Chapter 2: Touchdown - Amsterdam

 Dearest gentle Koko, 

(Yes, I just completed watching Bridgerton, which nowadays you roll your eyes at - "again! Bridgerton, so boring ." But I was so tempted to start a letter with this address )

So on to the next part of our trip. We reached Amsterdam's Schiphol airport with a confidence which only we have. We had purchased the I Amsterdam card, so we were assured that we can just step into any transport that we like. We were only in for a rude shock - Amsterdam is not for the faint hearted. After the initial confusion, we took on "the small walk" to our hotel from the station. 

It was the initial enthusiasm which made us exclaim- "Look that is Rembrandt's house" ; "The canal is so beautiful" ; "Oh these houses are right out of a postcard" ; "Look at these cute cyclists". That's where I draw the line. There is nothing, I repeat, nothing more ferocious than a cyclist in Amsterdam. They are absolute hooligans. They don't follow traffic rules, they don't care for big cars or for pedestrians. They are the kings of their own land. How we saved ourselves from this onslaught of zip-zap-zoom and reached James Wattstratt where are quaint hotel was located, lugging our suitcases is a something only we will know. I commend you for your enthusiasm and energy to keep up with us. 

Once we reached our hotel and we were doing our regular check-in you discovered the greatest treat of all - the stroopwafels! A paper thin waffle help together by syrup, it's a waffle biscuit you can eat on the go, keep in your pockets and munch on at your leisure. It's safe to say you had around ten of these in your pocket at any given point in time. 

Now comes the bit about our trip which made it so curated for us only. The entire itinerary was strung together by the driving force of your father's indomitable and beyond-my-understanding hobby of board games. So the moment we just about put our stuff in our room (which BTW was a total steal with an in-room kitchenette and all), we had to leave for the board game shop called Friends and Foes. Taking the bus from the front of the hotel (which we could have taken while coming but we walked! don't ask me why) we reached Friends and Foes. Lovely little place near the canal with mostly Dutch games. After a quick purchase we were walking down the street just about soaking in the vibe of the city and wondering if we should take the trip to Anne Frank's house that evening. I was still contemplating if this is the right time for you to visit it at all, when something more soak-worthy came upon us. 

Suddenly out of nowhere there were absolutely rowdy clouds and an incessant and heavy downpour. We did not have umbrellas or rain jackets. We were soaking wet in a bus stop. It was when a German family with kids arrived in thin t-shirts that I could feel, "Hey, at least we have some jackets". There was no way we could make it to Anne Frank's house today and we must return. We waited for the bus which arrived in 5 mins, but that was enough to get us soaking to the bone. I was quite sure one of us would fall sick but thankfully the adrenaline saw us through. 

The weather in Europe is so unpredictable, no wonder it is a large part of their conversation. I remember when you were even smaller and we were stuck in the cruise at Lucerne Lake when a sudden rain caught us.

It was only on our way back when our bus had to stop as they were clearing the roads due to a fallen tree that we realized we were indeed caught in a pretty strong and rare storm.

We were dead tired and could have just dropped dead asleep wherever we could once we returned. But dinner must be had. Now the neighborhood we were staying in was a residential area and did not really have many eateries about, so we decided to pick up some stuff from the supermarket outside the hotel . You know about my obsession with supermarkets! i went and I shopped - cold cuts, cheese, fruits - it's safe to say were very well fed that night. But after we stuffed ourselves, we did fall asleep wherever we could as the next morning I woke up all alone in the large bed cloistered in the thick blankets, while you and your father had fallen asleep bundled in the kid's bed. In the small twilight zone when you are not completely awake and not asleep either, I felt so luxurious, having enjoyed this comfortable bed all by myself! 

Suddenly waking up, it was time for the museum run, but more on that in the next letter. 

Love, 

Ma