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.....