Bonaire Bob's Go to Europe - Amsterdam

Rick and I have watched the KLM plane take-off from Bonaire almost everyday since we have lived on the island.  We often told ourselves that some day we would be on the flight,  Today was that day.  We packed up our two tiny suitcases and backpacks and set off on our European adventure. 

We had a rough start.  Rick thought he forgot his wallet and had to return home from the airport to get it.  All the while the wallet was in his backpack.  Good thing we live close to the airport.  I misplaced my sedula.  After a frantic search, it was located on the floor under my chair. We did manage to get on the plane and landed 9 hours later in Amsterdam.

Amsterdam is a very old seaport built on canals throughout the old part of the City.  Row houses line the canals.  Houseboats are in each side of the canals and have hook-ups to sewer, water and power.  It's a young people's city.  All the old people must have moved to the burbs because we saw very few old/older people. The sun was shining for two days during our visit.  Not a rain cloud in sight.

Everyone rides bikes.  They have big bike lanes that are full of riders like rush hour on an interstate. There must be a million bikes in this city.  They are parked everywhere. You see very few cars on the streets.  Everyone looks fit riding their bikes. Probably why they are so thin.

Amsterdam is clean and friendly.  Everyone speaks English which is a real plus to us.  Diversity  in nationalities is the name of the game in Holland. 

Our hotel has four floors.  The street level floor is "0".  The next floor is numbered "1".  The below street level is "-1". The room numbers on the 4th floor are numbered with 3's. It has been a mind twister to figure out what button to push.

Its been interesting to us that the Dutch we have encountered don't know where Bonaire is or what it is even though it is a special municipality of the Netherlands.