5 hours in Amsterdam- And Bali begins

Lets talk about Amsterdam.

There are at least as many bicycles in Amsterdam as I had imagined. What I had not imagined, was how dangerous this city is if you are NOT on a bicycle. The reason, I believe, is because as a walking pedestrian, you do not have a bell.

Its been a long time since I've been scared for my personal safety... But I can honestly say that as a walking tourist in Amsterdam, I was worried. I would have felt safer on my unstoppable and invisible Zurich bike for those few hours i spent on Dutch grounds.

We quickly took refuge in a pub, where we had a surprisingly great meal, and not surprisingly, a great  beer and coffee.

Our next stop in the city was a Coffee Shop. In Amsterdam, there are Cafes, and there are 'Coffee Shops'

Cafes serve small meals, fresh juice, pastries, and great coffee

'Coffee Shops' sell chocolate bars, chips, Marijuana, and great coffee

So sorry mom, but I had to do it.

The first thing I observed as I entered the 'Coffee shop' was a pair of teenagers, no older than 16 years old. Both appeared to be in a comatose state- in fact, one of the boys looked completely unconscious and a little ill. His friend looked somewhat coherent, but If I was the employee working the joint bar that day... I would have cut him off long ago.

Then I saw the Space Cake. This short trip to Amsterdam was no time for a journey into fairy-land, so instead I asked to see the 'menu'

Top of the list;

G-13 Red Sativa. For 7 Euros, 1/3rd of a gram is rolled into a joint for you, right in front of your eyes. While scanning the menu, I must have looked overwhelmed or maybe a little too excited at all the choices, because Simone stepped in and quickly said to the bar owner: "We have a flight to catch in less than 5 hours- which one will be the smartest choice so that we are OK to get on the plane"

The barmaid responsibly selected 'Vanilla Haze, Purple X' for us, and proceeded to roll it into a flawless doobie.

Now, I've never been a pot smoker. In fact, this was my first time paying for weed since high-school. But like they say, "When in Rome"....

And let's be honest, it's not like I'm running for Governor or anything like that... Although, Arnold WAS known to enjoy the occasional puff to 'Stimulate his appetite' while bodybuilding. 

And If I remember correctly, didn't G.W. Bush Jr. indulge in the occasional (Or frequent) party favor? And Bill Clinton, we know that you 'Didn't inhale', but It still counts. Wow, looking at the history of America's recent leaders, I might have just gained potential votes by visiting that Coffee Shop!

As for the rest, I'll let the pictures do the talking.

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Then we got up and walked it off like champs, and got on our plane. Those little airline peanuts never tasted so good;)

Bali adventure begins

I love it here. It's only been 24 hours since we arrived, but we have already seen a lot. Of course, the first thing I did when we arrived, is get a motorcycle. Bali is my paradise for driving. There are no enforced rules of the road here- it's perfect. You drive defensively, keep up with the pace of traffic, and communicate respectfully to the other drivers. In Bali culture, you drive on the left side of the road. That is the easy part... In reality, here, you drive wherever there is an opening in traffic. The road width is no larger than any other 2 lane road, yet at most times, there are 4-5 vehicles driving side-by-side- in traffic going in both directions. And when I say side by side, I mean that peoples knees are scraping against my motorcycle, and cars are so close to you while driving, that you could lean your elbow on their window. The scary part (for Simone) is that I love this. This is real driving. It's like back when I used to race motocross. You pick a line, and you gas it. Commit to a maneuver, and be ready to dodge a car that wanted to make the same move. 

Oh, and something else here that is exciting to see, is an entire family riding on a 2 seat motorbike. A 3 year old sitting on the speedometer/gas gauge area, dad driving, mom on the back, with 12 year old daughter holding on to her... and no helmets. Better still- mom is carrying groceries, dad is carrying a 25 foot long extension cord, and they are all smiling. I would be too.

We had our first dinner at Ku De Ka, which is one of Bali's finest dinner-clubs and lounges. Not very 'local' of us, but we needed a good meal after our 27 hours of traveling, and it was right beside Villa Lumbung where we are staying for the first 2 nights. Its now midnight , and we take a walk down the beach, and stumble upon a really happening club called 'Potato Head'. naturally, we had to check it out. Happy we did, because it is amazing. Infinity pool only 15 meters from the ocean, unbelievable architecture, and amazing food (It was our dinner destination just a few hours ago) 

Tomorrow is a new adventure as we do not have accommodations reserved anywhere. We will drive down the coast towards Jimbaran

I'll report back soon

Love to all