Thursday morning, I woke up in time to have breakfast, which ended up being four dry pieces of toast. I really wouldn’t recommend this hotel to anyone. After breakfast, I started my journey to Brussels, which was pretty eventful overall… Just lots of crying babies on a crowded train.
By the time I found my hotel in Brussels, it was 2:30. The lady at reception was very nice. She spoke excellent English as she told me that she had overbooked and I had no room at her hotel. Instead, she got me a room at the three-star hotel around the corner for the same price. This was great, because my new room had a wonderful bathroom ensuite. I have developed a great appreciation for good bathrooms in the last few weeks. As I sat down on the bed, I discovered that I was really tired, and ended up taking a nap until 4:00. Then, I got a quick shower to wash off Amsterdam, picked up a map at the front desk, and left to see what I could see.
I ended up finding a museum just as it was closing, a few great views of the city from a hill (they would have been better if it weren’t so dreary out), and an awesome outdoor elevator over what must have been a cliff at one time.
I figured that because I have generally been underbudget on this trip, I would treat myself to a really good meal for ~20 Euro. I saw many restaurants, but kept finding myself thinking about Thai food – particularly the Thai restaurant next to my hotel. In the end, that’s where I went, because I haven’t had good Thai food in so long.
As it turned out, this was a great choice on my part. The waitress, Nam, was very helpful and suggested a few really tasty dishes. I had some fried pork “ravioli” with sesame oil to start, and a slightly spicy shrimp, onion, and garlic dish as my main meal. I also ordered jasmin tea and a milkshake.
At this point it was only 9:15 or so, so I wanted something to do, and I asked the waitress if she had any suggestion. She said that not much really happens in Brussels, so she travels away to have fun… However, she did offer to show me around on Sunday, since she works until then. It’s too bad I am leaving tomorrow for Paris and Bastille Day; that probably would have been fun.
So, after dinner, I found myself alone in the hotel room, watching CSI on TV.
