Still in Holland. Back in Amsterdam, tango lesson this evening. Here are some things you should know about Amsterdam.

Wandering into town at 3 pm on a saturday afternoon and expecting that there will be rooms available in anyplace that’s reasonably priced is a pipedream. As in what have you been smoking that you would think this? Ok, so I ended up spending a little more than I had budgeted for, those hidden costs come up.

Iced Tea is fizzy here.

Knowing someone with a bike so that you can sit sideways on the back and get a lift somewhere is nothing. Everyone has a bike. Knowing someone with a boat so you can cruise down the canal in the sunshine drinking wine and smiling balefully at the tourists ogling from the many bridges. That would be something.

Cheap hostels are not altruistic. Yes it costs 15 euros for a bed. But if you want to do laundry? 7,50. Lost your towel? 3,50 for something that wouldn’t wrap around the hips of a pygmy. And leaves you with that I’ve toweled off but somehow I’m still wet feeling. Wifi everywhere in the place, of course! And it’s easy to log on if you buy time! 1,50 for 15 minutes..3 euros for 1 hour, 10 euros for 5 hours. Don’t forget to get a t-shirt! The flying whatzit may be twice as much, but everything is included. And they’re insane. I might stay another day in Amsterdam and if I do I think I will go back there. Although, the place I’m in now is right next to the park, which is nice.

Every Dutch person speaks at least 3 languages. English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Japanese…but who speaks Dutch besides the Dutch? It doesn’t seem right, somehow.

I might go to Denmark tomorrow. If only to see Hamlet’s castle and Legoland.

There won’t be any more souvenirs mailed home unless it’s reeeeally special. I’m carrying around stuff that I need to get around to mailing and I’m already overloaded with crap I don’t use. Postcards are awesome, whoever wants one can have one. But this stressing about making sure I get the right things, then tracking down a post office and trying to do it up right, it’s too much. Simplicity from now on.

Everyone is very happy to be here. As far as I can tell. Superfriendly, super smiley, superduper.

Crappy thing about travelling alone #1 – your stuff goes everywhere with you unless you have a lockup somewhere. But when you don’t, even into those tiny toilets not made for canadian girl plus baggage.

Crappy thing about travelling alone #2 – When you squeeze the mayonaise container too hard and squirt mayo all over yourself, it’s way funnier when you’re not alone. Apparently when you burst out laughing while covered in mayonaise, the looks one receives are not bemused and enchanted, but slightly concerned that there’s a retarded girl who’s lost her nut.

And it’s also another reason to justify spending 7, 50 on laundry.

And now I have to go and get my 7,50’s worth of laundry….

bise bise bise (that’s how they do it in Holland, yo!)