too much amsterdam

After being pretty hung over during our walking tour of the city the next day we went back to the hostel. We went into the smoking room and had another joint (I haven’t really bothered telling you every time because the stuff was just on tap). Ever since that day the smell of tobacco has been completely different and I couldn’t handle being around it. At first I thought I was just stoned and paranoid but it still smells absolutely vulgar. I still can't handle being around the stuff. Surprisingly, I still like the smell of weed.

Princess left  for Bruges and Mai got the munchies so Andy took us to a great kebab place.  We then decided to get some mushrooms. Yes, again (when in Amsterdam). These were pretty different. Not much to look at but plenty to talk and laugh about. We sat on a sea of pillows in the smoking room. Andy and I had the giggles big time. Mai was gazing in to space. Finnish Guy wasn’t on mushrooms but was enjoying watching us in our own little world with Long Blonde Hair Guy (who was Australian but living in London and just got deported that day because he didn’t have his paperwork!  One moment, I took of my jacket and layers and then the next, I panicked and gathered my things on my pillow and announced, “My world is falling apart!”. Cracker night.

The next day we all woke up with really sore shoulders, and realised that we’d been sitting up against the wall for about six hours straight. My shoulder is still sore as I write this. The three amigos that were left when to get a  coffee hit and a big Dutch feed. We came to the realisation that there is indeed, such a thing as too much Amsterdam.  Don't get me wrong , the Flying Pig is a great hostel. It's cheap, you get a nice breakfast, the poepl are firendly, and best of all, it has some of the best parties in town. But we knew enough was enough when Finnish Guy (the guy who had been there for three weeks and wanted to work at the hostel) had his hands buried in his face…uh…face buried in his hands. I rest my case. We needed out!

Mai and I decided to ‘check out’ of the Flying Pig (after they told us they had no more beds for that night) so we booked into another hostel a little out of town and were excited to get out of the hustle and bustle for a night. We learnt one thing. Never check into a hostel that has ‘budget’ in its title (i.e. International Budget Hostel). You’ll pay a not-so-budge price, but you are guaranteed to receive budget facilities.  The lady at the front counter was quite rude, the rooms were absolutely freezing, the beds were like planks of wood (with sacks of sand for pillows) and the doors had alarms that sounded like a pigeon being stabbed when you opened them. We also learnt that we need to ditch some stuff because walking up a Dutch staircase with a big backpack is not possible for two little midgets.  If you didn’t already know Dutch stairs are considered the most dangerous in the world because they are insanely  steep. So step in fact, that they are better thought of as ladders.  We managed to survive. Somehow.