AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS

RIX-AMS

09.02.2024: Two weeks at the new job completed — clearly enough productivity for now. Time to “recover.” Next destination: a brand-new country for us in every possible way — the Netherlands. More specifically, its capital — Amsterdam. For various reasons, this trip hasn’t been overly planned. No color-coded Google Maps pins, no hour-by-hour strategy. But realistically, we should survive. The country is geographically about the size of Vidzeme and Latgale combined — just with 17 million people squeezed in. Efficiency clearly runs in their DNA.
The airport today? Suspiciously empty. From the entrance doors to sitting in a café — literally 3–4
minutes. No queues, no stress. The plane is only about 40% full. It almost feels like a COVID-era flight. From our perspective, of course, fewer people equals more legroom and a generally better flight experience.

AMSTERDAM: HAMPTON BY HILTON

09.02.2024: From the airport to the city — ridiculously easy. We hop on an Intercity train and, for €11 total for the two of us, arrive at our hotel in about 20 minutes. Efficient. Civilized. Very Dutch.
We’re staying at Hampton by Hilton — a simple 3-star setup, but perfectly functional. It’s located right next to a train station, which makes logistics almost too easy. From this same station, we’ll head into the city center.
And despite the proximity, you can’t hear the trains from the rooms. Engineering win. For five nights with breakfast included, we pay €612. That’s €61 per person per night. Not great, not terrible. Madara takes a few FaceTime birthday congratulations, we grab a coffee, and it’s time to head out and start wandering the streets of Amsterdam.

AMSTERDAM: LA VIE EN PROOST

09.02.2024: We take the M54 train to Nieuwmarkt station. About 20 minutes later, we’re in the center. No fixed plan today — we’re just walking wherever our noses point. At some point, the idea is born: maybe we should visit a strip club. And honestly, where would that be more appropriate than Amsterdam’s Red Light District?

The only criteria: something comfortable for a couple visiting together and not too extreme — ideally a place where things stay playful rather than… biologically ambitious. That’s how we end up at La Vie en Proost. Entrance fee: €10 per person, plus at least one mandatory drink. The bartenders — confidently topless — efficiently keep the thirsty crowd hydrated. A 0.3L Heineken costs €7.50. On the bar counter, two or three dancers are constantly performing. If someone gathers enough courage, a €20 investment buys about five minutes of a lap dance right there by the bar. I decide I’m not mentally prepared for that level of participation tonight. Some older gentlemen, however, show absolutely no hesitation.

Interestingly, the vibe is good. No one is pushy, nothing feels uncomfortable. It’s all surprisingly relaxed and fluid. Later, we wander around the city a bit more. As evening settles in, the streets become noticeably more crowded. In illuminated windows, attractive women beckon passersby — and judging by the steady flow of visitors, business seems healthy. We stop for one more beer at Dijk 120, and then it’s time to head back to the hotel.

AMSTERDAM: JORDAAN

10.02.2024: After an unhurried breakfast, we head to Amsterdam Centraal Station, from where
we’ll continue toward the Jordaan district. Today we’re trusting the GPS My City app and its recommended walking route, which starts at Noorderkerk. Coincidentally, there’s a market happening around the church today. Stalls full of cheeses, local crafts, and retro second-hand treasures — including surprisingly cool branded pieces. A genuinely interesting little market, not
the usual tourist trap vibe.

From there, we let the route guide us through Jordaan’s narrow, charming streets. Small canals, leaning houses, bicycles everywhere. Every few minutes we cross another picturesque bridge — the kind that makes you slow down just to look around for a second. The walk eventually brings us to the Anne Frank House. A place that doesn’t need much introduction — and definitely shifts the tone of the day to something quieter and more reflective.

AMSTERDAM: HEINIKEN

10.02.2024: I didn’t buy tickets online beforehand because it looked like, in the off-season, you could just purchase them on-site. Plus, I kind of wanted a physical ticket as a souvenir. Reality check: you still end up scanning a QR code and buying it online right there at the entrance. No paper ticket romance today. The standard tour costs €23. For €27.50, you could also access the rooftop bar after the tour — but that option was already sold out. Typical.

The tour at the historic Heineken Experience building begins with a 15-minute introduction
about how this globally famous beer brand has been successfully operating for over 150 years. Then follows an interactive walkthrough of the building, loosely organized by historical periods.
There are displays of old bottles, iconic advertising campaigns, and of course entire sections
dedicated to the Champions League era. You can even play FIFA on a PS4. Signed memorabilia from elite footballers are on display — Messi boots, Ronaldo and Kaká shirts. Heineken clearly knows its audience.

After a demonstration of how each bottle is prepared, filled, and labeled, we receive our first
tasting: a 0.125L glass. Possibly the smallest beer I’ve ever been served. The tour wraps up with a mini party vibe in the basement, where we collect the promised full-sized beers. I also buy a Heineken glass in the shop — because apparently that felt necessary.
The tour itself is interactive and generally interesting, but it does not give the real production
and historical vibe as we got in Pilnser Urquell brewery in Plzen, Czechia. Both were interesting, but the latter definitely seemed much more unique and authentic. After the tour, we head back to the hotel for a short rest before the evening round in the city streets.

AMSTERDAM: RED LIGHT DISTRICT

10.02.2024: Our first stop of the evening is Café Emmelot, where we settle in for a drink to ease into the night. We wander through the district, observing the neon-lit windows where the ladies advertise companionship by the minute. I unsuccessfully attempt to take a photo of the iconic red windows. If the workers notice someone photographing them, they react immediately and
very assertively — banging on the glass to draw attention. As I later discovered, there’s also
an official €240 fine for taking such photos. Lesson learned.

Tonight, feeling slightly braver, we return to La Vie En Proost. After warming up with a drink, we move toward the main bar area. This time, we go for double lap dance. The rate is €20 per person for about five minutes. An interesting experience, to say the least. The club certainly doesn’t struggle with attendance. We wrap up the night around 2 AM. Tomorrow will most likely not begin with any ambitious early-morning productivity.

AMSTERDAM: NIEUWE KERK

11.02.2024: After a very late start and completely missing breakfast, we finally manage to leave the hotel around 13:30 and head into the city. Slightly crumpled but operational. We take the train toward the Waterlooplein area, hoping to catch the flea market — but it’s closed today.
Apparently it’s quite a good one, so we’ll try again another day.

Next stop: Singel Flower Market. A full stretch of small kiosks selling tulips in every imaginable form, color, and packaging variation. Fresh, dried, bulbs, souvenirs — tulip overload in the most Dutch way possible. After the floral extravaganza, we accidentally drift onto Kalverstraat — basically store after store as far as the eye can see. Retail density level: extreme. Eventually hunger kicks in, and we find excellent lunch at De Drie Graefjes, right next to De Nieuwe Kerk
(the “New Church”). For €33 total, we both get genuinely delicious sandwiches. Simple. Effective. Very satisfying.

More or less by accident, we end up at a canal cruise dock on Damrak. For €14 per person, we board a one-hour cruise through Amsterdam’s endless canals. There’s an audio guide sharing bits of history along the way. It starts raining slightly, which makes visibility a bit tricky, but there’s not much to be done about Dutch weather. We learn that Amsterdam has around 880,000 residents and approximately 1.6 million bicycles. Also — about 150,000 bikes are pulled out of the canals every year. That statistic alone deserves respect. After the cruise, we consider visiting the Sex Museum, but it closes at 18:00 and we just miss it. Instead, we head to the Erotic Museum in the Red Light District. Entry is €8 per person. Inside — a mix of interesting and less interesting exhibits on a topic that clearly fascinates the Dutch. Particularly memorable were several-hundred-year-old Japanese erotic drawings, caricatures, and various historical artifacts.

Later, we decide to try one of the locally legal but globally questionable products — gummy candies or space cake. €10 each, but three for €25. Supposedly each piece equals roughly one “joint” in strength. As it turns out, the seller was also from Latvia. In the evening, we each eat one candy. By the time we reach the hotel, our legs feel noticeably softer. I half-existentially watch the latest Rambo movie in a slightly detached state, and we attempt to go to sleep. In reality, sleep does not cooperate.

Under the influence, the brain simply refuses to switch off. Random thoughts, disconnected memories, completely unrelated mental flashes — nonstop. It almost feels like observing someone else’s brain from the outside. We spend most of the night in some undefined half-state, turning around in bed. Honestly, not exactly the blissful experience that would make me rush to buy another gummy bear anytime soon.

HAGUE, NETHERLANDS

12.02.2024: Relatively early start today — we’re heading to The Hague. About 50 minutes by Intercity train and €15 per person later, we arrive at Den Haag HS station. We’ll return later from Den Haag Centraal, just to keep things geographically balanced. To be honest, yesterday’s “Amsterdam-style entertainment” (gummy edition) is still slightly lingering in our system. We’re
functional — but not exactly sparkling fresh. This is the same Intercity line we’ll later use to reach the airport. At the airport you can switch to another train that continues toward Rotterdam. Noted for next time.

The city, on a Monday morning just after 9 AM, feels almost suspiciously quiet. Most shops only open at noon. Some places don’t open at all on Mondays. Very unhurried energy. In peaceful silence, we quickly reach The Hague’s main landmark — the International Criminal Court, where war crimes cases from around the world are tried. The building itself is currently closed to
visitors, although under normal circumstances you can sometimes attend public hearings.
Our “Hague loop” doesn’t take long. It’s compact, tidy, and efficient — very Dutch. Soon we’re already discussing what to do with the rest of the day because it’s still early.

We debate our options over very good pancakes at De Pizza Bakkers (yes, pancakes at a place called Pizza Bakkers — no further questions). There’s a brief idea to hop over to Rotterdam. But without a proper plan, it would likely turn into time and money spent traveling without a clear route or purpose. Better to save it for another trip. Decision made. Back to Amsterdam Centraal we go.

AMSTERDAM: MICROBIA

12.02.2024: Today’s alternative afternoon plan starts at Waterlooplein Market — basically a flea market. A lot of vintage, a lot of second-hand, and a serious focus on old leather jackets. I’m sure you could find a hidden gem there, but you’d need to mentally prepare for deep excavation work. Clothes are often just dumped into massive piles on tables, and visitors are literally buried up to their elbows digging for treasure. Madara gave the hats a fair chance but walked away
empty-handed.

Next stop: something quite unique — Micropia, the microbe and bacteria museum. Entry is
€17.50 per person. With giant microscopes, you can observe tiny single-celled organisms and
bacteria up close. For every microbe you “learn about,” you get a stamp. The goal is to collect
around 20 stamps. After leaving the museum, you almost feel like touching anything is a bad idea. The invisible microscopic friends are everywhere.

It’s an interesting concept, though it would probably feel more rewarding if you had at least some basic knowledge in microbiology. Otherwise, it’s more “cool but slightly abstract” than
mind-blowing. From there, we head toward Rembrandtplein in the southern part of the city center. Directly opposite Rembrandt stands a golden astronaut statue. Why? No idea. But what we do know is that we’re hungry.
Plenty of dining options in this area, but we go for something quick and simple — two slices of
pizza each at New York Pizza. €16 total and two satisfied humans. Efficient fueling. Fatigue is starting to creep in after the previous nights’ adventures and today’s 20,000 steps. We sit down at a canal-side bar called Van Beeren. Interestingly, almost every bar in Amsterdam is labeled “café,” yet in many of them you’d struggle to actually get a coffee.

The original plan for the evening was simple: walk through the Red Light District, grab a couple
of drinks at Old Sailor Pub on Oudezijds Achterburgwal, and head back to the hotel. The pub sits
directly across from several red windows, making it an interesting spot to observe the street
dynamics. But the plan… changed.
Two Swedes joined our table. We clicked instantly. After a long conversation, we somehow ended up going together to a strip club. On a Monday evening, the club was noticeably quieter
and there we met some neighbours – Lithuanians. End result? Back at the hotel around 2 AM again. But it was interesting. And honestly — that’s the main thing.

ZAANDAM, NETHERLANDS

13.02.2024: Today’s main destination: the brightly coloured buildings of the small town Zaandam. About 30 minutes by train from our station — Bijlmer ArenA — and we’re there. Stepping out of the station, you’re immediately in the city square, directly facing the famous stacked green hotel — Inntel Hotels Amsterdam Zaandam. That building alone pulls a steady stream of visitors here. The whole district looks like something out of a fairy tale or a children’s colouring book — as if traditional architectural geometry and “normal” colour palettes were completely ignored on purpose. It’s playful, slightly surreal, and honestly very fun to look at.

Today, however, the wind has opinions. Sharp ones. My ears are not happy. Thankfully, Primark comes to the rescue — €2 for a hat and immediate survival upgrade.
We use the GPS My City walking route again to explore the town. We don’t dive too deeply into the history — mostly just wander and observe the colourful façades. Apparently, Tsar Peter the Great once lived here for a while. There’s even a small museum dedicated to the house where he stayed. We could’ve visited, but decided to skip it this time. Before heading off in search of the famous Dutch windmills, we refuel with warm tomato and bean soup at a local café — very welcome in this wind.

Next stop: Bus 67 to Zaandijk. Windmills ahead.

ZAANDJIK, NETHERLANDS

13.02.2024: Because of roadworks, the bus dropped us off earlier than planned, which meant a slightly longer walk than expected. No complaints though — Zaandijk is the kind of place where walking is part of the charm. The streets are tiny and narrow, lined with incredibly cute, postcard-worthy houses. Between the small brick lanes, you occasionally catch glimpses of the large windmills in the distance — still actively working today, pumping water through the region’s canals to keep the surrounding land (and people’s backyards) dry. As soon as we stepped off the bus, a sweet chocolate aroma hit us straight in the nose — almost like walking near the Laima factory in Riga. With every stronger gust of wind, that scent followed us around all day.
Pleasant? Mostly. Intense? Definitely.

Along the riverbank stand six large windmills, four of which are still actively operating. Besides water management, each one serves a different purpose — some function as sawmills, others grind pigments for paint, and so on. You can enter each mill for €6, but we decide to stick to the free-access areas. From outside (and through strategic peeking), it doesn’t feel like we’re missing anything essential. On the way back, we wander into a small workshop district. In one souvenir shop, amusingly placed among the usual “Made in China” trinkets, there’s also a full Versace display. Quite the contrast. Particularly interesting are the cheese shop and the wooden clog museum. At the cheese shop, we sample an impressive variety — some we like enough to buy as souvenirs and gifts. Proper Dutch exports secured.

The wooden clog museum is surprisingly engaging. They show us how these traditional Dutch shoes were historically made and how they’re still used today. We even witness a live demonstration — the craftsman can shape one rough clog from a block of wood in just five minutes. It still needs sanding and finishing, but the basic form is there almost instantly. They’re so unique and quirky that, for a brief moment, we consider buying a pair. Thankfully, practicality wins. The odds of us regularly wearing wooden clogs back home are… minimal. One more unique feature of this area: instead of fences between properties, there are canals. Clear territorial
boundaries. Back home, you’d climb over a fence to reach your neighbour. Here, you’d need a solid running start and a willingness to risk wet feet. On the way back to the train station, we watch a cat intensely stalking a chicken across a canal in the neighbour’s yard. Nature drama, Dutch edition.

AMSTERDAM: LAST EVENING

13.02.2024: On our final evening, returning from Amsterdam Centraal, we felt like exploring a livelier neighbourhood we hadn’t yet seen. After some strategic Google Maps research, we chose
Amsterdam Oud-West. Reality check: when we arrived, it turned out to be a very calm, residential part of the city. Not exactly buzzing nightlife energy. So we did a quick tactical U-turn and headed back toward the center. By now, we’ve once again clocked well over 20,000 steps, so we stop at Café Heuvel to rest our legs. Sitting outside with a beer (or mulled wine), we watch the locals cycling past on their slightly rusty bikes, rushing somewhere with quiet determination.

It’s early evening, getting dark, around +5°C outside — and yet no one seems to be wearing gloves, hats, or helmets. Just lightly frozen Dutch cyclists pedalling along the canals like it’s completely normal. From there, we head down the main street toward Primark, where Madara has her eye on a coat. Mission successful. Before calling it a night, we have dinner at Café Del Mondo on Nieuwmarkt square. The food? Not great, not terrible. But we’re fed — and at this point, that’s what matters.

AMS-RIX

14.02.2024: Turns out the flight is one hour earlier than I originally thought, which means an early
wake-up call. We need to be at the airport by 8:30. No real appetite this early, but we still bake our usual morning waffle — purely for carbohydrate insurance. Good thing we stayed right next to the station. The train gets us to the airport quickly and efficiently. When booking, we didn’t fully appreciate how strategically valuable that station location would be. Technically, we were staying quite far from the city center — but with 50 meters to the platform and 15 minutes to the airport, it couldn’t have worked better.

At security, Madara’s bag gets flagged. The cheese knife apparently looks suspicious on the scanner. In the end, everything checks out. Security moves a bit slower than expected, so we basically head straight to the gate once we’re through. Overall — Amsterdam surprised us. It’s a city with a very strong identity and entertainment options that simply don’t exist elsewhere. Also, let’s be honest — it’s not a cheap destination. Accommodation, drinks, activities — it all adds up.
We tested the “green” gummy bears, which led to a rather… memorable night. We visited the famous Red Light District. Did we need to spend €300 in a strip club? Probably not. Was it interesting? Absolutely. Do we regret it? Not at all.

We also managed to explore a bit beyond the capital. The Hague didn’t quite live up to
expectations this time — but there’s always next time. In contrast, Zaandam turned out to be a genuinely fun and visually unique place to visit. Next trip, Rotterdam definitely deserves a slot on the itinerary.

Total trip cost: €2,080
Per person: €1,040
Per person per day: €208
Efficiently spent? Debatable. Memorable? Without question.