May 12, Amsterdam to Bruges

Amsterdam is an amazing city. Automatically when I tell people I've been to Amsterdam or that I was headed for Amsterdam they give you a look. They know why some one in their early 20's is attracted by it. Don't get me wrong the drugs, partying, the girls is all really cool. But Amsterdam is absolutely stunning. It's the perfect size, you don't feel like you're suffocating as you walk down the streets like I did in London. There's hardly any vehicle traffic, everyone is on bikes or walking. The canals are really cool, lined with house boats some pretty nice, others look like shit. The people are incredibly friendly and although it's packed with tourists and other ex-pats it doesn't have that shitty touristy feel to it.

We spent 5 days in Amsterdam, our hostel Durty Nelly's was pretty awesome. It lacked some hostel essentials (a decent common area, and a kitchen forcing us to eat out) but the rooms were clean and the bathrooms were nice. The main floor was an Irish pub open to the public, it acted as the common area. We quickly started to talk to the bartender. This is my number one money saving tip, we've made a lot of friends at the hostels we've been staying at and it always pays off. We've gotten discounts on tours, free nights to stay, and free liquor. Durty Nelly's was just the same, we waited for our room to be cleaned and ordered a few pints. Our first bartender was Italian, bald head and covered in tattoos. I asked him what brought him to Amsterdam, "Drugs and prostitutes." he gave us recommendations on coffee shops, bars, and a couple tattoo parlors to check out. The other bartenders included a couple Scotsmen, some Irish girls, and a Dutch guy. After spending three nights in a row going on pub crawls, and spending several mornings staring at a full Irish breakfast wondering if I can finish without puking you tend to get really friendly with the bartenders. We were constantly given free shots of jaeger (I think I've finally beaten my stigma over the stuff) both at night and as hangover cures the morning after. We'd also get free bar food, choose the music, pretty good deal all around. We quickly earned the title "Alberta Party Kings".

But there's only so much drugs, alcohol, prostitution, canals, and creepy homes of Jewish hide and seek champions one can endure in a week. (Especially if your sharing a hostel with a English bachelor party that sound like they were all extras on a Guy Ritchie film.) So we're headed for Paris, but we couldn't get a room for Saturday so we're going to Bruges in Belgium.

Bruges is beautiful, it's the most European feeling city so far, more canals here but they feel different the buildings that line the water are older and the water is incredibly calm. We're only here for one night, I wish we could do more. There's more beautiful Aussie girls at our hostel and Belgian beer has been excellent. It's cool to recognize some buildings and locations from the film 'In Bruges' too, an excellent crime movie. Bruges feels a little more mature as well, the fine dining establishments definitely outnumber the bars. It seems like the kinda place you'd bring your fiancé.

Tomorrow we head for Paris, I'm worried it'll be like London (busy, loud, shitty) but French. Hopefully we find our hostel ok, the reviews were either good or bad so I'm hoping for the best. We're meeting Colin and Daulton, the guys from Prince George, over there I just wanna see the sights then piss off.