My Amsterdam experience

After writing about my Paris experience it becomes imparative to write about Amsterdam experience. Myself and Rashi, we both feel that we should have spent some more days in Amsterdam than in Paris. After 4 days, stay in Paris was becoming  monotonous. If we knew, how beautiful is Amsterdam outskirts (mind you, I didnt say Amsterdam city) we would have saved more days to stay there. Anyways, here are my thoughts about the city.

Things I liked most about Amsterdam

1. Serenity and excitement live together here. Some areas like red light district and the place around Dam Square are full of activity, action and night life. Rest of the city is quiet and calm, all during the day and night
2. City has tilted buildings. Some tilt side ways and some forward. They say, buildings turn side ways because of fault in the foundation, as the area was a swamp earlier. Buildings are constructed to tilt forward because the staircase of houses in Amsterdam are very narrow. To lift big articles each building has a pully in front and due to the forward tilt articles do not hit the wall or window while being pulled. 
3. Walking  around the city just like that for no reason along with the canals is relaxing
4. Free walking tour is good, not because it is free. It covers good part of Amsterdam. You can give any amount as tip as per your wish. These guys are really good and try to make the tour as interesting as possible. But I guess it depends upon the people in the group as well
5. When in Amsterdam, a visit to Heineken Brewery is must. Visiting the brewery was one of the best experiences I had in this whole trip and ofcourse 5 pints of beer added to the pleasure
6. Windmills, wooden shoe factory and eating fresh fish in the fishing village is something not to be missed.
7. The outskirts of Amsterdam is beautiful. Given an opportunity if I visit Amsterdam again, I will choose not to go to the city but tour the places around Amsterdam.
8.  The RGV bus service is excellent and dot on time. The bus drivers are very courteous and try to help passengers with information even if it requires extra effort. Kudos to you guys
9. No doubt the red light district is HOT and grabs a lot of attention
10. Coffee Houses again entice lot of people. But it didnt attract us more than the beauty of Amtserdam city
11. The New Hampshire Hotel is beautifully located. I wish I can stay there for 5 to 10 days and relax. However, not all the things are good with the hotel. My neck and shoulder pained for 1 week after coming back to Dubai due to poor quality mattress of the hotel. Please read further down about Hampshire experience.

Things I didn't like about Amsterdam

1. Food is a big problem. There is no authentic Dutch food. Therefore, in Netherland you eat Chinese, Turkish, Thai, Mexican or Indian food. I am surprised and cannot still believe it. Only good  food I ate in Amsterdam, was the hot omlette and toast at Information Centre opposite Central Station upon arrival for a reasonable price
2. People in Amsterdam are rude. I didn't feel it in Paris but in Amtserdam it is visible and can be felt. It happened in Central Station where the officer on the information desk didn't even look at me while he was gossiping with his colleague. The receptionist in New Hampshire Hotel was also  rude.  She chose not to  look at us for more than 5 minutes as if we didnt exist . Further to that, she gave us a room in the other end of the hotel building. After walking 10 minutes even before we could reach back, I come back and asked her to change the room. She made some fuss but then she gave the room. Come on lady! you could have done it in the first time itself. Then we told her to wake us up in the morning. Again!!! no prize to guess, she didnt do that either. 
3. Firstly you should never take a full day guided tour. It becomes very tiring and after some time you stop enjoying it. We took full day Viator tour. First half was excellent. We went to see wind mills, fishing village (had very tasty fish there) and then to wooden shoe factory passing through beautiful houses. But in second half we were driven for 1 and half hour to Hague and there we were shown various embassy buildings from outside. Come on!!! Get a life. We havent travelled to Amsterdam from Dubai to see embassy buildings?
4.  You cannot distinguish between residents and tourists. There is no Paris like distinction. Here tourists are better dressed than residents

Well as I said earlier, I would like to visit Amsterdam again. It is amazingly beautiful.