Amsterdam - non-XXX...in a way (4 Jun 08)

After the short day trip out to Zaanse Schans, my battery cam was dying, so I had a short break at the hostel recharging, plus writing out postcards. (Should get a spare bat the next time...) Presenting the non-XXX side of Amsterdam this time...keke

This caught my attention...weed in its many languages! Hey it's universal here!


Kinda like the hippie poster look that came with this joint

The famous Bloemenmarkt, located at Singel and is the world's only floating flower market





Even the Euro Cup fever has hit the flowers








Fascinated by these carnivorous plants...have always read them up in scientific books but never seen them before, so this is a first

Sign cards telling what flower it is


Parting shots


Funky vehicle

Entered a souvenir store for a bit of shopping..ok this wasn't supposed to be XXX but wat the hell...hahaha



A popular fast-food joint...nooo i wasn't photographing the girl...

We were more intrigued by the vending machine system of slotting coins and then watching your food get heated up and served

And talking about food, this is seriously Da Bomb here in the Netherlands: stroopwafels or caremelized wafels. Highly recommended to buy if you ever come here! Buy from the supermarkets cos it's cheaper! :p


Leidse Plein. an area with loads of cafe and shopping and night life

More soccer fever gripping the city

Even the M&Ms too! Check out the goal-post on the left hand side

My walk down south was to also find the Hard Rock Cafe to buy pins for my sista. Some other sights before reaching Hard Rock Cafe


The bicycle-only lane as I mentioned previously

Wootz! The Hard Rock Cafe building in the distance!

Can you spot the Hard Rock Cafe motto and sign?

Tada! Only thing now is to get across the canal....



After making my purchase, was distracted by a group of uncles playing international chess outside

Hmmmm....yes....even the statue is deep in thought over the next move...

Or is it just presiding over the competition?

Took a stroll around nearby VondelPark, which is famous for staging summer concerts and a city park for the residents to chill





Wow they even brought the shopping cart along for the picnic!

A short walk over to the Museum Plein, where most of the famous museums in Amsterdam such as the Stedelijk Museum, Van Gogh Museum, Concertgebouw and Rijksmuseum stand


Stedelijk Museum

Concertgebouw

Van Gogh Museum



The Rijksmuseum in the distance, with a very interesting billboard ahead

Eh....Tiananmen Square? Looks like they are filming some show or staging some protest here...


Approaching the Rijksmuseum, with the iconic I Amsterdam sign in front




I got this Dutch lady to help me take a pic, with her kid in it...haha

Eh....but mind the baby!!

Everybody's fascinated by the sign!

Difficult to take a photo here, but had some ineteresting ppl do it for me. There was this American guy who was overloaded with 2 backpacks and wanted to get the photo-taking done quickly so he approached me for help and vice-versa...think he was carrying too much stuff liaoz...haha...and there was another Dutch girl on a bike whom I bumped into a few times but was super insistent on not taking too many photos and kept fiddling with her cam even when I offerred to help fix her cam prob...lol



Hyper-active kid at the top


Wandered into the Rijksmuseum gardens




Other sights: Zuiderbath, a swimming pool

Whee!!!

Mmmm and of course how to miss Heineken over here in the Netherlands?

Freshly brewed

And finally a short detour to the Magere Brug again in the late evening

And there concludes a very packed day in Amsterdam. Will be returning here to catch my flight out, so still have half a day left. With a super XXX version this time! Keke stay tuned.....but for now, it's on to Belgium!

For more pics, go here