitting on a canal called De Poezenboot or the Cat Boat. It is a home for stray cats.  They are kept and looked after, though some are up for adoption. They rely upon donations to keep going.

It was only after I snapped this shot that I realised I had dropped my pen. It must have fallen out of my pocket when I was crouched down chatting to another cat.

 

 

 

 

Amsterdam - indeed the Netherlands as a whole - displays many idiosyncrasies that are utterly charming. Here are a few we saw in Amsterdam, though there are more to come.

 

The "George Takei" resturant

 

A group of Scotsmen playing bagpipes are they float downriver.

A musical group commandeering the attention of passers-by in the train station. The piano in the picture of one of many - each placed in large train stations across the country - which are open to the public. The music that comes from them is spontaneous and enjoyed by all. In this instance the group in question interchanged who was playing and accompanied it with song, getting many to stop and join in the singing.

Bali: Part 6, Ubud Finalé

One of the major attractions in Ubud is walking through the Monkey Forest. A section of forest has been left in the middle of the town for the monkeys to inhabit. The area is complete with a few temples and there is a road that passes through it, but it's closed to traffic and is instead used by the flocks of tourists who come to gape at our cute, though somewhat cheeky and occasionally annoying, cousins.

 

 

At the entrances one is encouraged to not carry any food or drink in. Monkeys have been known to snatch food from people's hands and even jump on people to get into their bags if they smell food. Of course this doesn't stop the locals from trying to turn a profit by selling bananas to tourists for the sole purpose of feeding monkeys and trying to get pictures taken with them.

 

A baby monkey enjoys the spoils of tourism.

The main temple within the Monkey Forest

 

 

Of course there's no guarantee that everyone will be perfectly safe simply by following the rules in the Monkey Forest. Monkeys are, after all, wild animals - as are humans - so sometimes there will be mishaps. This sign stands prominently outside the exit.

Ubud central would be Jl. Raya Ubud. It's the main road on the hill which contains the market place, several temples, the museum and various governmental buildings. A number of other important roads branch out from it and they make up the core of Ubud.

 

Jl. Raya Ubud, near the market place

 

Jl. Raya Ubud, one of the temples

One such road branching off is Jl. Monkey Forest which we found ourselves on when exiting the west side of the forest.

 

The west exit of Monkey Forest, facing north up Jl. Monkey Forest

I have previously mentioned that we were staying away from the louder streets on one called Jl. Bisma. It runs parallel to Jl. Monkey Forest, but until recently could only be reached by going all the way up to Jl. Raya Ubud, turning left twice and then coming back down the parallel road. However, due to prosperity brought on by tourism, that area is undergoing expansion, so now there is a small road that connects them very close to the Monkey Forest exit. It's also lacking signs or any indication of its existence.

 

 The road just out of the Monkey Forest

 

 The side of the same signpost visible in the above picture, displaying information about a guesthouse down the lane.

The apparent dead end, save for what looks like a pathway to your right.

Said pathway

The bridge you cross going into the south end of Jl. Bisma

As one heads up Jl. Bisma, one encounters quieter places to stay, more local houses and future guesthouses under construction.

 

 

Jalani Bisma does not reach Jl. Monkey Forest on older maps, even though they now connect.

I came across this scene - a traditional entrance being constructed.

Based on a few conversations I've had in Bali, I have been led to believe that there is a lifestyle choice actively encouraged by the government. If one does this, one is exempt from tax. It requires living in traditional houses - large-ish plots of land where the whole family lives, equiped with a shrine area where prayer is done.

It also requires that religious sacrements are adhered to. This includes (but is certainly not limited to) putting out Canang Sari, or daily offerings. They are to thank Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa. They are placed on small shrines and on the floors around the estates.

An example of canang sari. It's a small woven palm-leaf basket. There appear to be variations in what can be placed inside. I have even seen small sweets added to the contents. Traditionally there is betel leaf, betel nuts, lime and tobacco. Flowers are also added along with incense.

All festivals have to be acknowledged and celebrated, too. We missed a big festival by about a week when families take long lengths of bamboo (I think) and tie the ends over so a small eye is formed. These are placed all down the roads from every house and make a beautiful display.

While giving citizens a handy get-out-of-tax-free card can't be doing the government much good, it does wonders for keeping the culture alive. With capitalism working to change the economic mindset of the people, spurred on by tourism industry, culture suffers. Keeping Having both costs would pressure some to abandon tradition. The government has made one mandatory, but given each household the option of choosing which one for themselves.

The traditions and culture of Bali give us beautiful murals and architecture like this as common appearances on everyday walls, doors and other surfaces.

Tourism and commerce can also have its upsides and the people of Bali are learning to use it effectively. At this coffee shop flowers have been left out in a pattern  forming the word love, calling on both romantic and lost souls (the latter category being largely made up of middle-aged, Julia Roberts impersonating ladies). They are drawn to the flowers and often snap a picture. Then they notice something else.

There is a notice next to them on the table. It mentions a free biscuit to any who instagram a picture of their "love flowers" along with a certain hashtag. It draws people in, it makes them thankful (as indeed the notice hints at by first thanking them) and will often lead to sales as well as publicity.

While we're on the note of coffee shops, I'd like to give a shout out to Falbird. Popped in for a quick coffee and wasn't disappointed. It's located along a commercial street south of and at right angles to the main market street.

Ubud has adapted itself well to being a tourist hub. It has lots on offer and learns what customers like. There's also the added bonus of the people being very friendly.

There are also some surprising things on offer.

There's also a level of humour. Anyone who spends more than ten minutes walking around Ubud will learn to hate people calling "taxi" at them (yet also be secretly grateful of the abundance for those times one wants a taxi).

I felt like giving a shout out to BAWA, the Bali Animal Welfare Association. They are a great non-profit organisation that does lots of good and rely on donations to survive.

One thing of high importance in Bali is conservation. Due to tourism there is a big influx of plastic which is causing lots of damage to the environment. For this reason people are trying to find new ways to counter this. Here is one fantastic idea - reusable straws.

Glass straws

Bamboo straws

I shall end with mentioning this organisation, the Fair Future Foundation.

http://www.fairfuturefoundation.org/

 They work with  the Bali Sari Foundation and it is their mission to give healthcare to all poor, sick, disabled and disadvantaged people regardless of race, religion, age, skin colour or origin.

Of course this requires funding, so where do they get their money? Well, they do get some donations, but 80% of their funds  from one place - the Fair Warung Balé. It is a restaurant on a side road off Jl. Raya Ubud (the same road that has the temple where we watched the fire dancing mentioned in the previous post).

Anyone visiting Ubud should have a meal here or, failing that, at least drop by to offer them a donation. Their work is vital in bringing free medical care to those who would otherwise receive none.

We learnt about them by accident. They are an organisation