Along the way, I had been wondering if there was a town named Adam in Holland. The name was seen in many signboards and road signs.
O how proud I’d been, to have my name displayed everywhere in Holland.
Already in Singapore I had a road after my name, that is Adam Road. Along with it there is also Adam Road Hospital, Adam Park, Adam Food Centre and I hope the Circle-Line MRT station there will be named Adam MRT Station.
Soon I found out that Adam in Holland’s road sign was an abbreviation for Amsterdam and Adam was also a name of a big telephone company, but, I do not know if that was Dutch.
We alighted at the Centraal Station. Hi guys…take it easy. It was not typo error or my negligence. That is the way the Dutch spell the word Central, with a double ‘a’.
Ooops I suddenly realized that I did not write much about the different currencies of the countries I had visited thus far. Let’s do it now.In Switzerland the currency was Swiss Francs (Sfr) = 100 centimes.
In Austria, the currency was called Schilling = 100 groschen.
The French currency was French Franc (Ffr) = 100 centimes.
The German had Deutsche Mark = 100 pfennig.
The Dutch currency was Guilder = 100 cents.
England’s currency was Pound Sterling = 100 pence.
Belgium’s currency was Belgian Franc = 100 centimes.
We did not have to change to Belgian Franc, as we only ride through Belgium via train, and we did not go down anywhere, and did not buy anything in Belgium.
At the Amsterdam Centraal Station, we immediately went to the Money Changer to get Dutch Guilders. Money Changer was also known as Gambio and many of them are operated by Thomas Cook.
Then we walked along the streets and found a budget hotel named El-Alkmaar Hotel. Being cheap, we had to climb up to the 4th storey, but it had its own toilet, which was my wife’s pre-requisite for any hotel we need to stay. She dislike hotel with shared common toilet.
Just a few steps from the hotel was the Sarang Mas Indonesian Restaurant. Suddenly we felt like home, and sat there for a cup of tea. We glanced at the menu and decided not to have dinner there as it was X.
We walked further across the river and saw the famous Dutch water taxis (passenger boats) and we also noticed the preservation and conservation of the old houses along the streets and river bank. I supposed we were in the city centre of old Amsterdam.
We had a simple kebab and pita for dinner, like the one we had in Osnabruck and retired for the night.
Next morning we walked to an old castle in the city. Then we saw a collection of cheese. There were so many of them with different look and different prices. We walked along a back-lane and found ourselves in a Chinatown. There were some Chinese and Chinese food and goods. There were also curry powder, fresh chili padi, ikan bilis, tom yam paste, dried fish and even belachan.
552 words
Just a few steps from the hotel was the Sarang Mas Indonesian Restaurant. Suddenly we felt like home, and sat there for a cup of tea. We glanced at the menu and decided not to have dinner there as it was X.
We walked further across the river and saw the famous Dutch water taxis (passenger boats) and we also noticed the preservation and conservation of the old houses along the streets and river bank. I supposed we were in the city centre of old Amsterdam.
We had a simple kebab and pita for dinner, like the one we had in Osnabruck and retired for the night. Pita is a kind of Greek bread. It was soft, round and easy to eat. It was half-sliced and stuffed with sliced kebab, lettuce, potatoes, tomatoes, onions and topped with tartar or mayonnaise sauce or any other sauce available.
Next morning we walked to an old castle in the city. Then we saw a collection of cheese. There were so many of them with different look and different prices. We walked along a back-lane and found ourselves in a Chinatown. There were some Chinese and Chinese food and goods. There were also curry powder, fresh chili padi, ikan bilis, tom yam paste, dried fish and even belachan.
At lunch we decided to go back to the same Turkish restaurant and had a luxurious shish and doner kebabs with skewers 
After lunch we continued walking and came across a canal. As we walked along the canal we noticed a strange shape of steel bollards. On the other side of the canal, we saw row of glass panel shop houses. Inside these glass panels were women clad in half-exposed dress.
We understood later that they were prostitutes trying to seduce customers with their erotic window displays. In this area we saw many advertisement boards of Erotic night clubs and the peepshow clubs. Although we did not go in,it was so obvious from the signboards.
552 words
Drafted on 07.04.2007
Edited on 22.07.2007 at 1002hrs
At Woodlands Avenue 5
