I'm In Holland

I wasn’t impressed by the campsite, an oversized plot, half grass, half dirt and no shade. It was set in the middle of a bunch of second rate caravan trailers with cheap tent extension. Kids were running around. Some sites looked a little junky and seasonally permanent. The sky was gray and it was starting to rain. Being late in the day I figured I best make the most of it.

The site I was originally assigned was not good for me and my small tent. It was better suited for parking. I spotted an acceptable vacant site backed up to a fence between two decent looking caravans. It was grassy. I returned to the reception and asked if I could have the other site. It was reserved but not due to be used in few days. I got the ok and set up my one man tent looking little out of place.

I figured I’d leave first thing in the morning but decided to stay. Surprisingly the campsite was very quiet through the night and I slept well. Not sure it will be the same for tonight, Saturday.

Yesterday I caught a ride from Brussels, Belgium to Harderwijk, Netherlands. I parted ways with Richard and his wife at their local village train stop after a wonderful visit. Their generosity and help was greatly appreciated. I hope I get the chance to return the favor someday.  I think the timing was just right for all of us but it was time to move one. It would be a short train ride with one easy change to Brussels to catch my ride.

I found the ride via an online rideshare site called Blah Blah. It’s a site where people offer rides and in return the passenger(s) pays an amount, set by the driver, to help pay for gas.

It turned out to be a 3 hour drive with a very nice middle aged woman who commutes between Holland and Belgium for work. The cost was 12 Euros and we enjoyed good conversation the whole way. Upon arrival she dropped me at tourist information.

Well, tourist information did not make the best first impression. The woman working there was lacking customer service skills and not particularly helpful. I felt like I kind of had to direct her. She had very few suggestions. At first I didn’t really get the impression she was all that interested in her job but she did seem to warm up a little as my questions became more specific. It might be that she didn’t really know all that much. What got me though is how they charge for tourist brochures. Advertising brochures with tourists maps, that you would expect to get for free, cost anywhere from 1 to 3 euros. One map, that cost 3 euros at tourist information, I picked up for free at a Caravan park today.

So, Let me back up a bit…… I wound up staying at Richard’s place longer than planned. On Tuesday evening I experienced an episode of Vertigo, spinning dizziness. I’ve only had it happen twice in the past. The last time was in the late 1990’s.

We had just started dinner on the back terrace when I started to feel it coming on. I stepped up out of my chair and felt myself lean way to the left and almost fell. For the next hour I felt like I was spinning like a top even though I was perfectly still. Richard got a cot for me to lay on and bucket as I was feeling nauseous. The fortunate thing is that I pretty much knew what was going on as I’ve had some issues with my right ear for a long time but have been thoroughly checked out in the recent past. For me, vertigo is a rare possibility. It has to do with fluid deep within the ear.

The next day, Wednesday, Richard’s wife took me to their local Dr. who turned out be great. She made sure I didn’t have an ear infection and prescribed a medicine that is specific to the problem. I’ve never heard of the medication but it looks to be ok with low side effects. I went ahead a got it but am not taking it for now. For whatever reason I don’t think it is available in the USA.

Regardless, I needed to extend my stay a couple of days to make sure I was ok and that the vertigo is indeed a rare event for me. The following day, after the episode, I still felt a little wobbly. On Thursday I returned to normal activity with a morning run and a scenic 35 km bike ride through the countryside known as Horstroute. I felt fine again.

Thursday evening I debated what to do but knew I was ready to move on. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go to Holland or not but decided it made a lot of sense because I was so close. It’s an easy place to travel and everyone speaks English as a second language. Not to mention it's the land of windmills, Van Gogh, and Amsterdam.

I may have second guessed myself about Holland soon after arriving but I knew I had to give things a chance. Today, Saturday, turned out to be a nice day even though it rained buckets for a couple of hours midday.

Holland is all about the bike. There are bike trails and bike paths everywhere. Drivers yield to cyclists. Cyclists have the right of way. Since the country is flat it’s easy riding everywhere. So, this afternoon I did a nice lovely loop through the forests, villages, and farmlands. It rained hard for about an hour but cleared up to be really nice later in the afternoon.

When I got back to the campground I kind of had to laugh. I saw a guy moving a beer refrigerator to hook up outside his caravan. Groups of shirtless tattooed guys were hanging around in groups talking with one another. Kids were playing in large covered pool that didn’t look all that appealing. I heard stereo music coming from a couple caravans but not too loud. Although some of the permanent trailers look pretty tidy it’s a varied mix with some looking gaudy or junky. The toilet/shower block is barely ok, not quit adequate, but clean enough. Of course there are no seats on the toilets. I noticed the onsite bar/restaurant was advertising bingo night. It was then that I realized I’m in a Dutch Redneck campground. As Jeff Foxworthy, the famous redneck comedian says, “Rednecks are everywhere”. It's not just a southern American thing.

Today my impression of Holland was much better than yesterday and I’ve always gotten along well with the Dutch while traveling the world. We’ll see where the Netherlands takes me…