We have one free day before leaving for our safari, a day to shake off jet lag, and to explore.
In Amsterdam, bikers rule! It is truly the bikes that define this city – red brick bike roads are wider than pedestrian sidewalks and auto streets. Bikes are parked everywhere and at the train station, we even see a 3 story bike lot.
Every 2-3 blocks, a bridge crosses a canal lined with houseboats. Below is the well knowned red light district. Looking to my side, I am startled to see scantily dressed ladies of the night posing in each window trying to entice passerbys to join them inside.
Our destination is the Pancake Bakery, an underground hole in the wall, with a short Alice in Wonderland front door. Dutch pancakes are somewhere between a crepe and American pancake -thin and plate-sized, served either savory or sweet. I have one with bacon and apples. This one is topped with waffle cookies, cinnamon ice cream, chocolate and cream.
Our coffee is served with a Stroopwafel, made of thin layers of dough filled with an extremely sweet caramel syrup.
It is lunchtime and workers line up at the FEBO– a fast-food chain that sells snacks via wall-spanning, coin-operated vending machines. The hamburgers on a bun look a bit like play food.
At the local bakery, macaroons and cookies are a colorful sight.
We have now made our way from north to south and west to east. The wind is gusting at 20mph and the rains are approaching (there is a reason for the lushness). We ride the city bus back to the hotel and call it a day. There is packing to be done for our safari.