1/13/2005

AMSTERDAM : CHRISTMAS DAY [DAY 3]



Surprisingly enough, there's really not much to report on regarding Christmas Day in Amsterdam. We didn't have a tree, but we had mad trees. Let's begin, shall we...

Nasdaq Jones got up around 1:30 PM, woken up by his sweet lady who got up at 12 to go get another sub-par crossaint egg & cheese sandwich from Rene's. Sleeping in, I see, has become a way of life...because there's no way my natural energy level can compete with this city. Plus our bed is so damn comfortable & its perfectly ok to light up killer bud in your hotel room...why would we leave?

But we are on vacation, so we decide to take advantage of the time...

First things first, we decide to purchase each other Christmas presents. My girl got me a Amsterdam sports jersey, which was dope & I got her a little bling bling bracelet with her name spelled out. Not real diamonds...what can I say? I'm a broke mofo....

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Around 3 PM, we decide to try to find Barney's Breakfast Bar...a coffeeshop that also sells Dutch style pancakes. Guess the munchies were kicking in already by this time...

Unfortunately, Barney's (and almost all of Amsterdam for that matter) is closed on Christmas day. So, we end up walking down Haarlemmerstraat looking for anywhere that will serve food.

We end up eating at the best Indian restaurant I have ever tried in my life. It's called Namaskar at Haarlemmerstraat 47. Authentic, authentic, authentic!!! I always order the same thing everytime I go to an Indian restaurant: Chicken Vindaloo, Naan, Vegetable Samosa, & a Mango Lassi...but man, this was the best, and I eat Indian out a lot in the States.

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With our warm bellies, full of curry, we walk around the corner onto Singel and find two coffeeshops open: The Doors (modelled after your boy, Jim Morrison) & the Bulldog (a franchise chain coffeeshop). We walk into the Doors first because they are playing the Cure. We order 2 pints of Heinekin Pilsner (on draft, of course) and kick back to blow trees on Christmas Day. Normally, this is a annual activity I take part in with my brother & cousins...so please, no sacreligious hate mail please...

break on through to the other side

After getting blitzed, we walk next door to the Bulldog & order waters & light up again!

Bulldog

And after two hash-filled haze blunts back to back, we are annhilated. So, we head back to the hotel room for some more R & R. We are sooooo old & pathetic. The Dutch people aren't as superficial about Christmas as Americans. We barely saw anyone on the streets. We assumed the natives must be home with their families. But even the days leading up to Christmas...there wasn't crazy crowds engulfing department stores. Just silent peaceful streets & the moonlight reflecting off the canals.

Goodnight Amsterdam. Tommorrow, we will purchase the Amsterdam Pass to visit museums, take a canal boat tour, & be real fucking tourists!