Subject: "More Amsterdam & Hostel Tips"    Part 3

Hi again,

I was just about half way through another post, when I pushed the wrong button and got dumped out of yahoo without saving, so here goes again, and I hope I answer your questions.

The cafe I'm at is called "The Internet Cafe" and it's right near Central Station at:

Martelaarsgracht 11, 1012 TN Amsterdam, Tel: 020-6271052, email: info@internetcafe.nl

It's a great place to stage from, as the trams and buses all stop here, next stop is Central Station.  Ask for one of their business cards, it has a nice, handy size MAP on the back!

Back to Hostelling--About Lockers: In Earl's Court (London), each room had a key, which you get when you check in. In each room there are individual lockers for each bed, and they are bolted down. These proved big enough for backpacks much larger than mine, and have a hasp for a padlock. I simply used one of my combination locks to secure it.  TIP: if you use a combination lock, be SURE to leave a flashlight out where you can find it. It's IMPOSSIBLE to open combination locks in the dark. I KNOW... I TRIED.

At Vondelpark Hostel, Amsterdam, the new buildings are much more modern and even the old ones have been upgraded.  The security is much better than Earl's Court. They use electronic key cards, which they change daily, or when someone checks in/out. There are also the PIN-controlled lockers in the lobby that I wrote about yesterday. (These are ONLY for daily use, and are cleared nightly at 23:00.) There are no provisions for locking the in-room wardrobes, so padlocks won't help here. But with the key system, they have the buildings divided into zones, so you can't get into the wrong zone or anyone else's room. One disadvantage - they have no laundry here, and it's much too crowded to try hanging clothes out in the shower. The nearest laundromat is about 6 or 7 city blocks away...

"Sleeping" Last night I was moved to an identical room to the one the first night, in fact, the room next door. But this one had a trundle bed for a 5th person, so when I awoke this morning, there were 6 of us... It was quite noisy last night, a lot of LOUD partying going on in the courtyard area til all hours. Hard to sleep. I guess it's a nice idea to break the cycle with a B&B or a home stay occasionally to get some sleep. I'm looking forward to staying with family in Bornholm.

Booking Next Room:  I used the Hostelling International IBN again to book into the Amager Hostel in Copenhagen. You just fill out a form at the desk, then they send it by computer to the hostel(s) you choose, and if a reservation is available, it'll come back OK. Then you pay in the local currency of the place where you did the booking. (Dutch Guilders from here). Credit cards accepted this way.

More about Amsterdam:  The sun finally came out about 16:00 yesterday, so I was able to get in a boat cruise of the harbor and canals. I took some pictures, but don't expect too much because this was one of those plastic-domed boats, and not much good for photography. The lesson: If you want pictures, you get wind and rain, too.

Sunday is a bad day to get rained on here, as most of the attractions (except for red-light and TOURIST-TRAPS) are closed. Even the Van Gogh museum is closed (for renovations) until 6/23.. This Wednesday.I'm a week early!

So yesterday was spent catching up on e-mails and resting some more. But I did some walking after it cleared up, and the Vondelpark was almost empty ( a RARITY). There is one central road in the park that's paved, and the rest are dirt and gravel paths that get really muddy in the rain. This park seems to be the gathering place for the unconventional people. Roller blades abound, as do bicycles. Pedestrians are at peril here. Keep your eyes on the road, as it were.

Next stop - Rotterdam. I'm headed there this afternoon. Hope I get on the right train this time.

More later,    Jim