Neither Ness or I had experienced anything like what we did yesterday. Almost two thirds of the entire city parties in the straats, masses of people decked out in Orange (which is apparently the done thing) absolutely everywhere. All of the traffic through the city was shut down, with the exception of the occasional tram. Even the prominent canal cruise boats operated under heavy restrictions, the canals were packed with all kinds of boats filled with revellers. We saw quite a few moments as 3 or 4 boats tried to squeeze under a bridge causing a canal jam but nobody seemed to be at all worried. The entire city was one giant carnival: Locals selling their wares on the streets (many of who had chalked marked their place on the pavement designating their spot days and even weeks before hand), the smells of so many different foods being cooked, stages everywhere with all kinds of music from Doof to Flamenco, Rock Covers to Italian Opera.
The beer flowed freely and the atmosphere was so completely chilled out. There wasn't the slightest hint of violence or anger, everyone was just out to enjoy this amazing collective moment of celebration. You couldn't help but be swept into the vibe of the moment. That is something I have not experienced in such a long time and will not soon forget. Here are a few of the photos we took throughout the day...
A very packed Damrak
One of the many covers bands, when this photo was taken they were playing "Sympathy for The Devil"
One of the many crazy canal moments (Canal Jam Part 2)
Party boats cruising the canals (most of which were packed to capacity with revellers)
There where just so many great moments of things happening around us. The image that sticks in my mind is of one of the smaller boats on the canal packed with at least 30 people dancing to the Freestylers and the sound of the music reverberating under the bridge as they passed underneath us.
Until next time, kind regards as always,
Jim and Ness
[Just an observation: Everyone is familiar with the festival port-a-loo - over here they have the craziest upright urinals I've ever seen. It does the job, just don't expect any privacy as you bare your arse to the world while you take a slash.]
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