When in Rome...or Amsterdam

Well, I survived the long plane ride. I had a 50 minute layover in Minneapolis. That's the first time I've been in that airport and not been able to visit my family. That felt a bit wrong. After landing in Amsterdam, I took a shuttle straight to the Hampshire Hotel, freshened up, and did what any tourist would do - headed straight for the Red Light District (RDL). I was convinced to try a coffee shop that we passed by. While I was there, a couple came in with their 6 year-old daughter. The barista explained to them that all patrons had to be over 18. After some deliberation, the woman told her husband they would take turns walking their daughter around the block while the other "relaxed" in the coffee shop. That was quite entertaining. I countinued my trek North to the RDL, and stopped to have a beer. It was here I had to stay seated for awhile and hold on to the bench because I was a wee bit lopsided and felt like I was going to fall. Needless to say, my equilibrium was a bit off and I felt like a live bobblehead. At this point, I continued down the busy tourist streets filled with shops, bars, and more coffee houses. I needed to stop into a phone store to buy a sim card so I can make some cheap calls back to the States. I walked into a store and immediately realized this was way too daunting of a task for me at the time - better luck tomorrow. There are fritte stands all over the center - saw the line and knew it was a must try. I asked for the specialty - a cone of fries covered in Mayo. All of a sudden, I was riding in a car with John Travolta shooting a scene in Pulp Fiction. Made it to the RDL, and there wasn't much to see or do. It was only 6pm, I guess the action starts later. I did see a few of the 8,000 legal prostitutes in the city. A return nighttime visit might be another thing to add to my list of to do's tomorrow. We grabbed some edam and gouda cheese, another regional specialty, and headed back to the room. I was asleep by 9:15 and woke up to an episode of Saved by the Bell on TV around 3am. Really? Saved by the Bell is the American TV show they play repeats of in Europe?! Great show when I was younger, but Ive been through puberty. So, now I'm in the hotel lobby because that's where you can get wifi, but their computer isn't open for use during these hours, so no posted pictures yet. Soon!