Never underestimate the amazingness of good water pressure in the shower

5-31-07, 6:54, Amsterdam

Well, what to say about my first day in Amsterdam. We got up, took showers, which didn't have much pressure, to say the least. 3 good streams of water, plus a couple extras that hit the wall at a pretty unnatural angle for a person to get under. Anyway - the soap got out of my hair somehow, although I couldn't help but think I looked like the Seinfield gang when the superintendent put the "water saver shower heads" on all of their showers. "I can't get the soap out jerry!" It was raining a bit today so we had to wear rain stuff a couple of times, but then it got sunny....then it got rainy... then it got sunny...then it got cold...then it got hot... weird city - I guess it's because it's on the water. We rented bikes, which was really great, because we got to go really far in the city without too much effort - we managed not to kill ourselves today, which was a plus, as we followed most of the street rules and such.

We proceeded to the Anne Frank house which was really pretty neat - very sad, but very interesting. They wouldn't allow us to take pictures, so I couldn't get the shots Kristen wanted me to, but I got a few of the outside. You all know the story - very very sad, but very neat to see how they lived there for so long without someone finding them out. Then we went to the Heineken Experience. What a great advertisement for Heineken! I mean, don't get me wrong, it was a great museum and stuff, and the 3 beers included in the price were great too. After that, we went to Vondelpark (with a statue of Vondel in the middle - who knows who he was or what he did, but he was there), and had "dinner" of some sort. We had cheese on bread, with a bottle of wine, which we picked up from the local supermarket, where I also got a few stamps, one of which to mail out to my sister, on a postcard from the Anne Frank house - expect that sometime in the future, Kristen. Maybe we'll have a little more to eat later, but that satiated both of us for the moment, as well as being really picturesque. We walked through the red light district for a little bit today - that was a bit weird, but that's ok - good to see during the day - it was safe with a lof people walking around, and some with their kids, so that made me feel safe. Now we're back at the hostel, which I'll talk about for a moment. We have 3 roommates (I think I messed up when I told you guys that before on the phone, but sorry, I wasn't thinking right about the number of people). Two of which are from Australia (don't know each other), and the third is from Toronto - we haven't seen much of them because they seem like they have their own thing to do (hang out at the hostel all day and party at night), but they're really cool -- gave us some tips on the hostel and such.

I should go now, because 2 of them are trying to sleep, and the typing, while quiet, is not stealthily quiet. I think about everyone all the time - in fact, I was just telling Simon how weird it is to be so far away, just a couple hours prior. Anyway, good afternoon to all of you, and good evening to us.

Love and miss you all,
Matt