DamLife
Crazy, Sexy, Cool; even with a six year old!!
Yes, we did it; managed to have a weekend in
Amsterdam, soaking up the atmosphere, listening to reggae and almost being
knocked over by a number of cyclists!
We went to visit two friends (Eva and Marilyn) we
had met at a festival in Spain last year; and to meet Evas two daughters; age 6
and 4. We were accompanied by our good (virtually family member) friend, and
Jahzaras unofficial Godmother, Kemara. We met Kemara there as we flew from different
cities.
For me, it was strange travelling/exploring in a
group. There were four adults and three children; all girls which meant some
epic ques for the bathroom and the mirror each morning! I'm so used to jumping
up and heading out the door, thinking as I walk, that it felt strange waiting
for others to wake up, or get ready, or even just discussing what we
would/could do. It was an amazing experience and a great learning curve which
left me feeling quite reflective.
I would love to say we whizzed round the city as
we usually do, and that we saw all the sites. However, this was not the case;
we were totally caught up in the laid back Amsterdam way of life, and spent the
weekend trying to imitate the Dutch words we heard, listening to a mix of Dutch
and Suriname reggae (our hosts have Suriname roots), jumping on and off trams,
and avoiding bicycles.
We did indulge in a lovely canal boat ride, which
happened to be on the most beautiful sunny day we had there (coincidentally
mine and Jahzaras last day); truly a must when in Amsterdam; with or without
commentary.
We also popped out at about 3am (our sweet host
Marilyn watched the three terrors for a couple of hours) to indulge in the hazy
nightlife of the city; as a true lover of all things Reggae, I had a blast!
Partying in the city to good Reggae vibes
All in all the big thing for me really was that
the whole city has a very 'summer festival' feel, with people from all over the
World eating all sorts of goodies, the sweet smell of Marijuana gently teasing
your senses wherever you go, and generally losing that sense of time....
so
much so in fact that Jahzara and I almost missed our flight; arriving at check
in after boarding, and Kemara sadly missing hers the following day; one of
those things we may look back on fondly in the future and laugh about but that
at the time was not impressive.
I guess we will just have to return sometime soon
to see the full array of museums and art galleries Amsterdam has on offer; not
least the house of Anne Frank and the recently renovated Van Gough display.
Thank you Eva and Marilyn for your wonderful hospitality, and for taking the time out to show us the city xxxx
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