Day 3: Amsterdam

Sleeping in a tent, on a campground in Amsterdam, on a Saturday night, was probably one of the worst sleeps I have ever experienced. The tent was hot and moist, so it felt like we were sleeping in a steam room the whole night. On top of that it was so LOUD! We got woken up at around 3am to the beautiful sound of vomit from one of our lovely neighbors. Okay, so the poor guy had too much to drink and was puking his guts out, no problem, it should stop any minute now. Nope! He went at it for a few hours. I was too scared to look outside, because it sounded like it was literally right outside our tent. Gross! 

Finally, I started to fall asleep maybe an hour after the vomit incident, to get woken up once again to the sound of ducks, birds, and roosters at 5:45am, and that was pretty much the end of my sleep that evening. People started playing music, having sex, and talking loudly, so sleeping clearly was not going to be an option. I got up, showered (paid .80 Euros for a 5min shower, but it was well worth it after having slept in a steam room all night), and got ready for the day’s activities. 

Riel and I started filming today! We got some nice shots of the bikers meeting up, and going through orientation. We also started to interview some people individually. The Canon 5D Mark II takes breathtaking footage. 

Today really was a day to get to know the cyclist better. We heard about their fears, hopes, and dreams during orientation and about what makes them angry and how they deal with it. We also learned about the biking rules and etiquette. Once we broke for lunch, Riel and I headed to the city centre to grab some last minute stuff, like you know a notebook and toothbrush. Yes, Riel forgot his toothbrush, but he was okay with his super mouthwash. Most stores were closed on Sunday in Amsterdam so we will be making another trip to the city to pick up a fire-wire cable and a car adapter for our iPod. 

Once we got back, they were pretty much wrapping up orientation and had a guest speaker from the Baha’i community come speak to them on empowerment. The Amsterdam Baha’i community has sponsored an evening of camp accommodations (equivalent of 200 Euros for 25 people). The Baha’i community believes in providing community service in lieu of prayers. 

We wrapped up the day with some interviews, beer, and a picnic. Tonight we get to sleep in wagonette cabins. So I am super excited! We had a rough start but things are definitely starting to come together.