northernlightenment: Mark and Jen, Amsterdam

After arriving in Amsterdam on the 10th it took me a couple of days to get over my jet lag after flying Sydney - Kuala Lumpur - Amsterdam. All up I spent about 27 hours either in a plane or mincing around airports, so it was nice to have a bit of recovery time before Penny Rako came across from London to hang out for the weekend. Linda and I headed out to the airport to pick Jen up but after a couple of hours, and having watched everyone disembark but her, we were at a loss for what to do next. Eventually, after calling home for some contact numbers, Jen managed to get hold of us. United at last - with nerves a little frayed by near disaster - we headed back out of the city to Linda's house in Koog aan de Zaan to prepare for a weekend of mischief.

Jennifer is fascinated by how they make cheese in The Netherlands

On Saturday morning Linda took us to Zaanse Shans. This small village is actually a collection of wooden houses and windmills from the whole Zaan (a river) region. When these houses were threatened due to post war city development it was decided to move them to this one location, giving the impression of a Zaan village of times past by. Among its attractions are; a wood mill, a mustard mill, a paint mill, a traditional cheese factory, a wooden shoe museum/workshop, a bakery, a candystore, a grocery store, a clock museum, a tin factory, a pancake restaurant and a top end restaurant.

I on the other hand am mesmerised by the spinning windmill blades

But we both LOVE clogs

After seeing your typical Dutch tourist items and tucking in to the equivalent of a sausage roll we were in the train from Koog Bloemwijk to Amsterdam Centraal Station to meet up with Jen's London flatties: Karen and Steve. We took a boat cruise through the picturesque canals and inner harbour, all turning our heads in sync from left to right in time with the English portions of the pre-recorded commentary playing over the loudspeakers. Well Jen, Karen and I did. I'm not so sure what "Spacecake Steve" was up to during the cruise, but he looked like he was enjoying it more than the rest of us. Having only gently nudged one canal wall we were back on to the streets and in search of liquid refreshments.

Jen and Karen at Escape, Rembrandtplein, Amsterdam

Feeling revived but slightly drunk we donned dark glasses and sifted on in to the Red Light District. After some delicious Thai food and plenty of beers we decided that a sex show at the Casa Rosso Theatre was in order. I think it had something to do with Robyn and Ross naming their Waimarama swillery after it - or that fact that there were sure to be naked chicks inside. Either way, after perusing the women of the night in the narrow alleys with hundreds of other tourists and undoubtedly some seedy gentlemen, we found ourselves sitting in the upper bar of the Casa Rosso Theatre. After meeting a couple of other Kiwi's, a couple of beers and several tits n asses later Jen and I were on the last train home at 1am.

Red Light District, Amsterdam

Casa Rosso Theatre, Red Light District, Amsterdam

After a slow start to Sunday, and some chocolate flakes on bread for breakfast, we headed back in to Amsterdam. Visiting Anne Frank's Secret Annex wasn't originally on my itinerary (I rarely travel with one to be honest) but was really glad we all made the visit. The link is really worth checking out if you aren't familiar with her story.

Jennifer's not so secret annex

Feeling a bit bummed after our visit, we decided to enjoy one of the most popular modes of transport in The Netherlands - the bicycle! We enjoyed sunshine and 23 degrees as we negotiated the crazy city streets on our way to Vondel Park which is located towards the southern end of the city, behind the Van Gogh Museum. Riding a bike is definately a must do if you visit Amsterdam! After a leisurely lunch and a few beers it was sadly time to head home and get Jen back to the airport for her flight back to London. I hope you had fun exploring the sights of Amsterdam with me Penny, I know I did!