A is for …Amsterdam Memories – A Girl’s Trip

Let me give you a little bit of a background – given my muscle condition I have never even crossed a main road with moving traffic alone. I fear I could lose balance and fall! It has never happened, and it never will, yet in mind it can. When I was a kid/teen/young adult, I always had my mom. After getting married, the Boy protected and pampered me more than he should. I don’t blame anyone; they were doing their best. But in the process, I became totally dependent on these two.

So, when it comes to getting out of the house alone, I prefer going to accessible places where I will not need any support from anyone. I choose to go only to those spots which I am familiar with so that I can navigate with ease. Hence, even though I have amazing family and friends, going for a trip with them has always been out of question.

Somehow a girl’s trip always fascinated me, but I always shunned the idea. So, when S and A, two very close friends of mine in Bahrain, forced me to accompany them to Amsterdam, my first reaction was a big NO. However, it is these two who had convinced me to do a simple stage dance performance a year before. They have coercive powers over me to do things I never thought I could, or I would!

Before I knew it, I was in the land of tulips, canals, sex and marijuana with them! I had been to Amsterdam before, so the familiarity part was in control. I was an emotional mess the day I landed there. I can imagine it is hard for anyone to understand the reason why! Anyway, I tried my best to be happy and we did have some golden memories.

Amsterdam is one of the most beautiful places I have visited. I can go there every year.
Just tell my fellow travelers not to indulge in any exotic 'brownies' and I will be fine!

It was a very cold evening and we were walking down the infamous Amsterdam strip. A was wearing a scarf across her face since she was freezing. Out of a whim, we wanted to ask one of the ladies charges for her services. As soon as we went close to one, she gave us a horrifying look and banged her glass door against our faces. It was very rude.

Now S did not like this. She went ahead and showed the girl a middle finger for her ‘impolite’ behaviour! This girl got so furious that she threw a soda drink on us! S and A ran. I couldn’t, and so I was the victim of her fury! The rest, as they say, is an unpleasant history.

Everyone goes here, to Zaanse Schans when in Amsterdam. It is full of tourists! 
I'd rather recommend the villages of Marken and Volendam by public transport. 
Anyway, Netherlands is a beauty, go anywhere!

The next day we went into a casino that looked more like a dingy restaurant. We couldn’t find a machine where we could exchange money for tokens. S waved her precious 10 euro note around to ask someone where we could exchange so that we can bet on the roulette table.

We most certainly appeared like dumb girls who had no idea where we were. A kind man came to us and pointed towards the slot machine. Well, that is exactly where three, very naïve looking girls, who were showered with sprite the last evening, belonged!

We walked out laughing our hearts out towards a ‘coffee’ shop where my two besties spent all three of their evenings! I wish we did not though, but you can’t have it your way always, can you?

On our flight back, we talked for 12 hours straight. Man, girls can talk! We were sitting in the front row when a man came to the flight attendant for help. He was having a very bad headache and asked her for some medicine. I had a painkiller in my purse which I offered to him. He took that and sat in the seat across the aisle from us.

Even after thirty minutes of taking the medicine, he was in deep agony. He was twisting and turning in his seat and it seemed he could faint any time. I could not watch that and so I offered to do some acupressure on his palm. Since I have three years of experience of someone doing acupressure for me, I pressed on the right points as much as I could to help him feel better. 

Thankfully, within minutes, he started to feel better (my friend jokingly said that it was my gentle touch!!!). I continued for about half an hour and the man was absolutely fine by then. He thanked me profusely and later wanted to buy us meals, which we obviously declined! I've had many people help me when I take a flight home, this was a rare opportunity to give back. Anyway..

I am immensely grateful to these two for making me take this adventure of sorts. If I ever travel again with anyone other than the Boy, it would be because these two helped me shed my inhibitions a bit. I will be crazy scared, but I will know what to expect.

To many more learning experiences like this one!

Go to Amsterdam in the tulip season. But don't go to these gardens. 
Instead go to a village near-by and try to find a tulip field tour. Much better. 
And that is what you see in pictures too!
Anyway, these are my girls!!!