Good/Right or Bad/Wrong decision
Yesterday my cousins and I went to Amsterdam for the day. The plan was to get in there around 11:30, dropped our stuff off in a locker, get a reservation for the sleeper car to Munich and spend roughly 6-7 hours exploring the city. I see now only in an ideal world would that have happened.
When we arrived it took us about 30-45 min just to get a locker cause all the big lockers were full & the only working change machine was all the way were we came in. After that we had to wait in line for 30 min to get a NUMBER in the cue to buy an international ticket. Then we had to wait another hour and half for them to tell us that the train to Munich that night was completely sold out so we bought a reservation for the first one leaving in the morning. So now we had to find a place to stay, well guess what... those postcards you see of throngs of people in Amsterdam are SO accurate. We walked out of the station and saw nothing but a mass of people everywhere. Everything was booked solid or cost an arm and a leg ($250-400 a night). I went to an internet cafe and looked to see if I could find anything but since it was for the same day it was difficult. There were also a LOT of places that only take 2 night bookings minimum on the weekend. Rory didn't want to stay somewhere far from the station so all the hostels and budget places I knew about were out. I went back to the station, got another number and waited 2 more hours for them to tell me that all trains going to Germany that night were full.
At this point I was ready to go back to Belgium and go to Munich via Brussels instead of paying $75-100 for a hotel room. There was no place for us to stay unless we went into the city or out by the airport; the international ticket cue at the Amsterdam train station was attrocious and even if you had a question you had to que to get it answered; There were so many people in Amsterdam that the chances of finding an affordable room were slim to none; But Rory wanted to try and did not want to split up {ie he and Patrick stay in one of those high priced rooms and I go stay in a room I could afford} We went to some different hotels and then back to the one that he had originally been quoted a price of 120 euros for 2 plus 50 euros for an additional person. I guess a new person was sitting at the desk cause she said that price was impossible. The rate for the night was going to to be 270 euros (or something like that) and there was no 50 euro supplement for an additional person.
Needless to say Rory was pissed and stormed out and wanted to go to the internet place so I could look up train times. As we turned the corner was like let me just check this one last place, next to this hotel was the place we had looked for originally the hotel booking place. I figured I'd ask about the hostels too but there was someone being helped and he was taking a long time with the representative. So I went back outside and waited, and waited, and Rory never came back out. I waited there for 30 min and there was no sign of him or Patrick. I figured they thought I went to Ben & Jerry's cause that's were I had checked the internet before while waiting for my number to be up. They weren't there, so I sat down and waited for 15-30 min and still no sign of them. I go back out the plaza look for them there, back to where I lost saw them look for them there (I think the people in the hotel reservation place thought I was trying to steal something or doing some other dubious/suspicious thing cause they gave me weird looks every time I came back) still no sign of them. I asked the police what I should I do and they told me to have them paged. I figured if they were in the station it might work so I had them paged and waited 20 min to see if they would come... nothing. I decided to see if I could get our reservation fee's rvixefunded or exchanged to be leaving from Brussels so I went back up and got 2 tickets (1 was an excellerated one) and only had to wait 10 minutes (!?!) to talk to a rep. The reservations were non-refundable so either we used them or we didn't. She also told me what track the next train (6:30) to Brussels was leaving from. I decided to go and get my stuff and check to if Patrick's bag was still in left luggage. It was still there but I decided to get my stuff anyway, I was tired of sitting around and I was ready to go. I put the card in, the locker opens, I take everything out of the locker and put it on the floor and start re-assemblying it. I'm just about to put my last bag on (red swiss army hanging toiletry bag) when I see my eurorail book and decide to look up the next train to Munich from Brussels. Bad idea, next thing I know someone's yelling about someone missing a red bag. I look over and see mine is gone. Apparently a pick pocket snatched it and ran out with this guy chasing him. Hehe, I'd love to have seen the look on the guys face when he opens it only to find 2 boxes of contacts, shower gel, tooth paste, mouth wash, tooth brush, mesh sponge, q-tips, and 2 contact lense cases. I guess people thought I'd be upset about it or something but since it wasn't my purse (my camera bag which incedentially doesn't have anything of value in it but about 6 pounds sterling {British money approx value $12}, my camera stuff sans the actual camera, and my powerbook charger and various adapter pieces) I was too worried about it. I was more annoyed, thinking what else could go wrong today. They got the guy on camera and I guess I could have made a claim and tried to get it back but what would have been the point. The only thing I really needed out of that bag were the contacts and case... more importantly the case. I actually had a back up toiletry bag that had solution, shower gel, tooth paste (but no brush) in it so I wasn't put out too much. I just don't have a back up to my contacts if anything happens to the ones I'm wearing.
Anyhow, after that, I decided enough was enough. If someone could walk off with a BRIGHT red bag that was right next to my stuff there was no way in hell I was staying in that town any longer. If I tried to go out into that throng I knew I'd be missing more things by the time I found a hostel & I couldn't afford to lose my day pack (with my laptop, books, & what I use as a credit card/membership card holder) which was attached to my backpack. I just missed the 7:30pm train that would have gotten me to Brussels in time to catch the train to Munich that night so decided to leave a note for Rory attached to Patrick's bag. I told them that I looked for them and waited over 3 hours for them to come back and they never showed up. If I didn't catch the 8:30 train to Brussels I'd be stuck in Amsterdam overnight without a place to stay. I didn't know where they were or if they were coming back. I knew I could find something affordable if I could get to Liege (I got stranded there back in summer of 2003 and knew a nice place right by the train station) and I figured if worst comes to worst I could find a hostel in Brussels. I also told them to contact me through my mother and then I looked around some more and got on the last train to Brussels for the night.
I feel bad that I left them behind especially since they both have shown themselves to be completely incompetent of doing anything on their own. I know that Rory was ready to go home to the states already and it would not take much to get to the airport. I figured even they would be able to do that. I have the rail pass and now know better than to get one of these kind again. Its the super saver ones where you have to travel together in order to use them (its not the individual kind). Without the rail pass they are stranded in Amsterdam unless they want to buy a $180 ticket to Munich, which knowing Rory he won't do. My leaving will no doubt have pissed him off and I'm going to get some stern talking to from my relatives and my mother but it was the only thing I could think of. I told Rory that he wasn't going to have to pay me for the pass or any of the other money that he still owed me (about $750). I know I'm taking a loss plus the cancellation fee that the hostel in Munich is most likely going to charge me.
I have no idea what I'm going to do, I haven't been able to call Basti so I don't know if I can crash at his place. Since my cell phone still hasn't been charged (money added) I haven't been able to call Julian so I don't even know if he's in Paris or still in Montpellier. I may be able to call one of the exchange students that I know up in Reims and there is also an old CSH friend of mine who is in France somewhere I could look up. But I don't know either of those guys very well nor feel comfortable asking them if I can crash at their place. Spending a week in London is totally out... unless I can get a temp job for a week to pay for a place to stay... hmm maybe I should look into that. I could go back to Bruges, I know they were hiring I just i didn't ask for details.
wow.... a real vineyard... production wise... sorry on train to Munich and am just outside of Stutgard... there are rows upon rows of manicured vineyards dotted along the hills... its so pretty wish I had my camera. The ones I saw in Perpignan were for local wines and on flat land.
When we arrived it took us about 30-45 min just to get a locker cause all the big lockers were full & the only working change machine was all the way were we came in. After that we had to wait in line for 30 min to get a NUMBER in the cue to buy an international ticket. Then we had to wait another hour and half for them to tell us that the train to Munich that night was completely sold out so we bought a reservation for the first one leaving in the morning. So now we had to find a place to stay, well guess what... those postcards you see of throngs of people in Amsterdam are SO accurate. We walked out of the station and saw nothing but a mass of people everywhere. Everything was booked solid or cost an arm and a leg ($250-400 a night). I went to an internet cafe and looked to see if I could find anything but since it was for the same day it was difficult. There were also a LOT of places that only take 2 night bookings minimum on the weekend. Rory didn't want to stay somewhere far from the station so all the hostels and budget places I knew about were out. I went back to the station, got another number and waited 2 more hours for them to tell me that all trains going to Germany that night were full.
At this point I was ready to go back to Belgium and go to Munich via Brussels instead of paying $75-100 for a hotel room. There was no place for us to stay unless we went into the city or out by the airport; the international ticket cue at the Amsterdam train station was attrocious and even if you had a question you had to que to get it answered; There were so many people in Amsterdam that the chances of finding an affordable room were slim to none; But Rory wanted to try and did not want to split up {ie he and Patrick stay in one of those high priced rooms and I go stay in a room I could afford} We went to some different hotels and then back to the one that he had originally been quoted a price of 120 euros for 2 plus 50 euros for an additional person. I guess a new person was sitting at the desk cause she said that price was impossible. The rate for the night was going to to be 270 euros (or something like that) and there was no 50 euro supplement for an additional person.
Needless to say Rory was pissed and stormed out and wanted to go to the internet place so I could look up train times. As we turned the corner was like let me just check this one last place, next to this hotel was the place we had looked for originally the hotel booking place. I figured I'd ask about the hostels too but there was someone being helped and he was taking a long time with the representative. So I went back outside and waited, and waited, and Rory never came back out. I waited there for 30 min and there was no sign of him or Patrick. I figured they thought I went to Ben & Jerry's cause that's were I had checked the internet before while waiting for my number to be up. They weren't there, so I sat down and waited for 15-30 min and still no sign of them. I go back out the plaza look for them there, back to where I lost saw them look for them there (I think the people in the hotel reservation place thought I was trying to steal something or doing some other dubious/suspicious thing cause they gave me weird looks every time I came back) still no sign of them. I asked the police what I should I do and they told me to have them paged. I figured if they were in the station it might work so I had them paged and waited 20 min to see if they would come... nothing. I decided to see if I could get our reservation fee's rvixefunded or exchanged to be leaving from Brussels so I went back up and got 2 tickets (1 was an excellerated one) and only had to wait 10 minutes (!?!) to talk to a rep. The reservations were non-refundable so either we used them or we didn't. She also told me what track the next train (6:30) to Brussels was leaving from. I decided to go and get my stuff and check to if Patrick's bag was still in left luggage. It was still there but I decided to get my stuff anyway, I was tired of sitting around and I was ready to go. I put the card in, the locker opens, I take everything out of the locker and put it on the floor and start re-assemblying it. I'm just about to put my last bag on (red swiss army hanging toiletry bag) when I see my eurorail book and decide to look up the next train to Munich from Brussels. Bad idea, next thing I know someone's yelling about someone missing a red bag. I look over and see mine is gone. Apparently a pick pocket snatched it and ran out with this guy chasing him. Hehe, I'd love to have seen the look on the guys face when he opens it only to find 2 boxes of contacts, shower gel, tooth paste, mouth wash, tooth brush, mesh sponge, q-tips, and 2 contact lense cases. I guess people thought I'd be upset about it or something but since it wasn't my purse (my camera bag which incedentially doesn't have anything of value in it but about 6 pounds sterling {British money approx value $12}, my camera stuff sans the actual camera, and my powerbook charger and various adapter pieces) I was too worried about it. I was more annoyed, thinking what else could go wrong today. They got the guy on camera and I guess I could have made a claim and tried to get it back but what would have been the point. The only thing I really needed out of that bag were the contacts and case... more importantly the case. I actually had a back up toiletry bag that had solution, shower gel, tooth paste (but no brush) in it so I wasn't put out too much. I just don't have a back up to my contacts if anything happens to the ones I'm wearing.
Anyhow, after that, I decided enough was enough. If someone could walk off with a BRIGHT red bag that was right next to my stuff there was no way in hell I was staying in that town any longer. If I tried to go out into that throng I knew I'd be missing more things by the time I found a hostel & I couldn't afford to lose my day pack (with my laptop, books, & what I use as a credit card/membership card holder) which was attached to my backpack. I just missed the 7:30pm train that would have gotten me to Brussels in time to catch the train to Munich that night so decided to leave a note for Rory attached to Patrick's bag. I told them that I looked for them and waited over 3 hours for them to come back and they never showed up. If I didn't catch the 8:30 train to Brussels I'd be stuck in Amsterdam overnight without a place to stay. I didn't know where they were or if they were coming back. I knew I could find something affordable if I could get to Liege (I got stranded there back in summer of 2003 and knew a nice place right by the train station) and I figured if worst comes to worst I could find a hostel in Brussels. I also told them to contact me through my mother and then I looked around some more and got on the last train to Brussels for the night.
I feel bad that I left them behind especially since they both have shown themselves to be completely incompetent of doing anything on their own. I know that Rory was ready to go home to the states already and it would not take much to get to the airport. I figured even they would be able to do that. I have the rail pass and now know better than to get one of these kind again. Its the super saver ones where you have to travel together in order to use them (its not the individual kind). Without the rail pass they are stranded in Amsterdam unless they want to buy a $180 ticket to Munich, which knowing Rory he won't do. My leaving will no doubt have pissed him off and I'm going to get some stern talking to from my relatives and my mother but it was the only thing I could think of. I told Rory that he wasn't going to have to pay me for the pass or any of the other money that he still owed me (about $750). I know I'm taking a loss plus the cancellation fee that the hostel in Munich is most likely going to charge me.
I have no idea what I'm going to do, I haven't been able to call Basti so I don't know if I can crash at his place. Since my cell phone still hasn't been charged (money added) I haven't been able to call Julian so I don't even know if he's in Paris or still in Montpellier. I may be able to call one of the exchange students that I know up in Reims and there is also an old CSH friend of mine who is in France somewhere I could look up. But I don't know either of those guys very well nor feel comfortable asking them if I can crash at their place. Spending a week in London is totally out... unless I can get a temp job for a week to pay for a place to stay... hmm maybe I should look into that. I could go back to Bruges, I know they were hiring I just i didn't ask for details.
wow.... a real vineyard... production wise... sorry on train to Munich and am just outside of Stutgard... there are rows upon rows of manicured vineyards dotted along the hills... its so pretty wish I had my camera. The ones I saw in Perpignan were for local wines and on flat land.