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Netherlads (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Delph) |
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Getting VISA |
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I wrote in my earlier update about the e-flyers I receive and how put myself in trouble. Nearly same thing happened again! It has a little better story though! |
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It was around two months back when I receive an e-flyer mail about offers on tickets to Paris and Amsterdam. It was rather interesting this time as it said � 17 for return ticket to anywhere in Europe. I was eagerly looking forward to the next chance, as I had to scrap my earlier plan (and tickets-reservations too) to Paris and Amsterdam. This time I was determined to make it. I got the email in the morning and I had confirmed tickets in the afternoon. Well, getting VISA looked very easy this time as I had all the documents. My plan was to get VISA for Amsterdam (Dutch) first and then get the French one. It fortunately worked. 50% though! We went to Dutch Embassy and got stamped in three visits. For every visit I?d been to Embassy in the morning and waited for at least 4 hours! No regrets! I got the VISA! |
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I got single entry VISA to Schengen. |
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Going there |
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Hem bought a SLR camera for the trip. We left London on 14th Feb 2003 in the night at 10:30 PM from Victoria coach station. This trip was Valentines Day from hem to his wife, Rakhi. They had their 6 months old baby-girl, Shivi, along. The trip started in good spirits. Everything went well till Dover, the east coast of UK. From Dover we took a cruise. I did not quite like it. It gave me seasickness within 45 minutes. People, especially kids, were enjoying its three-storey shopping mall with casino and amusement parlour. I kept sitting in the restaurant on the second level.� |
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It was early in the morning on 15th Feb when we reached the port of Calais. This is entry point for the France. We?d been through France and Belgium to reach Netherlands (Formerly, Holland). I was looking out since 6:00 AM. Europe is really beautiful!� We reached Amsterdam at 9:30 AM. We were at Amstel station and we had our hotel booked in the Amsterdam Central. We took cab to the hotel. Took rest for some time. Shivi desperately needed a break, as this was quite hectic journey for 6 months old! She had been really co-operative through the journey. |
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Amsterdam Central |
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After a nap, we started for our day out in Amsterdam. It is a lovely city. Full of people, you wont see a single dull street in the Amsterdam. It is a city of Canals. The entire city is in the water. The main train station, Amsterdam Central, is constructed on the man-made island. It is huge. The city has around 1900 bridges. There are places, where you can see as much as 7 bridge arches in succession. It looks wonderful. Again, it is a city of flowers! All the streets, all the windows, literally everywhere you see, its full of flowers. On our way, we booked our next days tour tickets. We got booked for a full-day Holland tour, called, ?The Grand Holland Tour? and a Amsterdam cruise tour in the evening. |
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That day we just kept wondering on the streets in the central Amsterdam. Amsterdam is also known for its Nightlife and Pornographic history. I saw the Sex Museum in the Amsterdam Central. It depicts the pornographic history of the country. There are some streets, which are full of striptease parlours and bars. We had food in an Indian restaurant. There were around 10 Indian restaurant in the street same as our hotel?s. Getting Indian food is not a big deal anywhere in the Europe. Our hotel manger was an Indian guy from Hydrabad. He gave access to the kitchen and everywhere we needed in the hotel. We got typical DESI Tea. |
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Rotterdam, Delph |
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Next day, on 16th Feb, we started our grand Holland Tour at 10:00 AM. We went to Rotterdam first. It is the most modern city in Holland. The tour took a round to the city showing the beautiful bridges, buildings and Monuments. All are excellent pieces of architecture. There is a colony of apartments with houses made like a cube standing on one of its corner diagonally. I have taken pictures of these. I will upload them soon. |
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The Next stop was at a shoe factory. Holland is known for wooden shoes. As the farmers cannot use leather shoes in the watery land of Holland, they use shoes made of wood. Holland is the largest exporter of flower and wooden shoes. The manufacturing process is quite simple. It uses a guided leth machine and a cutting blade. |
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We also visited a China Clay Goods Manufacturing unit. It wasn?t really impressive. |
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Then we went to the Delph city. It is an old city and again made in canal. The Holland is below the sea level and on the coastal side. Pumping out water is a big overhead for the country. There are some gates, which actually hold the seawater away. The windmills are used to pump-out the water back to sea in some places. |
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The Madurodam |
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The last part of the tour was the most interesting and was the biggest attraction of the tour. |
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?The Madurodam?, the miniature city, made in exactly reduced scale. The canal houses of Amsterdam, the Alkmaar cheese market and parts of the Delta Works, all replicated in minute detail on a 1:25 scale. All is set in beautiful gardens. All the things there - the cars, buses, ships, and airplanes - are working models. You can stand besides a 5-storey building and catch the chimney! Or, stretch your hand up to reach the top of the communication tower. You go crazy there. It?s like a fantasyland! I took many pictures there posing like a monster! |
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We spent about an hour and started back for Amsterdam. |
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The cruise tour |
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We had a cruise tour of Amsterdam booked. It took us through the canals in the city. The guide onboard was telling about the history and stories about the places. I am not really keen to know about all that so, ignored him. |
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It was then time to start back for London. We went to hotel, had a quick wash and tea and caught our coach back to London. |
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The journey back was through the Euro-Tunnel on a Train. So wasn?t hectic and I, in fact, enjoyed it! |
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After Shocks! |
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Hem forgot to pick his back while leaving the coach. The bag had his new camera, all the reels and Our Passports, Work permits, Life insurance documents! That was horrifying? We lost all our originals.� It took two weeks to get them back from the police. We went to Bournemouth ? a place in the southwest of UK to collect it. My original Work Permit and Hem?s mobile phone is still missing. |
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I was not in a mood to write till now because of it. |
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Now that we got them back, I can say it was a wonderful trip indeed! |
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Regards, |
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Rahul |
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(Friday, March 14th 2003/London) |
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Travel Home |
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Rahul Naodhar Home |
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