Back to Amsterdam-5 Tropen Plus

Our group went off in two directions one day. B and I headed for the Tropen Museum and "De 9 Straatjes" (aka the 9 streets), a multi-block shopping area with tons of small shops.

First, the 9 streets. We had perhaps the most interesting cherry pie I've ever seen . Looked a little like a pretzel on top, studded with rock salt but still a very nice cherry pie. (As the fork in the pie indicates, one had to kill it first :) ). You stood up around tiny tall tables to eat and there wasn't really any room. My paper plate was on a ledge and the pie slipped off the plate after a few bites. Pie finished.

I bought a pretty scarf and a pair of funky bamboo socks. Mostly, we just window shopped. along the way we did find a camera shop. BH and DH had broken the filter on their camera and were able to get a new one at this shop later.

In the sequence of events, the Tropen Museum came first. We took the tram and off we went. The building was built in 1926 to house the Royal Institute of the Tropics. Today it is still a leading facility for research in tropical hygiene and agriculture. The museum has a huge collection of colonial artifacts from Africa, India, Dutch East Indies (Indonesia) and Central America. The galleries covering Indonesia were particularly of interest to us. There was lots of materials from Papua/New Guinea.

At a very interesting exhibit, I learned that when Dutch families were stationed here, it was the duty of the wives to communicate with the family back at home. The ladies had special stationery, a writing area and spent significant time drafting letters to let everyone know about their lives here in Indonesia. Back then it took months for letters to pass back and forth and often groups of letters would arrive all in a large batch. I continue that tradition by writing this blog and very often I create entries all in a bunch. Just like the old days, except delivery is practically instantaneous.

Also on this day B and I visited a quilt shop located at, get this, Nieuwezijds Voorburgwai 99. Even the Dutch abbreviate it to NV. I include some directions just because it's so interesting to try to pronounce it: South on Prinsengracht toward Westermarkt. At Westermarkt, turn left and continue on Raadhuisstrat. Turn left onto NV. Go about 180 meters to find the shop. I bought some tonal pale off white fabric (2-3 meters), a couple of packs of small squares of delft blue and white fabrics and a set of bright solid squares as well. I will do something with the blue and white I'm sure. The bright solids will go with all of the bright Bali Batiks I find.