Amsterdam, the Return

'Brilliant' doesn't begin to describe just how great my year has been so far. Opportunity after opportunity has come my way and being a South African, I keep saying "Ya, asseblief!" Today I went to Amsterdam for a field trip with Laar en Berg to see the Anna Frank Museum and the Joods Historisch Museum.

It had been over a year since I had been to Amsterdam and I was looking forward to going back there as it is a beautiful city. I was also interested to see if I could still find my way around the city of canals and narrow roads with the typical squashed Dutch buildings on either side. We took the train from Hilversum to Amsterdam Central station and then walked through the city to the Anna Frank Museum. Although I had been there before it still made me feel sick with amazement of how evil humans can be. The Joods Museum was just as eerie as it explained all the hardships the Jews faced over the years in Europe just because they were ‘Jews’. Our tour guide at the museum only spoke Dutch which was fine for the learners but I got very lost, so I just read all the exhibits they had on display.

 

After that we visited an Old Portuguese Synagogue where all the boys had to wear the little Jewish hats before we could enter. It was a miracle the synagogue managed to survive the War and it was in very good condition considering. It was three by the time we had finished and Jody and I were free to leave the group and explore Amsterdam. This is what we did...



We had already seen much of Amsterdam’s picturesque scenes of swans in canals and Dutch houses with bright wooden shutters while walking from museum to museum. And for obvious reasons besides cash money we did not want to visit another museum. Except for the Heineken Experience tour but we did not know where to find it and sadly it wasn’t on the map we had. So naturally we went to the red light district. To take a look see.



My description of Amsterdam in one sentence: Pleasantly Enticing Neighbourhoods Incredibly Stunning!

You just have to read between the lines or go down a metaphorically ‘dark’ alley to see the other face of Amsterdam. Quite revolting.



Amsterdam is still an absolutely gorgeous city; it just has a couple of pimples. Yet who knows what could happen in a couple years? Maybe all this city needs is a little squeeze...