Amsterdam Archives - Ryan Lum
How To Survive Europe When All Your Stuff Gets Stolen
On 01, Aug 2011 | One Comment | In Traveling | By Ryan Lum
Three friends set out on an adventure to enjoy the culture of Madrid, Spain, run with the bulls in Pamplona, enjoy the beach in San Sebastian, see the sights of Barcelona, enjoy the beer of Berlin, Germany and see the ‘sleaze’ of Amsterdam, Netherlands. All of this in only a couple days. We never would’ve expected the adventure and roller coaster that would be hands down the most memorable ‘vacation’ ever.
Follow the most insane 8 days of my life:
- Day 0 – Packing and preparing for the trip (San Diego 7/10/11)
- Day 1 – We Are In Madrid, Spain! (Madrid, Spain 7/11/11)
- Day 2 – Sh*t hits the fan…and it smells! (Madrid, Spain 7/12/11)
- Day 3 – Run for your life! (Pamplona, Spain 7/13/11)
- Day 3.5 – Ran with the Bulls, Off to the Beach (San Sebastian, Spain 7/13/11)
- Day 4- The Window of Hope (Barcelona, Spain 7/14/11)
- Day 4.5 - Sprechen Sie Englisch? (Berlin, Germany 7/14/11)
- Day 5 – A Street Artist’s Dream (Berlin, Germany 7/15/11)
- Day 6 – Missed Departure (Berlin, Germany 7/16/11)
- Day 7 – Red Lights and Window Tapping (Amsterdam, Netherlands 7/17/11)
- Day 8 – Leaving on a Jetplane (Amsterdam, Netherlands 7/18/11)
- Day 9 – Recovering (San Diego, California 7/19/11)
Day 7 – Red Lights and Window Tapping
On 27, Jul 2011 | One Comment | In Traveling | By Ryan Lum
We wake up in the morning refreshed and ready for the day. We head out to get breakfast at a nearby bakery. I must say that chocolate pastries got the better of me this trip and I order two. Just as we head out to explore and find a thrift store to buy a camera, we run into one of the backpackers in our dorm, Theo.
We end up chatting for a bit and all decide to head to the thrift market.
I was amazed at some of the really cool stuff they had at this thrift market. Unlike our markets in the States, this market had nothing but antiques and vintage gadgets and apparel. It was amazing! I really enjoyed the vintage army supply that had everything from old trench coats to gas masks. I contemplated buying a gas mask but decided against it for a couple reasons:
- When would I actually use it? I’m pretty sure it doesn’t even work.
- Would this look strange when airport security scanned my bag? I’m already traveling without proper documentation.
- It truly smelled… vintage.
Tim stops at an antique camera table and talks with the person for quite some time. After working out a deal, he finally buys a ‘new camera’.
The Power of Travel
On 21, May 2011 | No Comments | In Traveling | By Ryan Lum
I love traveling because it opens your mind to new ideas, cultures and traditions. Whenever anyone asks me why I love travel, it’s really a simple answer. I enjoy it.
When I studied abroad in Paris, France about a year ago, it opened my mind to a new culture. I studied French language and culture back in school, but it’s totally a different ball game when you are actually immersed in the culture. Waking up in the morning and going to a local market for fresh produce. Struggling to make conversation and get help if you get lost or you’re confused. Taking life slow and enjoy the pleasures of laying on the lawn beside the Eiffel Tower. There is nothing more rewarding than going out and having experiences.
Travel also gets you to actually go out and see new things. It seems when we live in one place for awhile, we still never go out and do everything. Whenever you are out traveling, there is always a list of things you want to see while you are there. Ultimately, I want to go out and experience life and culture so that when I have children, I can raise them with a more open-minded and worldly perspective.
I plan on taking a trip to Spain, Germany and Amsterdam in a couple months. Here are some of the things I plan on doing while I’m there (on-going list that I will continuously add on to):
