One day in Amsterdam

Well, it is a story that happened almost 2 years ago. But it just come into my mind and I really want to write it so I can keep this memory and read it in the future. Here the story......

sky above Netherland

It was a cold January 2015 when I and 5 of my friends decided to take a not-so-short trip to west Europe (mostly). One of the country was Netherland, particularly the city of Amsterdam. We took flight from Prague in the evening which was probably around 5 pm. So we landed in Schipol at about 8 pm? Well I dont remember, but we still had sometime to go around at the city. Actually something happened just before we reached the city center.

arrived safely!

ready for rockin Amsterdam

You know, Schipol is located far from the heart of the city. We took sometime for just arguing which transport would cost cheaper. At first we thought it was bus. But then we realized that taking train was faster and cheaper than bus. So we bought the train ticket which cost almost 5 € at that time. Going down to the platform and waiting for train to Amsterdam central. Taking some pictures might probably help us to kill the waiting time. Thanks God, train came faster than we thought and it was damn good train. It was a double dekker train, so we decided to sit upside. Being amazed with the interior as well as the speed, we absolutely took some pictures until one of my friend realized that her bag was missing. It was not there. Panic! Not only her important document such as passport, RP, camera but also our group money that we just took at the airport, were inside that bag!

trying for digging information about train options

waiting while the others gathered information. all the bags were safe

double dekker train. A moment before realized the missing bag!

Without thinking so long, we decided to alight at the upcoming station and thought for taking the opposite train. At the station which really in the middle of no where, we confused how to move to the opposite platform. We were afraid that if we took the exit door, we needed to pass through ticket machine check again which we already did before at Schipol. I was relieved that it was not happened. Finally the train came, and we arrived at Schipol again safely! 

Wait, mmm I think this post gonna be longer than I expected. Well who care! Haha. Oke let's continue this...

At Schipol, we directly looked around the platform trying to find her bag. We checked even inside the garbage! But, nope. It was not there. So we went to the airport hall and asked the information whether they find it. Thank God, someone bought it to the information after found it on the chair at the platform! Yeah, maybe my friend just got too excited when the train was coming until she forgot to bring even her own bag.

view of Amsterdam central

Shortly, after that little tragedy, we arrived at Amsterdam central. Right after that, we just knew another problem await us. The station would close at 10 pm. No one would be allowed to enter the station. Even police were everywhere to keep the station free from strangers. Well I choose to pick that word representing people who are not passengers. Haha. We were hungry, no place to stay, new city, and big backpack with us! Perfect, wasn't it? Then we decided to try enjoying the city by looking something to eat first. Asiaann food. Yeaahh, of course we looked for that since we were at the Netherland where there are a lot of Indonesian, well Asian there. Finally, after strolled around the station, we found what we were looking for, Wok Bar, a typical Asian fast food resto. But since it was just a small resto where people come and go, we couldn't stay there for long. So the journey had to start again.

The next destination were of course Red Light District, where you can see legal prostitution there. It was so crowded at that time. I could smell marijuana or weed? (Actually I don't know the right word for representing "ganja"), then found drunken man around, and of course sex shops were everywhere. I was terrified at that time when one of my friend were suddenly missing. No registered simcard for contacting her, even wifi. At first I suggested to leave her because I believed that she would be fine and we gonna meet at McD, the place where we planning to stay at. But, accidentally we just met with her again on our way to the district. Yeay. In short, after spending our time wandered around there, I found it was not worth to visit since I am a girl! Hahaha. Maybe it will be different if you are a young man who are craving some fun and fantasy wkwkwk.

looking for dinner

fully charged after had dinner and ready to take some pictures

since couldn't take picture of activities in red light district, my own-self picture won't hurt anyone

Okay it was already late and we could not go any further from the central station, so we decided to stay at KFC for awhile. Time for our forever favorite chicken wingsss!!!! Yeaayyy.

We spent like almost 4 hours at KFC until the waiters told us that they would closed. It was around 12 pm that we had to look another place to stay. We moved to McD next to KFC and hope that they would let us to sit for maybe 2 hours. Because it was January and it was winter! Right after we got place to sit, we saw announcement at the wall telling that customers shouldn't waiting there except eating. Another trick from us was, we ordered alternately. So it gave us longer time to stay there until one of the waiter came to us and asked to leave because they had lot of customers that night.  We just hope McD nearby which located behind the street opened 24 hours. But not, they were not.

had no where to go

no activities anymore except parties!

Finally we decided to just go back to the central station and hoped that we could find spot to stay. But, it failed. We couldnt go inside so we sat near the entrance. Trying to take some rest and fighting with the weather, we also had to be aware if polices who stand by at the station come and ask. For this one, we chose to hide instead. I dont know why time went so slowly at that time. An hour was just like 3 hours. Until 2 guys approached and threw a conversation with us. At that time, our one and only guy in our group went to the toilet with another friend. So 3 girls were with 2 strangers. In short, their intention was to offer us place to stay and pay some money because it was too dangerous for girls wandering very late. Of course we rejected, but they still attempted even asked to come with them for taking a look at the place. At that time, we were very scared. We didn't know what we had to do to make them just leave immediately. Especially when we realized that they kept looking at our bags like trying to find best time to steal it from us. Anndd finally, my friend came. Realizing that we were with guy, they left. Fiuuuhhhh, thaankksss. Big thankss. But after that, I really couldn't keep my self to be calm but felt worry with our surroundings.

start to walk again for killing time

Around 3 am perhaps, we couldn't bear the weather anymore. Thus, we went in to the station and just tried to find a spot to stay. There we took a rest for a while and waited at least until 5 am. After that we just wandered around trying to find an opened restaurant but failed. So we just stand in front of closed store, sang songs for killing the time and wind, as well as competed with those cleaning man :p Of course that was the right time for them to clean the city after crazy party last night, wasn't it?!?

About 6 am we walked again through the street and hope one of those store was open. And finally, one store was open. It was a french restaurant. We decided to come in and ordered some hot drinks to warm up us. Spending like an hour to get rest and wait until the tram operated. Well, actually the money we have spent for eating, drinking, even going to the toilets almost cost us similarly with the choice if we went back to the airport for sleeping there. Since it was also impossible for staying at hostel which cost about 30 €/person for that night. But yaaahh it just a nearly bad experience for us though.

finally, a store started opening. Happy tummy, happy face!

Good morniingggg :)

Finally terrible night has just ended

Damrak street

And the bad day finally has ended. The tram operated. And we decided to go to the euro bus stop directly which would drive us to Brussels. Due to that bad experience I got from Amsterdam, I targeted my self for going there again but just to get nice experience this time.