Very relaxed morning in Haarlem.. I’m sure it’s because I’m camping now.. yeah, that’s it, it’s the camping thing..
Poffertjes (small pancakes) with whipped cream and strawberries, plus a nice cappucino for brekkie. Mmm Mmm! Entree was a tin of pineapple pieces, sitting on the grass next to the tent. It’s pretty cool here. Campsite is a couple of kay out of town near a lake. You can rent boats and canoes and stuff..
Yesterday I basically rode around town and explored. It was pretty busy with markets on and heaps of people around for Saturday shopping. Lots of interesting sights..
The night before last I stayed in the hostel here. It was also a few kay out of town and quite expensive at 25euro/night. LP said it was only 15euro.. pah! That helped my decision to move to the tent. The bartender at the hostel was from Sydney but I almost didn’t pick him as aussie coz his accept was so strange. It was like every 4th word sounded like Aussie but the rest could’ve been American, Canadian, Dutch, etc! No biggie.. he thought I was American!! Everyone thinks I’m an American! Maybe I should stop wearing the chaps and spurs?
Just for the record, he was another Aussie who handed out free beer yay! The local beer was called “Adriaan” and it tasted weird-as but it was certainly drinkable. Belgium beers were on hand too.. a few 8.5% Duvels and 11.5% Kasteels quickly turned me into the gibbering mess you all know and love..
Anyway, that night involved some heavy drinking (I just said that didn’t I?) with the bartender and a few other dudes from around the world. I think it was 4am when I hit the sack. I was too tired to go into town anyway so it wasn’t too bad. Before that I’d visited a nearby supermarket on the canal and bought an _almost_ healthy dinner, save for the chocolates and strange, orange cream slice. The ride to Haarlem from whereever the hell I was before that was pretty cool. Um.. I’m sure some other shit happened.. I dunno.. whatever..
Some dude got busted in the net cafe yesterday… kiddy porn surfin’ I reckon.. coulda been hacking something, I dunno, I speak as much Dutch as I do Mongolian, ie. 3/8ths of 2/3rds of fsck all. There was also a big crowd gathered around a street sign outside the hostel. The all clapped when it was revealed.. I took some pics but dunno what the big deal was? Did I just witness the creation of a new suburb?
The campsite is nice and green and cheaper than the hostel at about 7.50euro per night. Gotta pay 1euro/5min of shower time though. I still gotta get out on the lake and go for a paddle.. and find out how to get to France for Le Tour.. and find out how to.. and.. and..
Where’s my pipe?
Hey, that’s some mean breaky you have when you’re camping! Does that mean you’re gonna stay forever in Haarlem now the tent’s pitched?! Or is it easier than making your bed every time you change hostels?
You’re looking happier and happier to be touring now. PS Nice calves.
Mum:
I can’t remember how to pack the tent so I’m going to be living in Haarlem until someone throws me out of the camping ground..
Hostels are easier, but there’s a certain "cool" with using the tent in your own little space, watching the ducks invade the camp ground looking for food, watching the lightning strikes the larger tents next door…
hehehe ๐
Tam:
Touring is fun.. cept I’ve stopped now..ish. It’s too wet to go to ‘dam so I’ll wander town some more. At least by spending more than one day in a place I start to learn the streets.
P.S. Thanks! ๐
Hey, Stu, why don’t you reaplace that beard with Steel-Wool? That’d be funny as fuck, walking down the street dressed up as Santa-Claus with Steel wool for a beard with lightning cracking all around you… the locals would THINK you were mad. They’d be wrong of course.
See what pulling out does to your mind. Thank fuck I’m not a truck driver!