My biggest adventure in Amsterdam was riding the tram, which
is an electric train system. You need to
buy a pass card and put it past a scanner each time you get on and off. Luckily we got day passes that could be used
more than once, because…
When we got back to our B&B’s stop, riding the tram from
downtown, Paul got off ahead of me, and then another person. When I got to the door, it wouldn’t scan my
card, and there I was, stuck behind a closed door. Paul was in as much shock as I was (he told
me later) as the train took me away.
In a panic, I thought perhaps I could get off at the next
stop, find the main street and work my way back. I don’t know the address of our B&B,
though. Then a very nice young woman on
the tram told me how to take a pedestrian overpass at the next stop so I could
catch the next tram coming back.
Several others in the car were also helpful. I have good impressions of the Dutch! When the tram finally stopped, I scanned my
pass and headed up the stairs they pointed out.
Just as I came to the stairs going down, the tram was pulling in, so I
ran. I didn’t want to miss this one.
When I got off at the correct stop—finally—Paul was there
waiting for me. The first thing I said
was,
“This is the kind of thing we will laugh about later.”
It certainly was an adventure! And I saved those tram passes as a souvenir.
In a strange sort of way, it made us look out for each other
more on the rest of the trip. And even
though it may have seemed to be a bad start, it actually wasn’t. I learned to appreciate and take everything
in stride, more than I used to.
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