Thursday April 23, 1998
Still not feeling any better. Wesley and I took the minivan back to Avis, where upon inspection, the lady behind the counter stated that there was significant damage to the vehicle. We thought she was stoned as we didn’t even take the minivan anywhere except the highway and there was not visable damage. She mentioned that the paint was all scratched up – I think it was just dirt and branches rubbing it. After a few exchanges, she was nice enough to call us a cab which arrived and took us to the train station where we arrived a scant 5 minutes before the train departed.
The train ride to Brussles was nice and relaxing. We were taking the train there to catch the Thayllis High Speed Train service to Amsterdam. Now, I was not feeling good and my nosed was stuffed up. I had not been able to smell clearly for days, but when we boarded the Thayllis, my nose cleared right up. We affectionately referred to the train as the B&O Railroad. The ride was crowded, full of smelly people, and ‘holier-than-thou’ Americans. It didn’t help that my head was swelled up and felt like it was congested (despite the fact I could still smell everything). After two massively uncomfortable hours, which Mom seemed to enjoy since we were facing each other and chit-chatted, we arrived in Amsterdam.
My first impression of Amsterdam was not very good. The city was crowded and extremely dirty (not unlike the Thayllis). Of course, I was still reeling from my sickness. I hadn’t felt this bad since over a year ago, and I hope that it is finally getting to the point where it can only get better. We settled into the tre bien Amsterdam Marriott and then headed out on the town. We wanted to go to the Hard Rock Café, but it turned out to be just a bar. So then we went to look for a place referred to as the ‘Memphis Café’.
We ambled around a good chunk of the downtown area, passing many shops, before finally settling on a steakhouse near the train station which was above the Grasshopper bar (No sign of grass or hopping). The place served Argentinean beef which was excellent! I wish I was feeling better, I wanted to go out and explore the nightlife. Instead Wesley and I headed back to the American Book Shop to get some reading material. I felt faint, and then headed back to the hotel, stopping along the way to pick up some 7Up and water. I finally eased into bed as it began to drizzle outside.
