Amsterdam/Holland Travel

links
http://www.simplyamsterdam.nl/events.htm

http://www.timeout.com/amsterdam/sight/

http://www.amsterdam.nl/e_tourism/e_tourism.html
http://www.timeout.com/amsterdam/features/ess_info/spreekt_u_nederlands_063_.html

Time Zone  GMT + 3 (GMT + 4 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October).
8 hours ahead of EST.  New York 23:00 EST is equal to Amsterdam 05:00 CET next dayNew York

When you get to Amsterdam, immediately look for the "Chicago Boom" magazine (free), it is your primary guide to this city. It tells you what to do and what not,  where to eat and where not.

High Times Cannabis Cup
November 18 – 22  Various locations

Holland.com   This motel is booked at  275.46 Dutch guilders (Netherland) = 113.10 Winter Special Discount

     Crowne Plaza Amsterdam City Centre 
        Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 5
    AMSTERDAM , NETHERLANDS
    1012 RC
    Local Phone: 31-20-6200500,  Fax: 31-20-6201173, E-Mail: sales@crowneplaza.nl

another choice: Golden Tulip Schiller  Special offer Discount: 50 %

http://www2.holland.com/amsterdam/gb/

 Hotel Inntel Amsterdam-Centre

Hotel Inntel Amsterdam-Centre is situated in the historic heart of the city centre, in between the Central Station and the Dam Square. Because of the location at a traffic-free square a good night's rest can be assured. Underneath the wings of the hotel there are two restaurants; Humprey's Restaurant, offering a three course menu at NLG 32.50 and Restaurant Bon Ton, with a three course daily menu at NLG 42.50.

Winter Special - Over night stay in a Deluxe Plus room
Offer rate: NLG 265 / EURO 120.25 Single and Double use
Valid: 14 October 2001 until 28 Februari 2002
28 December, minimum length of stay of four nights

 otherwise rate is: NLG 590 / EURO 267.73 (239.185 USD)
Including tax and service, excluding breakfast and 5% tourist tax  International Breakfast buffet: NLG 35 / EURO 15.88 per person Rate per room per night

120.25 EUR
Euros

=

107.420 USD
United States Dollars

 

Language

Yes: Ja (Yah); No: Nee (Nay); Thanks: Bedankt (B'dunked); Please: Graag (hkrahk -- pronounce the hk as if you are trying to pronounce an h at the same time as a k, the sort of sound a child says when saying yecchh!); Sorry: sorry (sorry, with rolled r's); excuse me: pardon (parDON).

  Pronunciation guide
ch - like 'ch' in 'loch'
ee - like 'ay' in 'hay'
g - similar to 'ch' (above)
ie - like 'ea' in 'lean'
ei - like 'i' in 'line'
j - like 'y' in 'yes' except when preceded by 'i', in which case it should be pronounced as a 'y'
oe - like 'o' in 'who'
oo - like 'o' in no
ou, au, ui - like 'ow' in 'cow (have to be heard to be imitated)
tie - like 'tsy' in 'itsy bitsy'
tje - like 'ch' in 'church'
v - like 'f' in 'for'
w - like 'w' in 'which', with
a hint of the 'v' in 'vet' thrown in
y/ij - (written as either) a cross between 'i' in 'hide' and 'ay' in 'way'

Words & phrases
hello - hallo (hullo) or dag (daarg)
goodbye - tot ziens (tot zeens)
bye - dag (daarg)
yes - ja (yah)
yes please - ja, graag (ya, graag)
no - nee (nay)
No thank you - nee, dank je (nay, dank ye)
please - alstublieft (als-too-bleeft); 
also commonly used to replace the phrase 'there you are' when exchanging items such as money with others
thank you - dank u (dank-oo)
thanks - bedankt
excuse me - pardon
(par-don) Excuse me, do you speak English? - 
Sorry, spreekt u Engels? (sorry, spraykt oo Engels?)
I'm sorry, I don't speak Dutch - Het spijt me, ik spreek geen Nederlands (et spite meh, ik spraykhane nayderlants) 
I don't understand - Ik begrijp het niet (ik begripe et neet)
What is that? - Wat is dat? (vot is dat?)
My name is… - Mijn naam is…(mine naam is…)
I want… - ik wil graag…
How much is…? - Wat kost…?
 Could I have a receipt? - Mag ik een bonnetje alstublieft? 
How far is it to…? - Hoe ver is het naar…? 
waiter - ober 
nice, tasty (only food) - lekker (lecker)
nice (non-food) - mooi (moy) 
open - open;  closed - gesloten/dicht
inside - binnen; outside - buiten (bowten)
left - links
right - rechts (reks)
straight ahead - rechtdoor
far - ver (fair)
near - dichtbij (dikt-bye)
street - straat (straart)
canal - gracht
square - plein (pline)
good - goed
bad - slecht
big - groot
small - klein (kline)

Numbers
0 - nul; 1 - een; 2 - twee; 3 - drie; 4 - vier; 5 - vijf; 6 - zes; 7 - zeven; 8 - acht; 9 - negen;
10 - tien; 11 - elf; 12 - twaalf; 13 - dertien; 14 - veertien; 15 - vijftien; 16 - zestien;  
17 - zeventien; 18 - achttien; 19 - negentien;  
20 - twintig; 21 - eenentwintig; 22 - tweeëntwintig;
30 - dertig; 31 - eenendertig; 32 - tweeëndertig;
40 - veertig; 50 - vijftig;
60 - zestig; 70 - zeventig;
80 - tachtig; 90 - negentig; 100 - honderd; 101 - honderd een;
110 - honderd tien; 200 - tweehonderd; 1,000 - duizend.

Schiphol's Duty-free Shops are online. You can even phone them to order and pick your goods up when you leave.  By the way, Schiphol has been voted the best airport in the world several times, and not without reason: the shops there are great, and of a wide range, from drink and chocolates to fashions and electronics. You might want to leave yourself some extra time for shopping. If you want to know what to take back for people, Dutch chocolate and cheese are very good. There are also nice stoneware bottles of Dutch gin (called Jenever) in two types Jong (young) and Out (old). The Dutch also invented Brandy (Brandewijn means 'burnt wine') which they call "Vieux" (Yes, the Dutch call it by a French name and the French call it by a Dutch name).  

Not far from Amsterdam, in the former Zuiderzee (now the IJsselmeer) is Marken, an island now joined to the mainland by a land bridge. It still has many wooden houses, and you can still see people wearing local costume, not just for tourists. You should at least visit the harbour. There are organised coach tours (f42.50), but for much less money (six strips of a strippen-card) you can take bus 111 from Central Station (times can be got from the public transport telephone information line 0900-9292, 75 cents per minute).

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