Aug 25, 2011

Trigger: Crazy Times in Holland, Day 185 - Day 195

A memorable time was had with good friends made in Holland. This is an incomplete audit of the improbable adventures shared around a badass Red Campervan. If you're looking at the photos and wondering about the garish timestamp declaring a lost time, I need only refer you to our Dutch theme song. Press play and enjoy!

Soundtrack for the "Crazy Days"
'Loca People (What the f**k)' by Sak Noel

















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L to R: American. German. German, Dutch. German
(From Right to Left)

a) German F
Owner of the badass red Campervan. I met him playing guitar by the campfire at the Scheveningen Surf Village, a beach town near Den Haag. He is a strong drinker but weak smoker. Great parkour skills, easily bounding onto a 1.5 metre shop roof. His impressive feat undone by drunkenly jumping off it, No forward roll, zero technique. Ridonc! He rocked a limp and crutches from then on.

b) Dutch A
This kindly person approached us as we ate our grocery store breakfast by the side of the road, he was after a light. A brief chat revealed he had just bought and moved into his first apartment that day. Moments later we were upstairs, unloading the van and a key was graciously handed to us. He said that it was cool for us to stay at his place indefinitely. The Germans could only stay that night, the American stayed a total of 5. I moved in 2 days later. Freakin' cool guy, with great friends too!

c) German A
Right hand man of the Campervan owner. A hilarious guy with an expressive character. We shared 2 booze and smoke-filled nights in Scheveningen, entertained by great Dutch musos (Hanneke and Nino) by the campervan. I was saved from having to cycle back to Den Haag in the all too familiar Dutch rain, scoring a lift back to Rotterdam then camping in Amsterdam. But that was only the start of our adventures...

d) Turkish/German M
Met her the first time I was in Amsterdam, almost a month previous. We had enjoyed a memorable time with our mutual Mexican roommate and her charming dutch admirer. When I texted that I was back in town with a campervan, she proceeded to jump out the bus halfway to taking her home. With only 50 to her name and a foolhardy belief everything would work out, she joined our merry band. This was to be her last hurrah after a month of traveling.

It was a lost night for her - bumping into a Dutchman at the bus stop she had met in her Lisbon hostel weeks previous. Negotiating through gay traffic through the lanes of Amsterdam with her overwhelming backpack, using her feminine wiles to find a place to stay whilst dealing with other idiots. She eventually crashed with my NY apartment swappers. We talked about how it was quite the effort for essentially half a night in Amsterdam, albeit during the famous Canal Parade weekend. We wondered if and how we could extend the experience. Then in walked our Dutch saviour...

e) American M
My German friends had their campervan parked in front of my Rotterdam hostel. The weather was fine so we decided to go to the beach by Haarlem, eventually heading into Amsterdam. I promptly canceled the night's booking and invited anyone present in the hostel lobby "I have some cool Germans outside with a van, who wants to come?".

Though hesitant at first but open to suggestion (he had been randomly browsing google maps for his next destination), this American was my running mate for the last 10 days in Holland. A Dr Ruth with a knack for expletive-filled freestyles and a love for kapsalon (with all the flatulence that comes with it). We introduced ourselves between the walk from the hostel lobby and the van in front. The rest, as they say is history.

Update: I reconnected with the Hamburg kids over Christmas. They were at the opening of my Gallery Exhibition in my bedroom - A Memento Year

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