Traveling: London to Amsterdam

Yesterday was our day of traveling which started out quite well and seemingly continued on forever. We woke up around 8am, packed our bags and headed to the train station. We would be taking one train to Brussels and then taking another train to Amsterdam. The first train took just over two hours and went very well, passing through beautiful country side. After an hour wait in the Brussels train station, we made our way onto another train crowded with people. The ride took closer to three hours although felt like an eternity. Multiple stops, people on and off and the desire to get settled made this ride a bit longer than it really was. However, we arrived safely into Amsterdam Central Station in the city center. After finding out some local information, we headed out to the city center just a few minutes down the road. Hotels, B&B's, hostels were all booked. Surprisingly, we had chosen the busiest day of the year. No rooms existed anywhere. We ended up taking a train back to the airport to find a hotel near there which ended up being a nice change from our previous room. Once checked in at the hotel, we set down our bags and went to use the hotels spa facilities to take away some of the stress of traveling. After cleaning up, we headed out to the city center and explored Amsterdam. Amsterdam is a city unto itself and no travel books or movies could ever depict this place. The city is dirtier than expected as trash lines every street. However, the canals and charming architecture make it a more pleasant experience. The weather is a bit overcast and hazy but at least there is no rain and we look forward to exploring the small streets and canals over the next few days. Amsterdam although very different from London, offers a wonderful list of attractions.