Our time in Amsterdam is quickly winding down. We came here to test and develop our plan to travel-work, and I feel like we have done a pretty good job balancing those two competing priorities. But… wouldn’t it be awesome to tip that scale over to the travel side with some last minute, aggressive, push like it’s Disney World type of touristing? Answer: heck yeah!
So, we each bought a 72hour I Amsterdam card, and proceeded to get our tourist on. This card covers a majority of the many sites and museums that Amsterdam has to offer, as well as unlimited GVB tram travel. They include a number of sites in the outlying areas, and throw in an hour long canal cruise to top everything off – Sweet!
For day 1 we got a fairly early start taking the #14 tram to the Museum of the Tropics. This place is interesting to say the least. The guidebook said “Stories, splendid works of art and objects bring a variety of cultures to life.” What we found was a pretty odd and eclectic mix of stuff. They have everything ranging from 1600’s era Caribbean and African items that the Dutch have relocated (read plundered), to some kids toys from the 1980’s and 1990’s, to some Teletubbies riding a zebra chariot. Noelle tried to argue before we got there that this was going to be a bit of a roadside attraction. I didn’t believe her, but the pictures prove it… I was wrong!
After leaving the Tropenmuseum behind, we grabbed a quick toastie and a Coke Light, and headed to the Zoo! The Artis as it’s called is a Victorian era park and zoo that spans a big chunk of real estate in the Plantage neighborhood of south-east Amsterdam. This place houses a pretty random bunch of animals and birds, and has that old-school, look at the pretty monkey through the bars, type of a feel which was fun for me; mostly because I’m not behind the bars (at least that’s what they tell me).
The weather was actually really beautiful, and had a kind of spring-like quality in the air. I think the animals could feel it too. From the lions to the lizards to the little fat mouse things – they all seemed… twitterpated… 
This dude is just so chill:
On a side note, they wanted 2euro for a park map. I of course immediately declined before I heard that the money went to some save the elephants fund… oops. Noelle still feels guilty. 
After several hours at the zoo we strolled over to the Botanical Gardens. Getting in to these places with just a swipe of the I Amsterdam card was cool.
The gardens are relatively compact; a nice reprieve for our feet. We saw some cool plants which was fun too. I did notice that they have a very rare and ancient type of tree from the time of the dinosaurs imprisoned on site. I’m not sure what you have to do to get a jail cell like that in Amsterdam of all places!
They even have a redwood:
Once we got our fill of all of nature’s carefully curated beauty, we headed down the street to the old Jewish Quarter. We spent some time reflecting at the Holocaust museum and memorial, and toured the Portuguese Synagogue. This was my first experience in a Kippah – not half bad!
By this point it was getting into the evening, and we were pretty wiped out. We managed to make our way over to Rembrandt square and grabbed a decent bite to eat at one of the many restaurants lining the area.
Amsterdam is definitely one of the better places to just sit and people watch – always lively and interesting! We ended our I Amsterdam binge Day One watching “Gone Girl” at the historic theatre nearby. On to Day Two!
