Canal - Blogabond

Amsterdam, Netherlands

I’ve been in Amsterdam for a few days now and it’s a fun city. I’m ready to leave though. I was supposed to leave today (July 12) but due to complications with bus schedules, I won’t be leaving to Prague until July 14. I went a head and rented a bike for a few days. Bikes are the best and easiest way to get around Amsterdam. Most of the roads here are designed specifically for bikers and the trams.

Cool parking garage for bikes.

There are only two places I’ve found that have free wi-fi so It’s hard for me to write here or respond to emails. The hostel I’m staying at in Prague has free wi-fi so it should be easier to keep in touch.
I’ll finally be making my way east so my money should be worth a lot more than it is in the west. Now my dilemma is booking hostels/trains/buses/flights far enough in advanced so I don’t get stuck somewhere like I am now. I decided since I’m losing a couple days, I am just going to skip Bratislava and just go straight to Budapest. I’ll try and be there on the 18th.

It’s cool how this city works. The entire city lies below sea level. I found this diagram in the hostel.

Left: View from the top floor of Amsterdam’s library, the largest one in Europe.
Right: View from the city up close

Here are a couple pictures from the Red Light District. Sorry I know they’re blurry but I still think they look cool.

Lijiang, China

I found the street with restaurants! I made a mental note of where to find the alley that lead to them. Later I suggested to some friends I made at the hostel that we should go for 'barbecue' as that's the local specialty. [Note to US southerners: But do they use vinegar???] They agreed. Two Americans, a Canadian, an Austrian and a Chinese go to dinner. I find the alley that I remember. We walk a ways but don't see any restaurants. We back track to the main alley and continue west. We come to the main square [Market Square complete with a plaque explaining why an odd shaped public space is called a square lest a mathematical object]. Ack! We've gone too far. I was right the first time. We opt to be bold and wander down a new alley that hugs one of the small canals that stripe the city.

We sample deep fried Naxi cheese [it has sugar sprinkled on top], Naxi stewed vegetables, barbecue fish [no vinegar, no tomato based sauce - sacrilege!], Naxi tofu, Naxi crispy yak with mint and other dishes. Apparently here barbecue means salted & dried.

written by

prrrrl on March 3, 2012 from Lijiang, China

from the travel blog: Beijing, 2010 or Liaoning, 2013. They are appear to be mixed up!

tagged Naxi, Canal, Restaurant, Alley, Yak, Friends, Lijiang, Barbecue and Cheese

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The Big Canal

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Rat in maze test 4: FAIL!

Lijiang, China

Heading South?