Lonely Planet

Na ……

22 uur vliegen ( En nog 7 te gaan, groetjes uit Abu Dhabi ), 15 uur trein, 34 uur bus, 10 uur boot, 3 uur taxi, 5 uur fietsen en 19 uur scooteren zit de reis er bijna weer op. Alle bestemmingen weer prima gevonden dankzij de Lonely Planet en veel hulp van aardige lokale bevolking. Zelfs als je op de bus staat te wachten komen ze nog vragen of je niet verdwaald bent. Blijkbaar zien wij er vaak verdwaald uit. Op prachtige plekken geweest waar je door de toeristen de plaatselijke bevolking bijna niet meer zag ( Kao San road, Bangkok) en op Toeristentrips geweest waar we de enige waren ( Parfume pagoda, en duiken op Phu Quoc).

Fantastisch boek de Lonely planet. We hadden er 1 voor Zuid Oost Azië mee en hebben er nog 1 bij gekocht van Cambodja. Wat zou er in de Lonely Planet van Nederland staan?

Shopping
If you visit the Netherlands go visit the small town of Hengelo. Don’t be confused, there are two towns called Hengelo but the major tour operators do know which one you want to go and see. It’s a small town where you can see how the Dutch actually live. It’s also a good place to buy stuff at a market. It’s a virtual market called the “marktplaats”. Negotiate about the price, otherwise you pay too much.

Art
Another small town you may want to visit if you’re done with Amsterdam is Ootmarsum. It’s a little town which grew to be the art town of the Netherlands. Forget about the “Rijksmuseum” the art you will see in Ootmarsum in all those little galleries is way better. And it’s very easy. Once you get out of the tourist bus you can walk through the town in about an hour. Go early to avoid all the retired people who visit daily.

Wildlife:
For wildlife in the Netherlands you should go to a place in between Hengelo and Enschede. It’s a little house where you will see a local wildlife zoo featuring Pigs ( not original Dutch, but cute). A lot of chickens, and if you have the change, try a local egg. Also there are pet cats, a dog, some rabbits and if you are lucky the owner will give you a tour.

Food
For Dutch food there is a place in the town of Borne where there is always plenty. Local food will be prepared at home and you can eat with the people at the restaurant. Just let the owner of the restaurant know when you are coming and there will be a delicious meal for you (try the “boerenkool” that comes with a “rookworst”. The place recently had an upgrade and now also includes an outside kitchen. For more food experiences you should stay in Borne because this is also the place where the guy creating new food lives. For an outside the box meal try the “belgium fries” at the “zonnebloem” it’s the best place for them.

Extra:
In Borne during wintertime, there is a great ice skating club and if you are lucky you meet the “Sinterklaas”. He is spotted there regularly. For sports you should definitely check out Denenkamp for the old swimming pool they got ( spartan training ). Another big Dutch sport in the past was soccer. We all remember Bergkamp and Cruijf. If you want to experience this great sport of the past meet Maarten on Friday night and you can play soccer the Dutch way.
 

For nightlife check out Doetinchem. Ask for locals Esther and Miriam, they will show you around and give you a good time. Upcoming and soon to be the place to visit for a drink ( or a lot of drinks ) is “het pleintje”. The new crew is definitely upgrading the place.

The Netherlands are also famous for their waterworks. The guy who keeps it on track recently moved back from Wageningen to Hengelo. So you can combine this with a shopping trip at the local “marktplaats”.

If you get sick during your trip don’t worry. The Netherlands have an excellent healthcare system. Have a consult with Els and she tells you what’s wrong. For more exotic problems you should contact Alies.

Als ik die Lonely planet van Nederland zo eens doorneem is het toch niet zo erg om ook deze reis weer af te sluiten…..

Bedankt voor het lezen, and see you next time.