Random Encounters Exploring Amsterdam

alright, so I got out and decided to rent a bike again, partially due to encouragement from Paul that it was a good idea... I left the house after lazing around, and rented said bike.



A crazy thing happened at the bike rental place!

I was standing outside picking out the height of my bike, when I heard my name!

I turned and there was this couchsurfer from Buffalo I think it was... one of the people I'd met in ANTWERP during that one night I was there!!!! Crazy coincidence! Small world!!!! He was going to rent a bike but forgot his credit card (they do an imprint in case you never return the bike then rip it up in front of you after).

That was too bad since his host was not home and he didn't have a key... I was not comfortable with using mine since I only had met him for the one night and I was drunk too... so I felt bad but gave him my information and left him at the bike rental place.

I went on a little adventure exploring the library and surrounding area, which was quite nice. The view from the library was very nice!






after looking around here, I went to this other big building thing right on the water... I sat on the edge and relaxed a little...






okay, so after this I got minorly lost. I biked to this new area of town, and I had no idea where I was for a while. I bought some fries with mayo (yes the french people have converted my hate somehow... I also like wine too now) and found a little park thing...

I went by Westpark, and eventually found myself on my map, and started biking to a more central part of the city...



Now here I must digress.

The day before someone had started relaxing at the park when I was about to leave. I had noticed them as being potentially cool. Then today at the library I thought I may have seen the very same person looking at the same area of books...

Now I saw them outside the supermarket. I was thinking "okay I have seen this person at least twice in one day and possibly yesterday too... If I don't at least say hello I am going to bike to the house thinking about how I didn't". So I stood there considering this for a while in the middle of the sidewalk, and eventually turned the bike around and walk straight up to the bench where I found him sitting.

I said hi. Turned out to be Portuguese, also traveling, and leaving soon. We walked and talked for a little while, but then I realized the time! The supermarket was going to close soon, and I had a shopping list for the dinner Paul and I were going to make... I had to leave INSTANTLY!

So I was off! I booked it down the road, and made it in time. I got most of the stuff, but facebook chat fucked up and I didn't receive them all. So we had mediocre tacos haha. Oops! Oh well, I still enjoyed them :)

This night ended up similar to the last. Since it is "allowed" in Amsterdam (and arguably part of the cultural experience haha) I feel alright saying that I was having lazy nights from smoking the good stuff. Yummmmmm.