Day Seven Hello Amsterdam!

First Day in Amsterdam!

Yesterday was the day that our group traveled from Paris to Amsterdam! It was a quickly paced morning, complete with everything from people scrambling to get their sheets to the lobby to people turning in their room key. After my final breakfast of warm milk and cereal, I followed the group to the Metro, which would then take us to the train station. As soon as I boarded the train, I was instantly impressed with how pleasant it was. The air conditioning was a godsend, considering how none of the facilities in Paris had them. As soon as we left the train, it was hectic from start to finish.We eventually were handed bus tickets and boarded a comfortable (air conditioned) bus. Once we left our stop, we went on foot to the hostel where I was pleasantly surprised. After spending a week without private restrooms, showers, balanced breakfasts and lunches, security, and a clean atmosphere, it was such a blessing to be able to stay at a place that had all of those things. After getting settled in and making my bed, I went to go have some dinner. I was greeted with a warm meatball dish with a savory sauce, along with soups, breads, salad, and even desert. Orientation was next, and it went by relatively quickly. We learned that Coffee Shops in Amsterdam are actually places to purchase marijuana, and cafes are where people go to buy coffee. We also learned that the sex workers in the Red Light District respond terribly if photos are taken of them. They have been known to squirt literal urine and feces from bottles at you if need be. They also get deeply offended if they are referred to as prostitutes. After an informative orientation, I went to do what I had been craving all day: sleep.