I am trying to go big city and then little town so next stop was Bruges, Belgium. This is a small medieval town that is often called boring and eccentric in the same sentance. I thought that was odd but after being there I can understand why, however can't really explain it either. I got off the train and wandered for about an hour to find my hostel. At one moment I was so lost that I was questioning if I was even in the right town. It's times like this I am grateful I packed light and only had to carry 18 pounds of my belongings. Right when I walked in my dorm room two kids from good ol Tennessee were so friendly and telling me everything they saw and did and gave me their old map and circled everything that was good. They were so great just like everyone else I have meet from the dear volunteer state. I unpacked and hung out with them the rest of the night. The next morning Daniel and Alysse taught me some robin hood tactics. We snuck into another hostel and ate their breakfast and dashed. Stealing from the rich (big hotel company), and giving to the poor (us). Haha. Not exactly honest but sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do. Then they were off to Switzerland. Its kinda hard meeting such great people and then they are gone so quickly. I rented a bike and literally got lost in the city. It was so nice to not worry if I was in a bad area of town or where I was in accordance to where I needed to be. I had the entire day to ride around and that's just what I did. I rode my bike and stopped every couple hours to buy the most delicious chocolates I have ever eaten. At one point I went on a trail that surrounds the city. It was so bizzare to look to the right and see the "real" world with cars and gas stations and modern looking houses and then look to the left and see quiet cobblestone streets with medieval buildings. It kind of felt like the Truman Show for a second, like a fake little world. When I was wandering those streets it seemed perfectly normal and then when I looked at it from afar it seemed very strange. That night Ben-computer programmer from Chicago showed up as my hostelmate. We got some dinner and did some travel chit chatting. I was on my way to Amsterdam and he had just come from there. I thought no better person to get some advice from. I asked him where he stayed. He said a nice place but he could not remember the name. I asked him where he ate. He said he had such good food but could not remember where any of the places where or what they were called. I then asked him what he did in the city. He let me know he used the coffeeshop and red light district services to the fullest. He said it was the best time he had ever had and was thinking to go back there instead of on to Paris. I suddenly realized that dear Ben should have saved his thousands of dollars on a European vacation and just stayed home and got a drug dealer. Amsterdam to Ben is what Disneyland is to a 5 year old. I wasn't about to be the one to tell him he had just come to a town where there isn't a prositute in sight and that everything closes at 8pm.
I made it my goal to find the best chocolate in the city. I didn't want any of that factory touristic stuff found on the main streets. I went down many back roads looking for something quaint and homemade. I walked into a place and she hardly spoke english. Good sign. And she was kinda annoyed that i did speak english. Another good sign. And it was by far the best chocolate. My family will disown me but I have to say it. I even liked the cremes!!!! It wasn't that nasty stuff you usually find. It was like a whipped mousse inside. This is the only thing I can come up with as to how their chocolate is so superior. I think it's in the cows. Every cow I saw in Belgium was laying down peacefully and in a beautiful beyond beautiful pasture. They must just have a higher quality of milk.
I was kind of sad to leave. It was so refreshing to not have so many people around and to not have to figure out a public transit system and to walk anywhere and not be worried if it was a rough area. But Amsterdam was calling to me.......
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