This time, it was all those feelings - plus a sadness that something I had dreamed of doing for so long was now only going to be a part of my past. And the people I met along the way were not going back home with me - like my fellow travelers would on any other vacation - but were going to be spread out literally across the world and I'd likely never see any of them again.
In other words, I woke up wanting to make my last day on my Europe vacation last forever.
The first stop of the day was for the canal bike tours. I wasn't quite sure what to expect - what's a canal bike? - but it turns out they were these strange little boats where there are two seats in front where you sit and pedal, and two seats in back where you sit and do nothing. You ride them in groups of four, so as usual I was with Danielle, Phil, and Kris. The instructors basically gave us some snacks in a bag and some soda and told us to follow the map on the boat and end at the Anne Frank House - and then turned us loose on the canals. Which seemed kind of crazy since none of us knew how to use them and we could have literally gone in any direction and there was nothing the owners of the boats could really have done about it.
The canal boats
It was kind of a rough start for most of the boats - there was a lot of spinning in circles and people going in the wrong direction. Thankfully between Danielle navigating and the guys being smart guys, we didn't have too much trouble. I took the important job of handing out snacks and wasn't very helpful otherwise.
Phil and Kris did all the work at first
Danielle and I started out in the back, which meant we just sat there while the guys pedaled
The group on the canal bike/boat
Amsterdam has a series of interconnected canals that run through the city. The map took us through a good amount of them, but obviously did not cover the entire city and there was a lot more to the map that we probably could have covered on a different tour. The route we were on took us through some really pretty areas, though.
Probably halfway through the trip, Danielle and I took a turn pedaling. It was surprisingly difficult! It felt kind of like pedaling uphill or on a stationary bike that was set to high resistance. The guys had made it look easy, but I got warm pretty quickly. Danielle told me later that she was barely pedaling (she was not feeling well) so maybe that was part of the problem if I was the only one doing most of it!
The girls pedaling and driving the boat
The canal bikes ended up right near the Anne Frank House, which was perfect since that was the one place I really wanted to visit in Amsterdam. The Anne Frank House is now a museum, but it is the actual house where Anne and her family hid during World War II. Anne's father, Otto, had an office building in the front and a secret hiding place in the back with a door behind a bookcase. The museum walked us through the entire space and explained how the family went into hiding, what happened in each room, and had pictures of what the rooms looked like back when the families lived there. Today, there is no furniture in the rooms and they are not decorated the same, but you could use the pictures and your imagination to envision what it looked like back then.
Danielle, Brittney, and I walked through the museum together - the guys weren't interested in going in, so they went and got coffee (or something) and met up with us afterward. The museum was very interesting but very crowded. It wasn't very large, but still took us probably over an hour to walk through because there were so many people there. Which I guess is a good thing, because I think Anne Frank and her family's story is something people should hear.
You were not allowed to take pictures inside, because it is a place that can be very emotional for people to walk through and it's disrespectful to take pictures. So, I don't have any to share. I was really glad I went to the Anne Frank House, though - I already knew Anne's story quite well, so it was really interesting to actually be in the place where she and her family lived during that time and see what things must have really been like. Not for the first time on this tour, it seemed surreal to be there and imagine the historical significance of the very place I was standing.
We met back up with the guys afterward and the five of us went and got lunch at a little cafe down the road. I am not clear what is considered "traditional" food in Amsterdam - I think it's kind of a melting pot and I know Indonesian food is pretty popular there, but there isn't a whole lot that is considered native Amsterdam food (that we heard about, at least). The cafe served soups and sandwiches that were very much like what you'd find in the US.
After lunch, we weren't really sure what to do. The guys ended up taking a cab back to the hotel to rest before the evening out. Danielle, Brittney, and I walked around a bit, but there wasn't a whole lot to see in the immediate area beyond some fairly typical stores (i.e. Urban Outfitters) and some souvenir shops. We walked through a couple of museum areas and through a market, and then Danielle decided she wasn't feeling well and got in a cab to go back to the hotel too. I debated following her, but I felt like I didn't want to spend the last day of my vacation napping (though it sounded lovely - I was very tired!). So, Brittney and I decided to walk around together instead. The coach was meeting us for dinner later - I think we had 3 hours or so to kill before that.
So, we walked around. We went down a street with several buildings that were painted crazy colors or had graffiti on them that was pretty neat.
We kind of wandered around and went into a few shops. There was some kind of big biking event going on, and it was neat to just kind of walk around and look at the city. I wasn't really sure exactly what I was looking at much of the time, but it was kind of a neat city to just explore.
Brittney and I had a fun time wandering around!
This clock had crazy numbers - I have no idea how you are supposed to read it!
We eventually made our way back toward the Red Light District, so we could check it out during the day and see what it's like at a different time. The coach was also meeting us very close to there, so it made sense to head that way. Along the way, we found some outdoor markets that sold a lot of different costume jewelry and other things like art, tapestries, etc. I bought an owl necklace and a new bracelet - each were about 5 euros so pretty cheap. It was fun just walking around looking at things and taking our time. The trip had been so rushed and Amsterdam is a neat city to just hang out in, so it was nice that for once we actually had time to waste.
We ended up stopping in a bar in the Red Light District to grab a beer. The bar was decorated like a sailor bar and the bartender really liked us. When we ordered a beer, he asked us if we were from Australia because of our accents - which I found hilarious since we'd been hanging out with Australians for 2 weeks at that point. Apparently he's either really bad at identifying accents, or the Aussies were rubbing off on us (Brittney was the only other American on the tour).
The bartender liked us so much, he ended up giving us two shots for free. So our little afternoon beer stop turned into some real day drinking.
The bartender had us come behind the bar and take a picture with him
Now that we were a little buzzed, we walked around the Red Light District a bit more. We went into a few shops that had some crazy sex toys and other related items (for the record, we didn't buy anything!). We even stopped in a coffee shop and shared a brownie. I think we got the full Amsterdam experience.
Brittney was the queen of selfies on this trip - I'm glad she's so good at taking them!
We finally met up with the coach bus (after a little concern we were in the wrong place - we were the only ones waiting there!). Most of the rest of the people on our tour had ended up back at the hotel and boarded the bus there. We were the only rockstars that stayed out all day exploring!
Conclusion on Amsterdam
Amsterdam was a neat place, but it is one of the only places on the trip I feel like I don't need to return to. I guess that's partly because we had enough time there - we were there for two nights - but also because I think there isn't much else there I wanted to see. There are a couple of museums that sounded neat, but by the time we were there I just couldn't do any more art or museums. I do feel like I got a good taste of the culture there and really enjoyed visiting.
Concluding the Contiki tour - Final night out in Amsterdam
The coach took us to the place where we had our final dinner. Before we went in, we had a toast with some bottled Bellini that Sarah had bought for us in Venice and wanted us to taste. We toasted to a great trip and headed into the restaurant for dinner.
The dinner place was called the Sea Palace and it was basically a floating Chinese restaurant.
The dinner was served family style and included several types of Chinese food and we each got three drinks included with our meal. The food was very good and since a couple of people at our table had had too much to drink the night before, they gave their drink tickets to Phil and Kris, who drank more wine than I think I could have stomached in that short amount of time! I was trying to pace myself since I'd already had 3 drinks and half an Amsterdam brownie that day so I didn't want to go nuts and get sick or have no memory of the night.
Dinner was fun and bittersweet - it was our last meal together. It's funny how quickly you bond with people in this type of situation - it seemed amazing that 2 weeks earlier, I had never met these people. But on our last night together, it seemed crazy and horribly sad that these people that I had shared so many incredible experiences, laughs, and fun times with were all going to be going our separate ways.
I am so thankful that Danielle was on this trip with me - it was good to have a girlfriend I had so much fun with and could count on throughout the entire tour.
From our first day in Paris, these guys were hilarious and I'm so glad I got to know them
Funny how in two weeks we went from being total strangers to like a little family
After dinner, we headed to our canal cruise. This was a relatively small boat that was enclosed and took us down the canals at night. They served more wine, and it was pleasant cruising through Amsterdam and seeing the city from another angle.
Danielle, Daryl, and Kris on the canal cruise
I had a hard time getting any pictures that weren't blurry - this is the only one that turned out!
Unfortunately, Danielle was really not feeling well by that point so after the cruise, she said goodbye to us and went back to the hotel on the coach. Brittney had had too much Amsterdam, so she went back too. I think the rest of the group all remained, and we went on a pub crawl to a few different places to celebrate our last night.
The night is a little bit of a blur - I remember dancing and laughing and having fun. Sarah came around with little shots a couple of times, and we went to one shot bar where we all got a free shot and then could purchase others. Kris and I did a shot of tequila and some shot called the "Harry Potter" that involved a blow torch - it was kind of crazy but tasted good!
My first tequila shot in probably a decade
I am not in this photo, but it's the only other picture I've seen of that night so I thought I'd include it - we all had fun that night!
We went to a few different places, and eventually it was late and Phil, Kris, and I decided it was time to head back. Sarah had told us to start saying our goodbyes that night, and I was leaving in the morning so I wanted to make sure I said goodbye to as many people as I could. Of course, my original plan was to take a cab to the airport and not see anyone in the morning since my flight was early - but the coach ended up leaving early enough to take me to the airport for free. By the time we were leaving the bar, though, I had forgotten that the plan had changed and I thought it was the last time I was going to see everyone.
I was in tears saying goodbye to everyone. I feel truly lucky to have met the people I did on this tour - we seriously had the best group. There were 19 of us who were traveling on our own, and nearly every one of those people became a friend to me in some way. It's not every day that you meet a group of people who are so easy to get along with and so much fun - and who are adventurous spirits like myself. I think a certain type of person wants to go on a really ambitious tour like we did - and a certain type is independent enough to fly to Europe on their own and meet a big group of strangers and become friends like we did. It's kind of neat to meet people from all over the world that you share something major in common with - and that's what I did on this trip. In a lot of ways, I probably have more in common with this group than I do with most people I know in my regular life. It broke my heart a little to see that end.
I took a cab back with Phil and Kris, which was fitting since the two of them (plus Danielle) were really my main people on this trip and staying out without all of them on the last night would have just been sad. We stopped in at the falafel place next door so Phil could eat something, and kind of hung around for a little while. Eventually, it was time for another goodbye and we parted ways to head to bed.
I got back to my room in tears - I hate it when I get so sentimental! But truthfully - I came on this Contiki tour not knowing what to expect. I knew I was going to see some amazing places that I had always wanted to see, and I really came to Europe for Europe and nothing more. I had hoped by booking a tour through Contiki I would meet some people that I could have fun with and hang out with, but I didn't really know if I would make true friends or really what to expect.
I was so lucky that on the first full day of the trip, I got to know four individuals who I would spend the rest of my trip being able to really rely on and have a blast with. Daryl kind of floated back and forth between groups, but Danielle, Kris, Phil, and I hung out the entire time and got really close. It was kind of random the way that we all ended up being together in Paris that first day - but I don't think it was random that we stuck together after that. They are truly special people and I am so grateful to have met them and had the privilege of sharing my time with them. They were so much fun and also added an element of I guess I would say....security? to the whole experience. It was great knowing that no matter where I was and who I was talking to, I always had those three (and sometimes four) to come back to at the end of the day. It meant a lot to me and though we're now scattered across the globe, they each hold a piece of my heart and I hope they continue to be a part of my life.
Going home
The next morning was very quick. Breakfast at the hotel, goodbye to Kris (who was staying Amsterdam), a quick ride to the airport, and goodbye to everyone else. Getting off the coach at the airport hurt my heart. I was bummed out and exhausted the entire day and jet lagged for a few days afterward.
I'm writing this post 4 weeks after I returned home, and in some ways that seems crazy. Was it really only 4 weeks ago? Did this crazy beautiful trip even actually happen or was it just my imagination? How does the world I lived in for those 2 wonderful weeks exist in the world I live in back home? How do I reconcile the person I was on vacation with the person I want to be at home?
I'm glad I have pictures and new Facebook friends and now this blog to prove to myself that yes, this was reality. And it's taken me most of the last 4 weeks to really settle back into my life and stop feeling depressed that things are back to normal. Or a new normal - because I don't think I'm the same person that left for Europe a little over 6 weeks ago. I'm still trying to figure out what that means, but I hope that's a good thing.
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