Hola Madrid!

After returning from Morocco I had plenty of time to properly explore Paris and absorb its romantic culture! First stop - the Eiffel tower! The tower itself is impressive, albeit quite ugly, especially when standing right underneath it. The first thing you notice is the scam-artists hovering around the base of the tour. It was so sad seeing young Albanian women pretending to be deaf so that they could scam you into donating to their ¨deaf person charity¨. To get up the tower you can either walk (flag) or take the elevator. There are two elevators in fact, the first taking you to a middle viewing platform, and the second taking you right to the top. The view from the top is truly something spectacular. Paris seems to stretch forever and there are many beautiful buildings and churches cropping up from the myriad of old avenues and apartment buildings. The tower is not just a viewing platform - it also offers an ice rink and restaurants (that is correct - there is an ice rink situated about 1/4 the way up the tower!).

After climbing down, I made my way to the Arc De Triomphe. It is actually situated in the middle of one of Paris´most busiest round abouts! The Arc is quite impressive and I was lucky to get there just in time to see a military procession, including full band, in honour of WW2 soldiers.

Walking down from the Arc I arrived at the famous Champ Elysees, a high fashion boulevard and the heart of the nightlife scene. Here you have everything from fancy fashion arcades to car shops displaying futuristic models and plenty of bars to keep you hydrated.

The next day I went to the Orsay museum which houses a nice collection of impressionists, French art and a variety of sculptures. Following that I was off to the Paris Catacombs. The Catacombs is a huge underground series of tunnels filled millions of bones (about 6 million people are buried here). The bones are stacked from floor to ceiling with the skulls placed on top. This place is not for the faint of heart!

I headed back toward the Notre Dame, passing through the Luxembourg gardens. The Notre Dame is a great and awe-inspiring cathedral covered in gruesome gargoyles and stunning Gothic architecture. When I stepped inside I realised that there was a service in mid-prayer but I stayed to soak in the experience. Most of the service involved a young lady singing beautifully in Latin as the great organ bellowed in the background. The inside of the cathedral contains stunning stain glass windows, massive murals of Jesus and hundred of candles in elaborate candle holders.

The next day I went up to Montmartre, the home of the Sacre Coeur basilica and an artist village that once was the centre of the art world attracting the likes of Picasso and Dali. The basilica is very ornate both inside and out and definitely competes with Notre Dame for architectural beauty. Around the corner from the basilica are windy streets packed full of artists, galleries and crepe-houses. Hidden down an alleyway is a Salvidor Dali gallery housing many of his works including his sculptures and furniture that he designed. Walking down from Montmartre you arrive at the Paris red light district made famous by the Moulin Rouge club.

That Shabbat was a great experience as I was lucky enough to be invited (along with Michelle and Benoit) to the Shabbat Chatan lunch of the Rabbi's son. Being a Sephardi family, the lunch with full of intense singing and energy. Luckily there were a few english speakers (including one Canadian Chabadnick pouring the drinks haha!) so it was good to be in a shule that I could actually talk to people!

On Motzei Shabbat I headed to town where you can find Kosher Häagen-Dazs icecream in a huge icecream parlour right on the Champ Elysees.... Yum!!

My last day in Paris.... :( Michelle and Ben took me to a food market to taste yummy olives, baguettes and all sorts of weird-name cheeses!

That evening I jumped on an overnight train headed to Madrid. It was my first sleeper train experience and although you do get a decent bed, the cabin itself is cramped which you share with 3 other people. Can't really complain though - I have certainly had worse train experiences!

I arrived in Madrid and checked into a backpackers. I immediately went out to explore the city. Madrid is not a grand city like London or Paris with no central river, however there are hundreds of plazas and alleyways to explore filled with energetic tapas bars. The central square in Madrid is called Sol and is the place to meet people, watch buskers and hang out. The first touristy thing that I did is go to the Almundena cathedral which is right next to the royal palace where the king does official stuff (not sure exactly what though lol). The view from the top of the cathedral is stunning as you can look out over the whole of Madrid. The buildings are mostly brick red and there are many grand churches and historic buildings popping up throughout the skyline.

Spaniards have an obsession with ham! So much so that you can go to just about any bar or restaurant and you will see scores of ham legs hanging from the ceiling. Spaniards love to eat what they call Tapas, which pretty much can be any sort of food but usually contains bread, ham and cheese - really kosher!

The first evening I was in Madrid I met up with the local Couch Surfing crew and we out to enjoy the nightlife and drink the night away. Good times!

The next day I visited the Prado museum, which houses an amazing collection of Spanish art as well as a smaller dose of French, Italian and British works. The museum rivals the Louvre and the British national gallery in terms of the size of the collection. Interestingly you can see another "Mona Lisa" painted by DeVinci, which personally I think is better than the one at the Louvre! After seeing the many artworks at the Prado I went for a stroll through the Retiro gardens, a large park on the edge of downtown Madrid.

That evening I met up with the couch surfers again - this time they had organised an old city tour. The tourguide showed us the different style buildings and gave us a little insight into the history. It was interesting to see 11th century through 20th century history captured in the architecture of downtown Madrid. We ended the night drinking and eating tapas in the "Ham Museum", a butchery which is also a bar..... go figure!

The day after I met up with Kiran, a dude I had met at CS drinks, and another surfer Ludi. Kiran showed us around Madrid, telling us about the different quarters and neighbourhoods. We went to an Egyptian temple, that was gifted to the Spanish kingdom 2500 years ago. We ended the evening by going to a Flamenco show. Flamenco is traditional spanish dance full of energy , passion and amazing singing. Highly recommended! Olé !!

On the last day I visited the Reina Sofia modern art gallery, containing many famous works by modern artists such as Picasso.

Off to Cordoba! The train arrived in the afternoon and I looked for a hostel in the old city. I was quick to find one in the heart of the old Jewish area known as the Juderia. Cordoba's Jewish history is very interesting and important. Cordoba was the birthplace of the Rambam (Maimonides) and today there is a square named after him with his statue placed right in the centre. The Jews were banished from Spain in 1492 and most relocated to Morocco. Very little evidence of Jewish life remains, however there is a small Shul that I visited. The Sinagoga, built in 1315, contains Jewish scriptures plastered on the walls and it is obvious where the Ark would have been placed. The Spaniards, whether through guilt or otherwise, feel it is important to remember the Jewish history so today in Cordoba you find many streets and plazas named after Jewish persons such as Judah Levi Plaza. There is also a Sephardi museum containing many artefacts and stories of the Jews of southern Spain.

The Mezquita is a huge ancient building situated in the heart of the old city. It was originally built as a cathedral, then when the Muslim Caliphate took over the area it was renovated into a Mosque, then later it was reclaimed by the Christians and converted back into a Church! It is a fascinating blend of the two architectural influences. It is also massive, so strolling through the building and appreciating all the design and architecture takes a decent amount of time!

The next day I wanted to visit the ancient fortress of Medinat Al Zahra, situated just outside of Cordoba. Unfortunately there were no more bus seats left so my only option was to taxi. The fortress is a Muslim Caliphate palace, strategic military position and a mosque. Excavations have revealed only 10% of this grand old fortress, but what has been revealed is stunning! Getting back was a mission! There were no more taxis at the fortress carpark and when I called the taxi number they said something in Spanish and then hung up! After trying to find someone who could speak english I finally found out that you can only call a taxi from a Spanish phone! Luckily some kind people helped me order a taxi home! I thought I was going to be stranded!!

That evening I had a craving for Shisha! Turns out that smoking inside has been made illegal in Spain for only 1 month now, so Shisha bars are hard to come by... I found one place where the owner, in his broken English, told me that I can smoke but only in the house behind the restaurant. So here I am sitting in some Spanish (originally from Morocco) dude's place smoking. He was even kind enough to serve me tea for free!

Back in the hostel I decided to see what was on TV. Hmmmm all the programmes are American but dubbed into Spanish! Arrrggg!!

Next stop..... Granada..... The home of the Alhambra.... Let see what adventures await!

PS ... My heart goes out to all those who have suffered and lost in the Christchurch disaster. My prayers are with you!

Hasta luego!

Image Photographique!

Hey guys,

Check out some photos I have put up for you to enjoy!

They are on FB but you do not need a Facebook account to see them.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=287685&id=505828375&l=68da1ececa

Rocking the Casbah!

Salaam Alekum from Morocco!

So much has happened recently!! Lets continue the story from where we left off in Amsterdam....

On my last day in the liberal capital I decided to go experience the Heneiken Experience! The experience is a museum slash interactive exhibition of the Heneiken story and is located at the original brewery on the edge of downtown Amsterdam. Even though today the beer itself is not brewed there, they do show and explain the fermentation process and you even get three beers included in the ticket! I left that afternoon a little tipsy! Good times!!

I also could not leave Amsterdam without seeing a windmill. So I went on a mission to find one - I managed to track down the only windmill in the city which has been converted into a brewery. Mission accomplished!

Finally that evening I had a quick glimpse at the Sex museum - I was just too curious not too! It had all sorts of interesting displays about different cultures attitudes to sex throughout the ages.

The next day it was time to move on to Paris. I jumped on a high speed train and made it down to Paris within a matter of hours! I was greeted by Michelle and Benoit who were my hosts in Paris. They live in one of the Jewish suburbs and as we wondered through the streets I saw many Kosher butchers and bakeries. That evening Michelle and Ben prepared a feast as we also had Daniel Harris over for dinner who coincidentally was travelling through the romantic capital.

I was only in Paris for 2 days before I head out to Morocco so I decided to have a quick look around the city and check out the Louvre. Although I have not seen much of the city, it did not strike me as this romantic haven as it is often described..... however I will give the city a chance on my return :)

The Louvre is a massive museum! Someone told me that if one was to view every exhibit in the museum they would be there for 9 months!! I spent 3 hours in the galleries which included a peek at the Mona Lisa of course. As expected it was a major anti-climax so I moved on quickly to view the more impressive works dotting the hallways of the seemingly endless galleries. The egypt section was also very impressive and unlike the Egypt museum in Cairo, you can actually take photos!

The Louvre complex itself is truly a work of art, both inside and out. By the end of my Louvre tour my neck hurt due to the fact that there is so much beauty on the ceilings throughout the museum.

That evening I caught up with Daniel Harris again and we ate at a Kosher Falafel place. It was not cheap, however the experience was like being transported to some kitchy Tel Aviv falafel bar. I later found out that this place is quite famous and the likes of Lenny Kravitz have eaten there!!

The next morning I had to get up at 4am so that I could taxi to a bus that would take me to an airport 1.5 hours out of Paris so that I could catch my flight to Fes, Morocco.

Flying into Fes was not what I expected at all. From the plane window I could see snowy rugged mountains and green fields! Turns out that much of Morocco is green with the only real deserts in the south as you approach the Sahara.

I arrived in Fes and took a taxi to the old city Medina where I met my host Ronch. Ronch is a great guy and loves to chillax and he really made me feel at home. He is from Australia and is currently in Fes studying Arabic. To get to his place is complex.... It is located in the heart of the Souk (market) and there is trully a maze of intertwining passageways to navigate in order to make it home! Yes I got lost!!!! Many times! Luckily for a little spare change, a local kid is more than happy to show you the way.

After I had settled into the place I was staying, I was off to explore the medina. Fes Moroccans are friendly and talkative people. The only problem is that they speak arabic and french and generally their english is pretty average. The souks seem to go on forever in Fes and I was invited into people's shops and houses and served mint tea (Now my favourite type of tea lol). Once I was even lucky enough to experience some local musical talent in the back of one small shop in the souk. A couple of Berber men (indigenous Moroccans) showed me a good time with Berber guitars and drums! Half the time the aim is to sell you something (including Hashish!) but the other half is genuine friendliness and I really met some interesting people!

The cannabis industry, though illegal, is a huge export in Morocco so expect a series of questioning when you walk through the souk something like this: "Where you from? New Zealand! Kiwi! Welcome! First time in Fes? Want to buy Hashish? Super Duper? ......."

The Medina has many sections, imperial walls and gates. The souks come in all types including leather markets, spice markets and food! You could spend days inside the old city and still have avenues to explore!

Morocco is famous for good food including Tagines (Couscous, vegetables and meat cooked in a special piece of crockery called a Tagine), Hariri (a vegetable soup that will cost about 20cents a bowl) and Moroccan donuts that are dripping in oil and served with cheese or honey.

The evening of the first night I was invited to meet some of the Arabic students (mostly americans) at a party in the new city aptly named Ville Nouvelle.

The next day Ronch gave me a quick tour of the old city showing me the important mosques (sadly I could not enter the mosque as only muslims can do so), and the tanneries. The tannery in fes is world famous and has been in operation for hundreds of years. Here skins are bleached with ammonia made from pigeon poo and then coloured using various natural dies. They are then dried, sewn into all sorts of garments, bags etc and then shipped all over the world. The process has pretty much remained the same since it started and is fascinating to watch.

The next day I went to explore the Jewish areas of Fes. Prior to the establishment of Israel, Jews thrived in Morocco in great numbers and to this day are very well respected by the muslim population. Jews came to Morocco from Spain during the expulsion in 1492 but left mostly to Israel and the US fearing a backlash in Morocco. Today a small Jewish population remains and in Fes they all live in the new city.

Before Shabbat I explored the old Jewish ghetto known as the Mellah. Here was the true heart of Jewish life but sadly today only 1 synagogue remains open to the public and the cemetery can be seen on some days. I was shown around by a local Moroccan who pointed out the Rabbi's house. Today no Jews live in the Mellah. I went into the old synagogue and was amazed at its beauty. The design was a mixture of spanish and muslim influences and it contained an original Torah and a mikva.

After exploring the Mellah I went to visit the Jewish community centre in the new city and on Friday evening joined the new synagogue for Kabbalat Shabbat. Their Sephardi minhag and Moroccan accents made it difficult for me to follow but it was certainly a unique experience.

On Saturday evening I travelled up to the Merined tombs situated on a hill overlooking the old city. Watching the sunset here was impressive as the deep reds of the sun bounced throughout the green hills and across the huge imperial cityscape of Fes.

At 2.30am Sunday morning I jumped onto the overnight train down south to the city of Marrakech. Falling asleep on the train was all good until I woke to find my bag stolen! Aaaaahhh! What do I do? Luckily I managed to get a friendly Moroccan guy to help me and we searched the train. We found the culprit hiding in the toilets and after a good telling off he returned all my stuff and broke down into tears. Note to self: next time I go to sleep on a train, have my bag somewhat attached to me! Lesson learnt!

Arriving in Marrakech I checked into a traditional Riad (a series of salons built around an open courtyard). It was a really nice place but unfortunately there were toilet and shower issues grrrr!

Marrakech is a million more times touristy than Fes. In Marrakech you do not experience the friendliness and home invites like you would in Fes. Fes has charm, Marrakech does not. As you can tell my experience in Marrakech was not 100% positive. I found it to be way too in your face, too intense and not friendly at all!

That being said, there are some cool things that I enjoyed. The main square in the Medina is fun during the day and night. During the day you can expect to see musicians, snake charmers with cobras, monkeys wearing dresses and other crazy antics. In the evening all sorts of drummers, guitarists, and dancers come out to play. The square is always packed with people, buskers, sellers and food stalls. Be careful though - the whole point of these acts is to solicit funds from tourists. The first day in Marrakech I had two monkey handlers plonk their animals on my head and demand 400 dirham (80$). I gave them 20 and convinced them to go away (not an easy task!). The photos are great! But I do feel sorry for the many tourists who forked out large amounts.

The next day I went to visit the Ben Youssef museum and Medrassa. The museum is housed inside a royal villa with beautiful intricate painting and woodwork. The medrassa is a Koranic school that was used to teach children in the ways of Islam. It is no longer used and is open to the public. Like the museum the interior is stunning.

The old city of Marrakech is similar to Fes as there are endless roads of souks. The city walls are distinctively red, the souq avenues are wider and easier to navigate and the city is surrounded by the snowy mountains of the high atlas. As in Fes, the streets are shared with donkeys, horse and cart and on the odd occasion camels.

The next day I went to explore the Mellah. Here a few synagogues remain. I visited a large shule that also housed a Jewish school. I was surprised to discover that a Muslim family lives inside the building as caretakers and they speak a little hebrew! The shule was really beautiful with blue magen davids covering the walls. There was also an old plan of the Mellah showing the extent of Jewish life in the early 1900s. There once was kosher butchers, schools, bakeries and yeshivot here. Today almost nothing remains and the few hundred Jews left live in the new city.

I also visited the Jewish cemetery which houses 400 years of Jewish graves. Oddly most are not marked but there are newer graves that clearly date as recently as the 1990s. There were a few large plots for the great rabbis and chassids of the community and even today people come out from around the world to pay tribute to these great men.

Also in the Mellah is the spice market, once almost exclusively run by Jews. Today you can see hundreds of different yummy spices and concoctions piled high in triangular fashion. A delight for the taste buds and the smells are divine!

Leaving Morocco was a mission. I had to catch another overnight train back to Fes which left at 5am and then jump on the plane to Paris. I spent a whole day travelling. I am now safely back in Paris - boy did I miss western culture (and western toilets). I will miss Morocco, especially Fes. I I hope to return there some day inshallah!

Red Light, Green Light

Liverpool - put on the world stage by the Beatles and maritime innovation was my next city to explore. Not far from Manchester by train it was an easy day trip with my Britrail pass. On arrival I was welcomed with a chilly sea breeze and seagulls flying overhead. Liverpool city itself is not the most stunning city architecturally and does feel rather run down. However, as a tourist it is easy to walk around the city and offers plenty for hard core Beatles fans and boat enthusiasts. (By the way - the Titanic never sailed from Liverpool, however many of the the crew and engineers were based out of Liverpool and that is why its home port was considered as such).

My first stop was the world museum. I did not spend long here because the museum is designed mainly for kids, but did have an interesting section on Egypt including a couple of mummies.

After the museum I wondered down to Albert dock and went to the Beatles Story museum. This museum features many original Beatles items including guitars, signed records and also contains a reconstructed "Cavern Club" where the Beatles launched their musical career. The exhibition follows their story with interesting insights into the Beatles lives and experiences.

Finally in Liverpool I went to the Maritime and International Slavery museum. Housed in the same building, the lower floors details the amazing maritime history and innovation that came out from the heart of Liverpool. On the top floor is a museum dedicated to the sad history of the international slave trade, where Britain played a key role. The museum discusses the the history of the African slave trade and also presents ideas of how to eradicate racism and intolerance in today's world.

Returning to Manchester that evening I went out to help Daniel Leigh film a gig in the northern quarter. The gig was a collection of rock, hip hop and DJing. It was great to see more local English talent and I even got to go back stage to meet the performers!

My final day in Manchester was very busy indeed! First stop - back to visit my Aunt Vanessa one last time. Next I was off to the Museum of Science and Industry. I remember this museum from when I was a kid. It comprises 5 huge buildings, each with a different collection and theme. The collections include a vast collection of locomotives and early trains, planes, helicopters, cars and all sorts of technical instrumentation developed through the ages. The most interesting display for me was a replica of the computer "Baby" which was developed in Manchester in 1948 and was the first computer to execute a program from a memory store. This was a revolution in technological innovation and paved the way for modern computers. The replica was fully functional and I was lucky enough to talk to a couple of engineers who helped build the replica. They explained to me how the system worked and even executed a programme to show how it worked. Ok ok ok .... I am a nerd :p

That evening I was off to Old Trafford. On the way down I walked through the Salford Quays. A system of canals and docks that used to be the prime port of entry for goods into the city from the coast. Today it has been revamped into a high tech, glass apartment super suburb for the rich and famous. Walking around at night was beautiful as the building light up and reflect through the canals.

I finally arrived at Old Trafford, 2 hours before the game. But I was glad that I was there early because I got to experience the pre-match vibe. Thousands of people walking around in their colours, buying merchandise, eating Man-U branded hot dogs and even a few people trying to sell dodgy tickets. I was lucky enough to get tickets to this game, as the next 3 games were sold out. My seat was right at the top of the North Stand, so anyone on the field looked like ants! Actually it was really not too bad at all - as I had a good angle of the pitch and was surrounded by tens of thousands of screaming fans.

The energy during the game was intense. People chanting, singing, cheering, swearing. The loudest part of the stadium was the west stand, known as Stetford End, and we could hear them roar especially when Man-U scored! Man-U scored within 2 minutes and the final score was Manchester 3, Aston Villa 1. This has been my dream for so long to see my team play live - I can now tick this one off the list.

That evening after the match I headed out to the Hillel house at Manchester University with Daniel L to go chill with the students. Hillel is like a Jewish fraternity (kind of) where Jews can chill and live together on the campus itself.

Next stop - Amsterdam! I arrived in Amsterdam and was greeted by my Mum's good friend Regina, who I am staying with. Regina lives a little out of the city, but it is not too difficult to get in and out of the city with bus and train. They have a system here similar to the Snapper card which can be used on the trains, buses and trams.

Amsterdam is an extremely fascinating and beautiful city. The main city centre consists of many canals, roads and bikes lanes lined with stunning apartment buildings that are architecturally inspiring. The city is relatively compact but getting around can be a little confusing because every canal and street looks almost identical! But with a good map, and a good sense of direction you will be fine! The streets of Amsterdam are an experience for all the senses. The smell of weed is on every corner. The bright neon lights of the Red Light district and the shopping areas brighten up the night sky. Being a very liberal minded city, sex shops are scattered throughout the city (not just in the Red Light district) and coffeeshops are everywhere!

You are probably wondering why a coffeeshop is so liberal. Ok let me explain - here in Amsterdam a Cafe = A Bar/Pub and a Coffeeshop = a place to smoke weed! (So where you buy coffee from I have no idea lol) Coffeshops have weed menus and you can buy a pre-rolled joint, roll your own or hire a bong! There are different types of weed with different effects and some shops will even sell you the seeds to plant your own at home! What is most interesting about these places, is most people who go to coffeeshops are not your hard core stoners or hippies but a mixture of young, old and middle age from all walks of life!!! Smoking weed here is similar in culture to having a few beers in New Zealand.

On my first day in the city I visited the Ann Frank house. To be honest there is not much to see but it does put the story into context when you walk through the secret Annex. The diary itself is on display and there is some original magazine clippings and photos still stuck to the walls but the rooms themselves are practically empty.

Next I went to the Rijks museum which unfortunately is undergoing renovations so mostly closed. However there is a small exhibition showing beautiful examples of Dutch royal history and of course the museum's prime exhibit- the "Night Watch" painting by the famous Rembrandt.

Just down the road from the Rijks is the Van Gogh museum which contains over 200 of his famous works. The gallery is arranged in chronological order with explanation to each part of his life story. You can clearly see the transition in skill and style from his early work right through to when he went a bit loopy.

One other amazing thing about Amsterdam is the number of bikes. Just to give you an idea of how many bikes there are, 80,000 are stolen each year!! Because the whole country is flat, biking is the preferred method of transport. Helmets are not required and there are dedicated bike lanes everywhere. The other thing that seems to be everywhere is Israelis! Apparently 9000 Israelis live in the city and there are scores of tourists every week.

That evening I went to Dam square - the main square to hang out and meet people. It often has musicians performing to the huge crowds and this evening I listened to the rocking covers being performed by an Irish singer and an Italian guitarist. Good times!

Before heading home I decided to have a wander through the Red Light district just because I am curious! It actually is not as sleazy and dirty as people may imagine. Firstly it is a large area right on the edge of a big shopping area and practically in the centre of the city. Yes there are plenty of sex shows on offer, if you are that way inclined (which I am not), and yes there are women dancing in lingerie in the windows on a mission of self-promotion. The Red Light district is also a key place for coffeeshops, second only to the Green District!

On Friday the plan was to go visit the Jewish museum and find a shule in the city to pray at. I headed out to the Jewish museum only to be told to go visit the Porteguese synagogue across the road as it was closing soon. This synagogue was founded by Portuguese Jews escaping the Spanish Inquisition. The synagogue is beautifully crafted and is still a functional synagogue today which still maintains its original minhag (tradition). More on this later.... By random chance I got talking to the worker at the museum (an Israeli - of course!) and he managed to set me up with the local Chabad Rabbi for Shabbat meals and he found me a cheap place to stay near the shule! Thanks mate!

Back to the museum.... The complex comprises four Ashkenazi shules and displays an insight into pre and post Holocaust Judaism in the area.

After checking in to my hostel I went off to Friday night service at the Porteguese synagogue. This was truly a fascinating experience! The service was Orthodox Sephardi so was quite different to what I am used to. Most of the prayers are chanted as opposed to sung. There is also a section of the service where part of the prayer is chanted in Porteguese. Something quite unique as well was the fact the the leader of the service always wears a top hat - classy!

I met the Chabad rabbi at the service and we went back to his place for dinner. Their place was very small and there was a large group of us including more Israelis and Chileans. The next day I went to an Ashkenazi shule and although the service was what I am used to, the tunes where very different. I only recognised 1 tune! But it truly was a beautiful experience, as the Cantor was an amazing powerful singer. After the service the small minyan made Kiddush over Vodka and enjoyed a few shots of Slivovitz (home made) and cake.

Where I was staying and praying was right in the heart of the old Jewish quarter. This would have been the heart of Jewish life before the holocaust. Today most of the Jews live further south of the central city but a few still remain in old area.

That evening I met up with the Chileans, Israelis and some couch surfers and we headed out to town! I met a lot of very interesting people from all over the world including Indians, Australians, Turks, Americans and of course Dutch! I finally hit the bed at about 5am!

After a good sleep in I got up and explored the flower market downtown. The Dutch are famous for their flowers and they export them all over the world. The market is a colourful display and yes - you can buy cannabis plants here too!!!

After the market I went to view the FOAM photography gallery which currently houses the work of W. Eugene Smith, a famous photographer that was commissioned by the Life magazine in the 1950s.

Amsterdam - a city of red lights, green lights, bike lanes, impressionists, liberals.....