Amsterdam Layover

Before the sun comes up

On my way home from Ghana recently, I opted to take a long layover in Amsterdam. This had two opportunities for me: (1) I could visit Amsterdam for the first time and, (2) I could see one of my closest friends on a leisurely Saturday. It was also cheaper than a direct flight to/from Ghana.

When I go out of the airport and made my way to Amsterdam, it was 5am and still very dark and quiet out. It was also extremely cold. After just having spent two weeks in the balmy tropical weather of Ghana, I admit I was unprepared to no longer feel my fingers while walking to my Airbnb.

I rented an Airbnb because I knew I would nap for a few hours before exploring the city. (One thing I have learned while traveling overseas so often and having flights that depart/arrive at peculiar times of day is that, no matter how eager I am to visit a new place, I must take care of my health and nap after red-eye flights.) I rented an Airbnb on one of the canals in the heart of the city - at the very top of a walkup building with just enough space to stand in the bathroom, stand at a sink, and sleep on a single-serve bed. I passed out for a few hours.

Once the sun was up and people were roaming the streets, Marion and her boyfriend (Dutch Wouter) found me coaxed me out to see the city. But before we explored, we had pancakes. Because the Dutch are known for pancakes.

We went to a particular pancake place that had gluten-free options. The restaurant was creatively named Pancakes Amsterdam and had a bustling queue of people outside shivering in the cold for some pancakes. We joined the shiverers. When we finally got a table, we had some Dutch pancakes - thin, crepe-like confections that creep over the edges of large plates with delightful toppings embedded into the dough. Mine had bacon and maple syrup. It was a wonderful welcome to Holland and a comforting meal for a travel-weary lady.

After the pancakes renewed my energy, we went for a walk and chatted the whole day.

A note on walking. If you don't know me or haven't picked up by now, a walk may sound like a small thing - a mile, perhaps. That is not how I travel - I am someone who enjoys scaling a city with my shoes. I like walking around, zigging and zagging maps and finding parts of towns that other tourists overlook. I walk, and I don't stop long for hours. Fortunately, Marion is a 10-plus-year veteran of my walking habits, and Wouter was happy to show me around, answering my questions of all-things-Dutch.

Don't worry, we stopped a few times - after all, it was bitingly cold. Most of the times it was a brief pause where we would warm up with hot chocolate, tea, or street sausages. Once our noses thawed each time, we were back at walking.

We tried to go to the Anne Frank House, but it was too busy (and tickets were sold out well in advance). I decided I didn't have time to wait in line all day to see something I may not have had the emotional strength to explore. So, we walked on.

The canals and streets in Amsterdam are beautiful. Of course, water is so often beautiful to me, but I thought what was so lovely about the canals was how labyrinthine they felt to me in my short stay. I could imagine easily getting lost in the canals because they were everywhere. But I thought it was for the best that way - Wouter knew where we were the whole time, and it allowed me to let go and enjoy finding the little things that become apparent when buildings start looking the same. Like a strange store sign, or a funny-looking window. Or a gorgeous underpass between streets. Or finding a delightful cranny with a convent or inspirational bookstore in the thick of the city. Those kinds of things are what travel is all about.

After we walked around the main thoroughfares, we walked to a museum called Micropia. All three of us are life geeks and going to a museum to learn about microscopic life at a charming interactive museum was an easy sell to us. It's hard to explain the museum other than it was awesome and full of fun games and activities (for adults!). It taught us plenty about bacteria. We also got to explore more information about water bears, which are tiny water animals that can survive in the world's toughest environments. I bought a stuffed water bear in appreciation. I highly recommend it.

Before dinner, Marion and I caught up more deeply over wine and waited for Wouter to rejoin us. We went to an Indonesian cafe (the Dutch colonized Indonesia for a long time and now showcases its cuisine, as many post-colonizers can do). It was probably my first experience eating Indonesian. It was rich and flavorful and filling and I loved the peanut butter aspects of the dishes. I got the Indonesian plate, which had satay and pendang on it.

It was a glorious day, but I had to sleep before my flight in the morning, and we parted ways. It was bittersweet.

On my way back to the Airbnb, I realized how much I miss Europe. I miss the clean yet old buildings. There's a laidback feeling in European cities I don't feel when I'm in NYC or many other US cities. Amsterdam was graceful and vibrant yet quirky and confusing. I loved it.