1:00 am

I am not leaving this hotel again tonight! I called Matt, Eli and Richard! Yay! We were 6000 miles apart and still together. Yay! I guess it was 6:30 pm there. I told them I'm stoned in Amsterdam in the pouring fucking rain! Anyhow, I did try to go back to the C***ring. I walk by a cool bar on my street playing Bob Marley. I hesitate. I say, "Nah. Go on." So I walk ... in the pouring fucking rain!! I get not very far and turn back! "Give up," I say. "Go back to the Bob Marley." So I did. I had a drink. The place was full of locals -- speaking that Dutch stuff. The waitress was so loud! They were all talking and laughing. Me and this old guy were singing along with "Redemption Song." No barriers. So I'm sitting there, thinking that I have to go back to this other bar! I go out again. I walk and walk and walk in the P.F.R! I get lost AGAIN! I'm in the scary Red Light District. No map this time! I said get me out of here. I retraced my steps and got the hell out of that area. I mean, it was this dark, rainy, deserted street. I'm just toolin' down there with the word "Tourist" across my forehead! I was SCARED! I was PISSED! I was HIGH! I was LOST! I was the Little Match Girl! It was destined to happen -- found by Amsterdam police the next morning, his last match -- no, his Hamtramck lighter -- snuffed out by the rain. Vhat a country!

1:20 am

I'm trying to set my travel alarm clock, but it's fucking up. It keeps ringing when I turn it to "set alarm." I hope the neighbors aren't home! I'm still stoned. Now I'm thinking I should stay another day. I just wish the weather were nicer! I wouldn't mind staying. It's safer. It's a scary world out there! But I can do it! I RULE!

1:25 am

Traveling is so hard! You have a million decisions to make! I thought it'd be a vacation without a care -- without decisions. But there are so many! Where do I stay? Should I leave today? How will I pay for this? Should I buy that? Can I carry it? So much going on. Like in the square at the Dam. A great place.

11:30 am

Now this is the way to travel. First Class in a compartment by myself. Of course, I won't meet anyone this way! Perhaps I'll ride in 2nd class occasionally, but I do enjoy this time alone, watching the Dutch countryside. I'm on the way to Köln. I'll spend the day there, hopefully take a cruise on the Rhine, and take a night train to Berlin. Didn't write about Saturday night. I went to the April Bar, ran into Eamon and his Dutch friend, Jan. We drank and talked. Went to the Exit Bar and drank and talked. Eamon left at 3, then Jan and I danced a bit. Then I went home at 5:00 am. It's too bad I didn't see Eamon last night to get his address in London. But he'll be in Barcelona when I'm there. Who knows?

1:30 pm

Well, I had a bit of an adventure there. I got off at Duisdorf instead of Köln. Gotta keep an eye on the watch. Luckily, there was another train in 20 minutes. Nice little visit!

5:45 pm

On the train again. On the way to Mainz. I found out that I need to start in Mainz if I want the entire 9 hour Rhine cruise -- downstream. So I spent 2 hours in Köln and off again. I hope to find the Youth Hostel in Mainz. It's lovely looking across the river. An occasional castle is passed. Must look even better by boat. I hope the weather is like this tomorrow -- warm and partly sunny. Much better than Amsterdam! I really enjoy having this time to sit and think and write. In the midst of beauty.