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General Recommendations for Amsterdam

Do not be sucked in by Argentinian or Italian restaurants, they are everywhere instead go to the outskirts of town for some excellent local food.

Come in through central station-> if coming with luggage prepare yourself to wheel your bags over rough cobblestones to your hotel.

Walk streets before biking them, otherwise you will get hopelessly lost.

Rental bikes- find one close to hotel or a spot that you want to see as you walk back to the hotel, scout out prices, check your bike before you leave to see if you have a small map attached on the back, be careful about brightly colored bikes because they mark you as a tourist [which tells the Amsterdamers to take it easy on you when biking but also draws unsavory types], always lock your bike completely

Try to get off Damrak (main tourist street)- it's really crowded with luggage wheeling tourists, full of souvenir shops, and lousy restaurants

Canal boat tours are worth it especially if your feet are tired from walking

Go to the Jordaan district

Be careful, no matter how amazing the Dutch grocery store, they might only take a local Dutch credit card.  No cash.  ; (

Amsterdam is quiet early in the morning (guessing everyone is hungover) it's a good time to go exploring after some hot Dutch pancakes

In February it is cold and windy

Red and white jerseys are team Amsterdam's soccer jersey, orange is Holland's

XXX is Amsterdam's symbol

The Icebar is a tourist trap

Coffee shops are not for coffee they are for marajuana

Museums- mind you I didn't go to all the museums but here are my recommendations for a few.

Maritime museum was cool, it is interactive, clean and well organized

If you absolutely love Rembrandt his house museum might be exciting (don't get me wrong he was an amazing painter); however it was rather boring and not very informative.

Get to the Anne Frank house early in the morning when the line is the shortest, it opens at 9:00am.  It is an touching look at her house, family and life.

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