We met in front of the hotel at 6:00 PM and Hibren led us on an orientation walk through the streets on our way to tonight's restaurant. This involved a lesson--one that makes Sam's hair stand on end--in using the trams.
Although I am now very comfortable riding the Paris Metro and buses, I don't speak or read Dutch and it's always a challenge to learn the particular process--which doors to enter, which to exit, how to validate the tickets, etc. (Frankly, I did screw up when exiting one day! But I wasn't caught and think it was the last time we planned to use the two-day pass anyway; so no harm, no foul.)
Leidseplein, named after a particularly bustling square, was our nearest stop and I think we were always supposed to look for trams marked with #5. (Probably the reason I snapped this photo, journalist that I am...) And, we weren't the only ones trying to get oriented.
Five hundred years of history with the former Indonesian colony has made their food a favorite with the Dutch. You can experience a rijsttafel (literally, "rice table") at most of these restaurants--food served as we would describe "family-style."
Our dinner was served with lots of rice and around twelve dishes to share: tofu satay with peanut sauce, tempeh satay, spicy tofu, mango and pineapple salad with peanut dressing, spicy green beans, garlic chips, and more. It was a feast for--especially--vegetarians and we liked many of the dishes. The table at which Sam and I sat left a lot of food at the end; however, the other tables really chowed down!
After leaving the Sampurna Indonesian restaurant, we walked through the Red Light District before going home for sleep!
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