Carnaval

A decision made only 4 days before (and a quick hotel switch the morning of departure) found us on a 7:37 train to Maastricht in South Holland. In the process of getting to Centraal we had gained another traveler, a touch of drama, and no dinner, but we made the train. We arrived in Maastricht to discover our hotel was relatively close to downtown, in the way Siena is relatively close to say, Saratoga. Actually, it was about a 15 minute bus ride and we wereconvienently located right on the bus route. We checked in, and were back on the bus in under 12 minutes, and hit downtown by 11ish.

To say the very least, the celebration was in full swing. The main square was already trashed, broken glass everywhere, while several varieties of music competed for attention. From techno to really shitty American music to traditional Dutch songs, the array proved amusing which we took full advantage of by breaking out every rediculous dance move we could think of. We traveled the bars of the Square, making friends, trying to explain we didn't speak much (read: any) Dutch, and dancing. We were unfortunately very underdressed for the occasion, as most people were in some form of costume - either the Carneval colors of red, yellow, and green, something totally rediculous, or actual costume. There were quite a few people in army fatigues, one who took a liking to me, and ended up taking me down in the middle of a side street as a result of his inebration.

While it is hard to describe every interesting moment - of which there were many - I'll highlight. We, by chance, found other friends for CIEE outside a bar, which was exciting and traveled deeper into the city with them. I danced with a man more than twice my age (arguably 3 times my age - insert joke here, I can here you laughing from NL) and then we took over a stage with a pair of boys dressed as Snow White. There is no explanation at all. I ended up really dehydrated and tired because I hadn't really eaten dinner and water is so hard to get for free here, so by 3 am we cleared out, hailed a cab, and headed back home.

I don't spend a lot of time in cabs, but I view it as they are doing me a service, and I am paying them much too much, so I don't expect to be morally judged by them. For example, 4 of us are in the taxi, no one is overly intoxicated, we are reviewing the night, discussing how one of our friends was too shy to kiss this guy. Not too R-rated at all - we have much more intense conversations at home around the dinner table with my family - and the cab driver asks us to not talk about this subject. We are all stunned into silence, with no idea how to react. He then stops to get petrol, and I refuse to see any justification in this request, but there's nothing really that can be done. After an awkwardly quiet trip back, we sneak 4 people into a triple, crash immediately and I am sleeping in the crack of the two single beds. Niccccccccccccccccce.

The next day's adventures did not commence until almost 13:30. We went to a cheap Asian buffet, then to the only church in the NLs that is built on a Saint's burial place. Our original plan had been to go downtown and just stay until the parties that night. By 16:00 the parties had started, but our asses were kicked. If I were to start drinking at 4 in the afternoon, I'd probably be out by 10. We had luckily snagged all day bus passes and thus headed back to crash for a few hours. By 21:00 we are back downtown, complete with feather boas et all so we "blend in" a bit more. We head to a really cheap Fraternity-run bar (beer + shots, 1 euro each, mixed drinks, 2 euro) where everyone begins to drink semiheavily (not me though, I had 3 drinks all night. Really!) We end up wandering some more, I sign my name on some Dutch guy's ass (after I stop him from marking my friend's back with a permenant marker), you know, the regular. Around midnight, we end up splitting into two groups; Kristen, Dalma, and Torie head back into the bars, while me, Molly, and Megan go to a coffeeshop entitled "Cool Runnings." The name alone brought me joy. We three chilled and talked for a while, but didn't have any phone signal inside, so as soon as we got outside again, I had several messages and no idea what was going on with the other half of the group (this confusion was a result of shitty cell phones, not other things, as you may suspect). From what I can glean though, there is drama.

We find the other 3 outside of a McDonalds and Kristen's chilling on the sidewalk. The drama is not worth getting into, but basically we decide to leave. Its about a quarter of 2 at this point, and I am more than happy to go back. There is the regular debriefing before bed and then finally, marvelous sleep.

10:00 comes too soon; we rush to check out, get all of us out without them questioning our numbers and catch the bus back to Centraal. We arrive 20 minutes before the next train fortunately, and by 1130ish we are headed back to A'dam.

It was quite the party, to put it lightly. I was dead to the world most of Sunday after we returned, but it was an experience worth the sacrifice.


Pictures will follow shortly, be ready.