On our first day in Amsterdam, we battled rain and jet lag, but we stuck to our packed itinerary that ended up being an exciting day of adventures. We landed at Schiphol airport and headed right out on a canal tour of the city. This  was a great introduction to Amsterdam’s history and infrastructure. It was interesting to learn about the history of the Amstel river, specifically how it used to be a site for sewage dumping pre 20th century but after many years of world and policy it is now very clean and sanitary. 

Although it started raining soon after, we donned our ponchos and headed out for a walking tour. I learned about how the Dutch combat the population density and limited land area through strategies such as property taxes for houses based on their width. 

Next, we took a tour of Cacao & Spice, a sustainable chocolate store. In addition to selling very high quality and unique chocolate, what  sets this store apart is that all chocolate is sourced fully ethically and sustainably. The owner explained how they practice the concept of single origin chocolate by having each bar be composed of beans from one single cacao plantation. This not only improves quality, but also supports their sustainable efforts. In addition, the store has direct trade with farms and chocolate makers and partners with organizations that protect nature and support biodiversity. While we learned, we got to try some amazing chocolates with flavors ranging from raspberry to spicy Carolina reaper. 

The next day we woke up feeling much more refreshed and explored Amsterdam with a scavenger hunt. We then visited the House of Denim, a sustainable denim foundation. I learned about how standard denim production practices can be very resource intensive, using over 600 liters of water. The House of Demin is dedicated to integrating sustainable practices into the entire process. One aspect that they emphasized was how the bleaching step of making washed denim uses high amounts of both water and toxic chemicals. To combat this, denim city and a company called Genealogy have developed a machine that dyes jeans using ozone gas. 

In addition to a fun day of exploring the city, we were able to experience local food by visiting a Surinamese soul food restaurant for dinner. The owners were so kind and hospitable and the food was also delicious!