How long do you wait for the international ticket office in Amsterdam Centraal Station? Over an hour, that’s how long! 12:45pm I collected my number. At 2:25pm I had the info I needed. As it turns out, it IS too much hassle to make the tour from here – I tried. I “might” make it but with only 30min window for each stage, there’s no way I’m risking over 200 euro to see no tour. I might try for the final stage in Paris, but that will again depend on where I am and if I can make the specific train/s needed.

The included breakfast at the hotel was jam bread and a coffee – not quite the hostel fare I’m used to.. lucky there’s a million and one food places around here. There has to be really, munchies are an evil, evil thing. 😛

Cruised the canals around here for an hour (6.50euro) which was okay. Note: Keep a few copper coins (2c, 5c) to throw in the tip tray when they ask you (yes, they ask you to tip – how rude). They think you threw down real money and you don’t “look” like a tightarse! Tip properly if you think it’s worth it, sure.

Vlaamse Frites are a nice, cheap lunch. 2.50 for a medium cone (yeah, they come in a paper cone) of chips. These are “fat” chips, not those skinny-ass French fries. Oh, I finally discovered the difference between Mayonnaise and “Fritesauce”. Mayo is 80% fat, whereas Fritesauce is, maybe, 30% fat. So it’s just a diet Mayo. 🙂

I spotted a pub with tour coverage so headed in there, grabbed a beer (Amstel, named after the river Amstel here – it’s now brewed elsewhere though) and watched the end of today’s stage

**SPOILER** McEwan rocks! 😀

What else? Oh, leaving the Haarlem hostel the other day I got chatting with a guy on a tandem BikeFriday. He was cool and showed me all the nifty tricks to make it ‘more easily transportable’. For example, the frame is in pieces that can be unbolted, the handlebars split down the middle to pack down easier, the seattube is a separate piece, the cables have quick-release joiners so they can be split apart and the frame has tools mounted to it in nifty little spots, eg. allen keys and pedal spanners.

I might dig up the ride stats from that still, but basically, I left the Haarlem hostel (the second time) and noticed the rear wheel making strange noises. Looking down I saw a mild buckle. I knew this was coming because I’d noticed loose spokes a while ago and of course chose not to do anything about them. Into the bike shop around the corner (a nice gent told me about that) and he said “30min to fix and we can work on it in 1hr and it will cost 10euro”.

I was happy with that and sat in the shade reading. He came out about 10min later and asked to remove the panniers because it wouldn’t fit in the rack or something (too heavy probably).

“No sweat!” I said, panicking that I’d never get them back on. Maybe 20min later he was done!

“That was quick man!”. I checked over what he’d done and it looked good to me. I wanted to get to Ijmuiden to see the North Sea Canal Zuidersluis (south lock) and then onto Amsterdam so wouldn’t have argued much anyway.

Ijmuiden was only 5k away. I stopped in the tourist office for final directions and then spent a while riding around the North Sea Canal area – I think I’ve already mentioned the big boy’s toys?

Called Dad to find out what was going on in London and then left for ‘dam. Was angry with what was happening in London so SOAD’s “Cigaro” was repeated about 20 times before my voice was hoarse and I gave up on it.. 🙂

First hostel I tried in ‘dam was full. I’d just locked up out the front of the second and who should show up but the pommie “geezer” that was in the room with me in Haarlem. He was kinda funny, but kinda wrong all the same. This hostel was full too, but he showed me another (Aroza Hotel) and they had room. Coolness! The place is a total dump and cloudy with smoke but in Amsterdam that’s not worth thinking about..

The street it’s on is loaded with “coffeeshops” (places to buy weed) and “smartshops” (places to buy shrooms and other goodies). I went for a wander and perhaps 30min later had some guy asking “you wanna buy some Coke? Heroin? LSD? Mushrooms? 20euro for a gram of Coke!”.

“Sounds a bit cheap”

“You have to try it first man!”

“Uh huh”

“You want more, a phone call and we have whatever you want!”

“Hmm, your list sounds like what I had for breakfast – do you have anything new?” and a quick brush off and he got the hint I wasn’t buying any of his washing powder or ratsac or whatever shite he was trying to sell me. “Do I look like a frickin’ stupid tourist?!”. Oh wait.. of course I do 😛

Anyway, while it’s legal I had to try magic mushrooms. Back to the hotel and with a little research and I walked a few buildings down with the hotel clerk (fit Scottish chick, likes the Mandarin weed) and decided on the stronger, “thinking” ones. “Psilocybe Tampenensis” (Philosopher’s Stones) they were called. You wont get this sort of info in your Lonely Planet Guides!! 😛

I’d give you the full run down of the trip but it took some time (~6hrs) and I wrote lots and walked lots while UI so I’m not going to repeat it. It was funny and fun anyway. Think of it as a “different sort of drunk”.

Eventually went to sleep. Hangover ain’t too bad, better than drinking too much anyway. Still have a half left. Think I might use it tonight and try to find these clubs I keep hearing about or head to the Sex Museum for a laugh.