On May 11th, we landed in Amsterdam at six in the morning. I had gotten no sleep during our flight, but I was still eager and excited for what the day had in store. We started off by taking the train from the airport to the metro, where we rode it for around thirty minutes until we arrived at our hotel. Amsterdam’s metro was absolutely gorgeous. I was so amazed at how efficient the lines were and how easy to navigate they are.
After a bit of time at the airport, we once again took the metro to the Amsterdam Central Station. Our travel guide, Brian, then sent us off on a scavenger hunt to test our ability to decode clues and adapt to the new city. Despite the challenges, my group continued to persist, and we were able to find places like the Magna Plaza and the Anne Frank house. Though it was difficult to find locations and crack the clues, I had a great time seeing all the beautiful architecture Amsterdam has in store for the world.
Before coming to the Netherlands, I was very excited to see one of the benches that is in a scene in The Fault In Our Stars. A part of the movie was filmed in Amsterdam, so seeing the bench was a must. I walked for miles across many canals trying to find the specific bench, but I did not stop until I found it. I was really happy to be able to see the bench, and to see it unoccupied!
After the scavenger hunt, we took another metro and bus to get to Keukenhof, where the massive fields of tulips are. It was so beautiful to see all the tulips and the gardens that are kept so pristine. We even got to see goats and other beautiful nature displays! While on the bus to get to Keukenhof, it was so cool to see all the wind turbines and solar panels on many houses and farms. It was very cool to see how Amsterdam’s sustainability goals also apply to more rural areas.
Of course, we ended our first night in the Netherlands with a traditional Dutch dish. We had Stamppot, which has vegetables inside a mashed potato and sausage. I got the vegetarian sausage dish, and I was amazed on how good the taste was! We then ended the night with some ice cream, and of course, took the metro back to our hotel.
Despite being a long day, it was super fun! I am very excited to see how tomorrow goes!