The Big D.

Dusseldorf. What did we know about the double deuce? Not a whole lot. Our guide book said there was good nightlife and we knew it was on the Rhine. Now that I've seen this little city, what can I say? It was an interesting place.

After getting off the train, we set out... to do what? I don't remember, but I think we were looking for a hostel. Certain members of our entourage decided we didn't need a map, they wanted to just "feel" the city. Have I mentioned my bag yet? Being on vacation for three weeks and being a girl, I had a lot of stuff. Not to mention my boots got a hole in them so I had to lug them around with me for two weeks. My bag couldn't weigh more than 10kg (22 lbs) in order to fly on Ryanair and Easyjet (discount airlines), so I cut it close with my 9.8 kg bag. I threw this sucker over my shoulder for two weeks while the smart boys had backpacks and far fewer clothes. Anyway, after wandering for 2 hours, we decided to go back to the train station to find our bearings. Certain members of the group (me included) were ready to give up and just go back to Amsterdam, however, we decided to give finding our hostel one more shot.

Five hours after arriving in Dusseldorf, we find our hostel. Immediate nap. In our wanderings we were able to see really cool parts of the city, so it was a nice tour, just a heavy tour. After our crucial nap, we set out for dinner and to discover some good local beer. We went to this brewery where the waiters don't let you have an empty glass and they tally your count on a coaster. The beer was poured from huge wooden barrels, very cool. After this, we passed by an Irish pub, blasting karaoke. After our success in karaoke in Cologne, we ventured inside. The boys sang "You've Lost that Loving Feeling" (like the scene from Top Gun), and after that performance, it was time for us to leave.

We met three German students who showed us around to the best local spots and we hung out by the Rhine. Dusseldorf was turning out to be a cool place! Then on our walk home, we had a little hiccup. An extremely intoxicated German man thought one of my friends spit on him, false accusation. A minor scuffle ensued that was quickly stopped by the police. The intoxicated man was immediately arrested and we were asked if we wanted to press charges, thank you German police! We didn't want to be held up so we declined and headed on our way. Oh Dusseldorf. (P.S. no one was hurt!)

The next morning we lugged our bags back to the train station and were on our way back to Amsterdam until the 30th. We had tons to do in only three days and we really needed some rest! But rest is for the weak and we trudged on.