It's Not Just Me

I've uncovered a truth about Amsterdam, which is that the drugs here really don't have much of an effect, it's actually all about the unusual physical phenomena manifest within the city, such as the contortionist buildings above. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera with me yesterday to document the river of beetles, men covered engulfed in flames, or bleeding clock tower.

Our overnight drive went smoothly enough. Leaving the bus and having a full day off is much more preferable to arriving with half the evening already gone. On the less positive side, I may have slept for four hours. When we arrived yesterday, the horrible weather seemed to be penance for the beautiful days we stole in Germany: 50s, rainy, windy. Still, we hit the streets — a day off in Amsterdam is what it is.

Because of its repetitive layering of canals and twisted streets, it's easy to get disoriented here (further evidence to the above), and for the first time on this leg, I managed to find myself firmly rooted in a condition known to all as lost. It takes a great deal to get me to this point, for if one knows even one tiny datum about their whereabouts, getting lost is rather difficult. I, however, was completely turned around and couldn't say with any degree of certainty where I was in relation to the hotel. Thankfully, the condition was only temporary.

To answer the question that some of you are certainly asking at this point, no, there was nothing aside from fatigue and excessive caffeine consumption which would have heightened my capacity for getting lost. Later in the day, however, I ate a quarter of a hash brownie, which effect was extremely faint, only mellowing me out a little and making for a very relaxing evening in my hotel room. Maybe tonight I'll try a half...

The weather is far superior today, and so I have no further reason to sit around inside and exercise my fingers on this keyboard. Two and a half hours until we leave for the venue, and I intend to make the best of it. I'll see if I can't find that river of beetles again.