Delft and 2nd Chances

On our trip through Panama last summer, my cousin Max (Tex’s brother) and I became friends with two Dutch girls in Bocas Del Toro.  The four of us were the only tourists on a beach tour.  We reconnected later on in the night and I ruined the entire situation by drinking Abuelo rum out of the bottle (see very bottom of post).  I was certain that we would never see Marielle and Jenny ever again. Also, Max has never let me forget the incident.  He has used it against me at least bi-monthly.

Thanks to facebook, and probably some pity, we remained in contact.  The two girls offered to take us out in Holland and so we maneuvered ourselves from a tram, to a 9:30 pm train out to the town of Den Haag, and then on to another tram to the Grote Markt. 

Dressed in jeans and cowboy boots (brown ostrich and dark brown alligator) we were ready for a full night.  The square was packed with students and people recently unchained to the weekend.  Bars line the sides of the plaza with lounge chairs and tables filling the middle area.  We met the girls at bar Zeta and proceeded to dance the night away.

It felt like drinking among New Yorkers in a New Orleans bar.  Long overcoats, students and young professionals, perfectly cropped hair, and beautiful looking people.  The buildings and architecture were old and the setting set by lamp lights. The cold of the night was less bothersome the more we danced and drank.  We finished the evening by moving to a small trance nightclub and then we succumbed to exhaustion. (The pic is of Grote Markt during the day).

The Mercedez Taxi took us all back to the girls’ town of Delft. You know those cameras in America on the stoplights that catch you running the red lights??? They have those here too, but on the freeway - to get you if you go over the speed limit!

The next morning I awoke to the sun pouring in through the large square window in the living room.  I looked out to the canal that cut through the street and I watched rowers push by and the town come to life.  Everyone was still asleep, so I took the opportunity to do some legal research on one of the macbooks in the living room.  My limited internet has been killing me, so I found some much needed sources for my assignment and emailed them to myself. Someone reading has to appreciate the insanity of this.

The town of Delft is gorgeous.  We walked through the cobbled stone streets, ate the famous local candy and krokkets, shopped, and spent the late morning eating lunch under the sun in the center of town.  Although the trip is not finished for another day, I feel as if this was the climax to our trip.  We were in a foreign land, with perfect weather, eating delicious foods, with the best of company, and had great conversation.

(Note: We have no pictures of the beauty of Delft because I left the Nikon 300D at home. I didn’t want to risk the life of the camera at the club. However, I am probably headed back there today to capture some shots.)

We hugged and kissed three times goodbye.  It is incredible to have met such genuine people a year ago and then reunite across the world.  Although it just dawned on me, I got a second chance today. It feels good to have left a better impression than the one I left on the last occasion in Panama.  Unfortunately, we had to split ways, and Tex and I found ourselves at the Vermeer Museum.  This is a good place to stop for now. I will write of how the Vermeer Museum inspired the next day’s events.