Rainy Amsterdam

My plan was to wake up and be at the Anne Frank house at the 9 am opening. Unfortunately, I didn't sleep much again and I was exhausted. I did manage to walk over the western canal rings and get to the house by 10:45 am where there was an hour wait to get in. All the online tickets had been sold out for weeks, but I was hoping that the fact it was Monday and raining, the queue wouldn't be so bad. The museum is impressive with what they have been able to recreate and explain in order to raise awareness for tolerance. You're not able to take any photos in order to preserve the memorabilia, so here's a photo collage of the queue, the exterior, and a model of the house:

Just up the block is The Pancake Bakery which is supposed to have the best Dutch pancakes. After my museum visit, I had a cappuccino and the Autumn Special which included Belgian chocolate flakes, whipped cream, pears, cinnamon ice cream, and cherry compote. It was very sweet and I could not finish it all. A photo below:

Afterwards I walked eastward and through the Red Light District. Amsterdam is known for legalized prostitution, and this is where women stand in the windows in their lingerie underneath red neon lights. It's one of the oldest and historically poshest neighborhood in Amsterdam where wealthy merchants used to live - it was once known as the Velvet Canal. To be honest, it was a little weird as many of the women just looked bored or were talking on their cell phones, with men walking around high and in and out of the coffee shops. Supposedly, this is one of the safest neighborhoods due to the abundance of security cameras and police - you're not allowed to take any photos either. 

Ironically, I walked through the neighborhood in looking for a church! In the center of the Red Light District, there was the Our Lord in the Attic Church which was a hidden church when Catholic worship was banned by the Dutch Protestants. The church is in the attic of a merchant's canal house built back in the 1600s. My guidebook and TripAdvisor said this was very unique. Here's a collage of the church including a view from the galleries:

I then walked along the canals to the Flower Market. I wish I was here when it was Spring to see all the tulips in the countryside, but alas, I'm here in November. The stalls had lots of flowers and seeds, including hemp seeds. Some photos below:

I then walked down to Magere Brug, translated as Skinny Bridge, which crosses the Amstel and is the most famous of the 60 drawbridges in Amsterdam. Apparently it's been in a number of movies. To me it seemed a bit ordinary - you decide:

On my way back to the city center, I stopped in the Hermitage, which is an extension of the St. Petersburg museum. To be honest, I was tired of museums, but my back and feet were aching and I didn't want to pay to rest in a cafe or bar and The Hermitage is included in my Museum Card. I rested on a bench and then walked through their "Dining with Tsars" exhibition which showcased the elaborate dining pieces and china of the Russian royalty as pictured below:

For dinner, I ended up at Savini, an Italian restaurant. To be honest, it was difficult to find decent restaurants on the street - there are so many Argentine steak restaurants for some reason! I ordered spaghetti with seafood in a spicy tomato sauce and a glass of chianti, shown below: 

I had hoped to rent a bicycle today from my hotel to be one with the locals, but it rained all day. The locals bike everywhere - while texting, walking dogs, and making calls! You definitely have to have enough gumption to ride the streets as the folks are pretty fearless and quick while maneuvering between the cars and trams. 

I also thought to go on a canal cruise, but the tour operator advised it would be tough to see and the windows would be foggy without wipers. I did manage to squeeze in a few picturesque canal photos in the morning when it rained less. You can see the locks, canal houseboats, and canal boats:

So I'm officially done with the Netherlands portion of my trip. For having purchased an almost 60€ Museum Card, by my estimate, I saw almost 120€ worth of museums / attractions. Off to Belgium tomorrow!

Lake Titicaca

We had breakfast at 6:30 am as Edgar Adventures was picking us up at 7 am. I had found Edgar Adventures on Trip Advisor and was one of the top tour agencies in Puno. They offered your traditional tours that go on ferry, but we decided to opt for the "off the beaten path speed boat tour". After picking up a few folks and joining with a French tour group, we made it to the dock and boarded Titicaca Express. The tag line is, "authentic, enjoyable"!

Lake Titicaca is the largest body of water in South America and the highest navigable in the world. It straddles Peru and Bolivia. Legend has it the sun god was born from the lake.

It took about 45 minutes to get to Taquile Island where we met a "leader of the island". The island is self-sustaining and is exempt from taxes. The men weave, while the women spool wool. The man courts a woman by showing the quality of his hat which takes about 2 months to make. In return, the woman makes a red belt. Single men wear white hats. There are also 3 rules: work hard, no cheating / stealing, and no lying. If you break a rule, you are subject to a minimum of 3 lashes from a yellow stick and up to about 24 maximum. The maximum is for adulterers. They often marry around the age of 16-18 and divorce is prohibited.

The views of the lake and the island was very tranquil. Although they sustain themselves through agriculture, they are allowed one additional business to cater to tourists and so that there is reasonable equality.

We ended up at the "community center" where they offered tea and showed us their handmade goods. Here's a picture of some of the Taquile people at the community center:

We then walked to a sandy beach and relaxed as we listened to the waves. Indeed, although it was a group tour, it was slow paced and away from the typical crowds. Our guide, Percy, was attentive and explained everything in Spanish and English. Here are some pictures of us:

We then headed to a peninsula where we had truly a farm to table lunch. We watched the leader bless the mound of dirt with coca leaves and chicha. Underneath were pots of food such as lima beans, potatoes, sweet potato, chicken, and bananas on hot rocks. Along with this, we had trout and quinoa soup for lunch. Talk about farm to table dining! Everything was super tasty and fresh.

After lunch, we headed to Titino Island which is an example of one of the 85 floating islands in Lake Titicaca made of totora reeds. The island leader, Thomas, explained how they build, anchor, and maintain the island by layering the reeds. Also, Caitlin treated me to a reed boat ride - thanks Caitlin! Underneath the reeds were about 5,000 plastic bottles helping the boat to float. Here's a picture of some homes and a model of their island which they re-enacted the building and maintenance:

We headed back to Puno and enjoyed Pisco Sours on the boat. On the bus back to our hotel, we were told two of the US $50 bills that we had given them last night were rejected by the bank as forgeries (Also, I realized this morning that per my post from yesterday, I didn't wire the Western Union funds to this agency, but it was for the agency taking us to Colca Canyon tomorrow). We insisted it must be a misunderstanding as a lot of US currency had gone through changes and security upgrades. So we headed to the Edgar Adventures office and the worker showed us the form filled out by the bank and copies of the bills. We said we could give them $100 if we could get the bills back to use in the US. 

After going to the bank a block away and speaking to the manager at length, she showed us what made them forgeries. We pulled out Caitlin's iPhone to look for the new security features implemented after 2004 and lo and behold, we could not find 3 of them! We couldn't see the watermark! She also would not return the bills, because they cannot allow the bills back into circulation.

You hear about rampant counterfeit in South America and always having to check the change, but who knew WE could be carrying counterfeit US bills - the irony! Also, South Americans are very careful and the bills have to be pristine - no torn or worn bills. We made copies of the forms and bills and hopefully, Caitlin's bank will reimburse her back in the US! Also, with every trip, there's adventure and if this is the worst thing that happens to us, we're of the mindset that we're pretty golden.

After the adventure with the bank and counterfeit US bills, we rested at the hotel and went to dinner to celebrate my 32nd birthday. The girls treated me to dinner at Ukusku and we shared salad, pizza, two pastas, ceviche, and a bottle of Peruvian red wine. I have never been away for my birthday - I have only celebrated in NY and DC, so it definitely feels different.

I feel truly blessed to have been able to celebrate it in Peru with Jamie, Mary Ann, and Caitlin. Truly unforgettable and a trip of a lifetime! I said after Machu Picchu, everything was gravy. Also, I remember telling my college roommate, Anne's parents at brunch earlier this year, that after 28, life has been pretty good. I have felt stable and been able to go on a big trip every year and this year will be two! I am able to do the things I love to do and blessed to be surrounded and supported by family and friends! Thank you all for the birthday wishes from around the globe!