Arrive Schiphol Airport around 8:00AM after a 10 hour flight from Seattle. I did get some sleep on the way over, and feel pretty good upon arrival. Exchange some extra cash for Euros.
Smooth early check-in at the newly opened, high-tech, prefabricated pod hotel, The CitizenM. The room is controlled by an electronic touchpad, hip, moderne, and sci-fi chic. As I unpack I discover there had been a soap explosion in my toiletry bag. I dump out all the contents, rinse them in the sink, and set them to dry on a towel on the floor. Take a quick rinse in the illuminated shower, dress, and then catch the train from Schiphol to Centraal Station.
Across the street from the station I buy an all-day pass to ride the trams. In Centraal coffee shop I buy a small stash of White Widow and some Royal Nepal hash. Amble around, stop by the Reggae coffee bar, and get some really bad coffee. The indoor smoking ban went into effect yesterday, so the rule is “roll inside, smoke outside” – burn some White Widow at an outside table.
Take the tram to MuseumPlein, then walk back through the Leidspleine. Give some tourists studying the map a little advice. Walk through the area with all the art galleries and find an amazing comic shop. Don’t buy anything as all the books are in Dutch.
Although it has been hot and sunny most of the day, there is a sudden torrential downpour. Duck in to the nearest Doner shop for a mediocre falafel sandwich – at least the people were nice.
Ride the tram to Westerpark where REM is playing later tonight. A tram line is closed for maintenance, so I have to walk a ways. A lady who is also trying to catch the tram follows me, but in fact she was headed the opposite direction on the tram line – she speaks almost no English and lives in Amsterdam. … I end up giving her some bad directions, hope she found her way.
Around the venue in Westerpark there are fans waiting and a few people selling extra tickets. I turn down an REM ticket for 40 euros, just too tired to stay up that late and be on my feet.
Face and feet sunburned, blisters on my right toe and heel. Ride the tram back to Dam Square, and catch a canal tour boat. Nice one hour tour and I love seeing the live-aboard boats.
After the boat ride, the rain starts again, hard and heavy. Sorry to end the day exploring, but footsore and soaked, I ride the train back to the airport and walk to the hotel.
Back at the CitizenM, I go up to my room. The card-key does not open the door labelled Citizen128. I assume I just forgot my room number, as I had left the slip of paper with the number on it in the room. In the lobby, the humans check my card against the computer which says I am in Citizen129. This seems wrong to me, but I go back upstairs. My key works for room 129, but my stuff is not in there. It looks like someone had checked out this morning, some empty juice bottles on the table. But nothing of mine.
I explain to the concierge that the key opens the wrong room. I am certain mine is the room across the hall. I start to freak out that I wont get my luggage back (have arrived in Europe before without my luggage – it is a pain and expensive). The concierge insists that this must be my room (computers don’t make mistakes)! Eventually he gets a master key and opens the room I believe is mine. Success! He is puzzled by the error, but to me it is evident the status of the two rooms got switched in the database when the other guests checked out.
In the room, make a short video and then prepare my laptop's secret compartment and re-pack for morning. Sleep until 4:00AM as I fly to Copenhagen at 6:00.
HarryO makes his own CitizenM Youtube Video
(there are many, but only this one is mine)
