Holland, part 1

i had met William in Thailand, he and i had just missed a bus to the border of Laos. When we finally reached Chang Kong we had the foundation laid for the next two and a half weeks. We stayed in a great guesthouse where we met Arian. They were both Dutch and had a lot to talk about when they realized they lived 20 minutes from each other, and so we became three. By the time we had crossed the border we were five, a Spainard and a Greek had joined the band and we headed off together to concur what lay ahead in the jungles of Laos. Travelers make promises to see other travelers again all the time. I think they believe it. Time, space, life, gets in the way sometimes. But space and time have brought me here meeting up with William and Arian again, five months later. Laos was one of the most amazing countries i have ever been to. These guys had lived it too. I found my way to meet William in his home town 15 minutes by train outside of Amsterdam. i had a little trouble with my cell phone, figures doesn't it? and wound up holding up in a cheese shop where i could get Internet. I also picked up some really great cheese, two birds, one stone. Williams house is a nice two floor two bedroom in the heart of Zaandam. he has a nice patio and he makes pretty good coffee from his space age contraption. The day after i arrived Holland was playing in the Euro cup and we donned the orange and got out there like everyone else, Holland lost the game we did our best to keep our buzz. We road from the bar, William in front leading the way and me hunched over with a scowl, trying my best to look as bad as anyone can when riding a periwinkle blue, girls bike. It was a good night. Arian picked me up the next day and took me into Amsterdam central. I was given a tour of the city, by someone who lived it. Arian like i may have already said was a awesome guy, 60 something but i met him in Thailand with only a backpack the size you might take to school in the 8th grade. Hey was also a lady killer and we counted at least 5 Thai and Laos ladies that had fallen in love with him. One sings in a nightly duet with a Thai Elvis impersonator. Arjen is also a jazz piano player and a Laos whisky connoisseur, father of two. i had been to Amsterdam once before but my memory was of a horrible 12 hours elevated only by the fact that the girl i was with ate too much space cake and i was able to dump her at the hostel and go out and have some fun. I was hoping that this time would make up for the nightmare of 08. Its really a great spot Amsterdam. Tolerance is at its strongest here, seemingly to breath life into the streets. I spent the next day in a little village seeing what old school Holland was all about. Wooden shoe factory,

 look at those bad Larry wooden shoes

some windmills and cheese factory. I shouldn't really say windmills like that, they're cool, i just felt sick if i looked at them spinning and spinning and spinning. Ok so some would say, don't look at them then. But they're like a magnet, i think they're a hypnotic mind controlling device. or just boringly normal old windmills that make you sick. Either way i cant look at them. The area in which i traveled also, according to my underpaid guide, processed 70 percent of the worlds cocoa powder. the whole town smells like swissmiss, all the time, and i was really starting to crave something with chocolate. I settled on a chocolate croissant. bam. I went to dinner at Arjans house with William and we ate homemade red curry soup and homemade spring rolls. It was a touch of the east. We made plans to chart the uncharted and sail the biggest lake in the Netherlands, Yjsselmeer lake. Sailing on the boat was pretty cool. we took her out for two days staying one night in Enkhuyzen, moored in the harbor. I got a chance to see another side of Dutch life, the wooden shoe life, life with deep roots that run into the sea.

Many of you know that New York was New Amsterdam once. The Dutch have been at sea and perfected its craft. I was allowed to get behind the wheel which shows you just how well these two know me muhahaha. I was at home with the waves, on a steady flow of motion sickness pills, i sailed the S%#@ out of that boat. ok, to the casual observer my line between A-B could have been called "erratic" or "seemly much longer and unprofessional" but there is a art to optimizing wind speed and stuff you might not get if i tried to explain it. You don't read this thing for a bunch of science words anyway. We dinned in the galley, we ate Hollands best meats and orange juice to ward of  the scurvy. We dropped anchor and laid siege to a fried fish shack, taking kibling and smoked eel as plunder but also kindly paying for it. We told sea stories and drank whisky in our coffee. We tipped back whole raw salted Herring, one of us won't ever do it again, its a pirates life for me.

All hands on deck, captains orders

 Fried Cod, right up there with the best fried fish i have ever had, giving Susan's a run for the money.

 There is the esteemed, Louvre associated, museum of tiny ships in little bottles. it was part of an action packed day.

i had a really comfortable sleep in the front hold, that was nice. Arjan hopes to sail to England in a month or so and i wish him good luck and told him i would draw him a map if he needs it. Don't take any prisoners, i know you won't, capt.  We ended up going to two islands and We made landfall and after two days on the boat, mostly lounging, occasionally steering the boat in a way that would make Gilligan proud, i was beat. We had steaks and french fries, a few beers the last night, it was a great way to spend two days here in the Netherlands, sailin.

 Thanks so much Arjan, really, thanks for taking the time and opening up your home and boat. William, thanks for letting me crash your spare bed, the food, the beer and the stroopwaffles, it was great man. Thanks also for getting the extra day off it was great to go sailing. You really helped me out. I will be seeing you both sometime I'm sure. After i packed up I spent one more day in Amsterdam then headed north west where i am going to be meeting up with a friend for a few more days in Holland.

 Left to right, Tim, random guy, Moline, Sieta, William, Hanne and David. New years in Laos. I have seen four of this crew again after our Laos adventures ended, its awesome.

Sieta was one of the many southeast asia wanderers that you seem to meet over and over again. i met her first in Laos and about a month later i ran into her on my way through Cambodia. She and i stayed in touch and she picked me up from the train station  and gave me a place to stay for two days. We rode bikes to the football game, actually i sat on the back wheel as she peddled, pretending not to be dragged down my weight. We picked up some of her friends Hester and another girl who i will always remember as orangedew, decked out in orange we cheered for the home team. We rocked another Holland football game and no matter how many trips to the bar we made they just would not win for us. We felt like we were doing our part, they could of at least done theirs. Sieta let me stay at her place and i had it all to myself, she was staying at her parents place, watching it while they went to Canada for month, Canada?  I had an apartment all to myself and in a all female student housing project. That was cool but awkward too. The next day as Sieta had to work i toured the city on her bike and Hester as my guide. She even paid for lunch, zing. She was cool. I was in Groningen, a truly great medium sized college city. Some really cool buildings in Groningen. After that i was able to do my laundry at Hesters place, she brought me to the train station and helped me translate my itinerary to the kind Dutch lady behind the desk. Its amazing the kindness of strangers. After meeting so many really great ones, i am going to really take that lesson home. Sieta, William, Hester and Arian went way out of there way for me. Big thanks and hugs guys. it makes traveling like this doable. i was suppose to leave the Netherlands on the 15th but...