Day One

I finally made it to the The Hague today. Which was no easy feat, considering how much crap I had to take with me. I barely got my bags through the tiny doors on the train from Amsterdam.
When I get off the long flight to Amsterdam from Atlanta, which went by surprisingly quick, I walk to a pay phone so I can call moms, because I am sure she is still awake awaiting my call. The Amsterdam airport looks like any other airport I have been to, except for all the dutch signs.


So I walk down that hallway to customs and baggage pick up and am greeted by my first taste of Dutch signage.

Which looks innocuous enough, until I look a bit closer and realize that they are fondling David.


The crazy ass Dutch.

After I go through customs, which was surprisingly easy, I grab my mountain of baggage and head to the train. Buying a train ticket was a hassle, because they insist on making it difficult to pay cash for one, but eventually I found the counter, and was on my way, after trying to decipher the signs in Dutch. Luckily, I found the right train and got off on the right stop. Everything was coming up Matt.
When I got into the hotel, I went wondering about town. It seems like just about everybody in this town rides a bicycle everywhere they go. At the train station there was probably 2000 bikes parked out front. I had never seen that many bikes in the same place before. It was alot like the scene in The Bicycle Thief outside the soccer stadium. So perhaps I will get ahold of a cheap bike whilst I'm here.
Also, it is humid here. The weather right now reminds me of Louisiana in the Late fall.

Some photos of my first day.


I was nervous to get on such a blurry train at first, but it ended up being pretty stable.


The Dutch countryside from the train


My hotel, which happened to be right next door to...


The ICTY building, which would be really convenient, If I weren't leaving the hotel before I start work


The other side of the ICTY building


Only a few of the many many bicycles

And finally, I think this guy heard I was coming, so he wanted to make me feel more at home


More to come.

Matt