Day 52: Thursday, 30 June 1983

Start: Hotel Terminus, Amsterdam, Netherlands

End: Hotel Terminus, Amsterdam, Netherlands

The hotel is okay. A little pricey, but it's right in the heart of the city. The bad news is that my room is across from a church, and every hour on the hour the church bells peal Ode to Joy.

It's a rest day, but I have many chores. Never an efficient process in unfamiliar surroundings.

First off, I need to get Bob some professional help. I'm told many bike shops exist in every direction, but I'm hoping to find one that has mechanics experienced in something a little fancier than the plain black commuter models that proliferate throughout the city. Armed with a list of possibilities, I retrieve Bob from the underground stalling and cruise around the city checking out shops. I find one that looks and sounds like a good candidate. They assure me they have the parts on hand and can do everything I want and I can pick him up in the evening. Before I hand Bob over, I pedal around the area to make sure I know exactly how to get to and from the shop. Then I take a long walk back downtown. 

Laundry is next on my list. Everything I own reeks. In a self-service laundry-mat near the Terminus I strip down to an excessively skimpy Speedo swimsuit and riding shoes and throw everything else into the washer, then perch demurely on a hard plastic chair and read. No one seems to notice.

Afterwards, I walk around the city center. The streets are full of bizarros. Pretty amusing. For anyone under thirty -- and no one seems to be any older than that -- the style seems to be to shave half your head and dye your remaining hair in multiple colors. Quite an eye-catching fashion, and my braided rat tail seems very conservative. I lose count of all the McDonalds and Burger Kings. I buy a replacement for the Swiss Army knife that's been missing for a few days. Long-haired guitarists busk on every corner, but I don't see my Irish buddy from the Beegden hostel. Half the people on the sidewalk offer to sell me hashish as I walk by. I go into American Express to buy more travellers checks.

I tour the red-light district where scantily clad women pose in showroom windows along the street. They preen and stretch and perch on hard plastic chairs. Maybe they're just waiting for their laundry.

In late afternoon I walk back across town to the bike shop where Bob waits gleaming. They've replaced a cable, trued the wheels, replaced tubes and tires, and adjusted everything. All for a reasonable price. The new tires seem a little iffy and I'm not familiar with the brand, but they've got to be an improvement on my worn-out Specialized ones. Bob seems to practically fly back downtown to the stalling near the Terminus, but that might just be because I'm feeling much healthier and we aren't carrying any gear.

Back near the central stalling, everywhere I turn locals with oddly colored hair hand me flyers promoting musical venues. I'd like to hear a local band or two, but I've had a few rough days, so I eat dinner, find a quiet joint to drink one beer, then trudge back to the Terminus.

I'll study my maps, read for awhile, and see if I can get to sleep between church bell renditions of Ode to Joy.

Conditions 

Distance: Rest day 

Weather: Sunny and warmer 

Road: n/a 

Traffic: n/a 

Terrain: n/a 

Mechanical: Tuned up and tires replaced 

Physical: Healthy again

Heart

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