Yesterday my meetings ran late and despite a mad dash to the airport I missed my flight. I spent the night and can't get a flight home until 5. You can be forgiven for thinking that there are worse places to be stranded. Though fun, Amsterdam has become pretty dull to me. It is fun to bring Americans here and watch their faces as they take in all the debauchery, but having been here so many times, it just doesn't register with me anymore.
I haven't taken any pictures of the girls in the windows as thats the surest way to make aquaintance with a big Russian fellow who'll introduce you, or( if you're lucky), just your camera to the delights of canal swimming. I do still gape at the improbable "devices" in the shop windows 
This picture doesn't do the sight justice. I can only shudder at the implied anatomy required.
The public pee is a key feature here. You smell them long before you see them.
People use the vey public conveniencs as cafes and bars routinely charge you for the priviledge.
These pictures are from earlier trips , so the foliage doesn't match the season. It's a pity I didn't bring my camera this time as the sun is shining and the place looks pretty nice.
I'm anxious to get home as there is a "festival happening" going on in the common in front of my house. It's carnage and everything not nailed down tends to disappear. I'll try and get some pics to give you an idea.
Off to the airport.
T
3 comments:
Stuck in AMS?
Imagine being stuck in Guatemala at the airport because the airline oversold the tickets and you have to stay there for a day... hanging around, exhausted. I wasn't the only one; I met people from everywhere (we were all students and young)at the airport and we were like a big family making sure everybody was doing OK. There were kids who had to stay longer than I did... poor guys!
Another one?
LHR... June 2000. Radars weren't working; planes got diverted to other cities. Mine was sent to Manchester, and then I managed to get to London by bus. I had to be at LHR (where I was supposed to be landing in first place) to connect for Athens. God, what I nightmare!!!
I acted as an interpreter too as there were many people who did not speak English. We were with British Airlines and they did not care about us :-( poor me!
I was finally sent out to Brussels, and from there to Athens... I had been awake for two days and a half. When I landed in Athens I cried... hahaha! I know, but I was sooo tired, lonely... running away from some problems to find more! It was an odissey.
Oh, and my friends weren`t there waiting for me... they thought I had said I was arriving from Brazil not Brussels!!! Huh?
It was my accent, what can I do?
So, I wouldn't mind being stuck in Amsterdam, it's a place I have always wanted to see.
I have some pretty hair raising missed, diverted flights stories to tell myself. I don'teven want to start about luggage sent to Tokyo when I was going to Capetown (it caught up with me at home in the Uk 3 weeks later) Then there was that time I was arrested at Taipei airport because my passport had less than 6 months validity -1 day less! I cannot stress the sinking feeling when a guy in a uniform says "So,You don'tcare about the rules in my country?"
But I take your point- Things could always be worse!
Home now and happy to report that all the garden furniture is where it's supposed to be. Crappy band on the stage is giving me a headache though.......
T
Now you got me thinking of all the times a plane has been delayed, lost luggage, missed flights, and many more things involved with my travels.
Last year, I went to celebrate my birthday to another country, as usual... my luggage arrived three days later; at least I had it with me when I flew back home. My airline refunded me for what I bought while the luggage was lost though.
You should definitely write an entry about those experiences... I am sure you have plenty material for it!
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