Hubby and Wifey's Blog

Jan 5, 2009 early in the morning we arrived at the pilot station of Amsterdam. We are not sure if we will going in or stay at anchor. After a couple of minutes the pilot confirms us that we will be going on berth. It takes us 6 hours to be all fast in BP terminal. I was planning to go ashore after my duty but it was not my luck on this port. The seaman’s club opens 1600hrs to 2300 hrs. I really want to go ashore and hook up to the internet to browse just a couple of hours. At 1530 hrs I go ashore and online till 1700 hrs. The Dutch seaman’s club picks up us from ship and drops us in the nearest seaman’s club in port. It was cold outside and it chills me out, minus 2 degrees centigrade and it’s windy too. After I finish browsing the internet I decided to go back in our ship to prepare myself for my duty. I was lucky to be an officer aboard the ship because I am not standing for 6 hours outside for duty.
Our captain approaches me and asks if I went outside. Yes sir I went outside and it was very cold. I stay in seaman’s club and browse the internet. Then my captain told me it will be a fine weather tomorrow It will be sunny for the rest of day. Then my captain told me how about we go to the city tomorrow afternoon? I was surprise because he chooses me. I say yes sir I will go after my duty. Ok so we will go ashore tomorrow 1300hrs.
After I finish my duty our captain reminds me that we will be leaving at 1300 hrs. He already arranges our taxi going to train station (sloterdyk terminal). It takes us 15 minutes walking going to main gate and when we arrive at the main gate our captain ask about our taxi going to train station. After 10 minutes of waiting the cab driver approaches us and he told us if we are the one who called him. We said yes we are (he doesn’t look like a cab driver because his wearing formal attire He just like an office worker on his dress. While we are walking going to his cab I was looking for the cab but I could not see any cab in the parking area. Then he told us here is my cab just open the door and make your self at home. I was shocked when I see the cab….. It was a brand new BMW. A taxi….. A BMW??? It was so comfortable and super nice inside. I didn’t move or turn my head inside the car I just feel the smooth ride inside of it. It takes us 20 minutes from main gate to train station and it cost us 16 Euro. While we are walking going inside of the train station I was amaze on another taxi cab. It was a Mercedes Benz with a placard of Taxi on the roof. We get a round trip ticket on the train and after that we go to the train platform going to central station. We get inside the train going central station and we just stay at the door because it’s just one station away. We arrive at the Central terminal and you can see many different trains on its. A bullet trains going to Frankfurt Germany, a train with 2nd floor, and an ordinary train going along the busy city of Amsterdam it was too cold even the sun is up. I was so surprise outside the terminal because all of the building there was old. It’s just like they preserve there old buildings. There are many huge churches that look likes in the movies. All there roads are made from bricks. The track of the city train was place in the center of the road and with no walls on it. When you are crossing the street this city train will stop. Not like in the Philippines they have tall walls to prevent the people hit by train. There are many kinds of shop that I’ve seen. From gadgets, dress, shoes etc. etc. (including the sex shop). Our Captain told me about a small street in the road and he told me that street is where the girls on the windows live. He also told me about the Red district is, but our captain doesn’t like to go there because it is very dangerous for tourist like us. Red district is a place where all the illegal drugs are legal from (cocaine, mariwana, etc. etc.). The most beautiful place in Amsterdam was the center of the city because you can see the palace of Amsterdam. You can see many tourist taking pictures and the most fascinating there is the pigeons are not afraid in humans. Not like in the Philippines “patay kang kalapati ka. Kung di ka abobo magiging pangdagit ka hehehe.
After 3 hours of walking our Captain decide to eat in steak house and Steak in Amsterdam was the most delicious steak in Europe (that was my captain told me). We enter the most famous steak house in Amsterdam and guess what how much is the steak…. 20 to 30 Euro per serving and beverages are not included. Look delicious and tasty (of course a 20 to 30 Euro per steak).
After a couple of minutes our captain decided to go back to ship and it was memorable to see the beautiful place of Amsterdam. It’s once in a life time that I’ve visit this place and I have no idea if I can go back to this place.