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The Flying Pig Hostels Amsterdam Pig MultmediaHoscars for the Flying Pig -Page 8- back to top HIGH TECH FACILITIES The Flying Pig hostels offer free wireless internet and e-mail services, to inform friends and family on your whereabouts. The advantage of this Wireless Internet Network is that it needs no cables and is 10 times faster than a regular ADSL connection. Travellers who bring a mobile phone, laptop or pocket PC can download their messages by simply typing a login code. Beside this, our www.flyingpig.nl web site contains all kinds of chat, inquiry and online reservation possibilities. In our Downtown and Uptown hostel you can find the Hostel Information Point. By means of a large touch screen the machine leads you to Europe’s famous hostels. By pressing the country you intend to travel to it gives you a selection of hostels. If you would like to have more details on the hostel of your choice, the machine simply prints out a logo and address details. back to top Thirsty Thursday Every Thursday evening it’s party time at the Uptown, Downtown & Beach hostel with DJ’s, live music, lots of dancing and of course drinks. Everyone is invited! Since travelling budgets are tight, we will treat you to crazy barprices on Thursdays! Half pint not 1,50 but € 1,- Pint not 2,80 but € 2,- Wine not 1,80 but € 1,- Soft drinks not 1,50 but € 1,- Thirsty Thursdays start at 8 pm and last till closing time!!! back to top Working at the Pig Coming to Amsterdam was a fast decision for me. I literally booked my trip, packed my bags and got on the plane. To be honest, I should have probably laid a little more groundwork but hey where’s the fun in that? After having set foot on Dutch soil I decided to try my Irish luck -surely the best kind!- at a hostel called the Flying Pig. It actually was the name that attracted me first and after a couple of days it had proven its value. ‘Would you like to work for us?’ came the question. ‘Is the pope catholic?’ I hastily replied. Thus began my summer oddity of bin liners, glassex, cheese toasties and constant explaining; ‘no this is not the luggage room’. ‘Go back upstairs’… Working in the Flying Pig exists out of 4 types of shifts each with their own capability to amuse me. Not a day went by during this summer of work without having a big grin on my face accompanied by fellow laughter down the hallways. What’s the difference between egg and cheese? Let’s take the Breakfast shift for starters; believe me the strangest questions would be launched at us. ‘No really I assure you we don’t serve raw eggs at breakfast, I cooked them myself this morning’. Or a guest pointing at a basket of bread, genuinely puzzled looking asking you; and this, what’s this? God almighty, some people badly need a thorough shake-up in the morning! What’s an Irish girl to do I ask you? This was no isolated event either, oh no it was a daily assurance! Cleaning! Not much room for craziness on the cleaningshift I thought, just vacuum cleaners, glassex and toilet rolls. Little did I know! It turned out cleaning the rooms in the hostel provided me with no less entertainment than the other shifts. One day I was emptying the bins from a double room on the third floor. The occupants were still there and I greeted them with a friendly ‘morning’. They smiled at me happily and I turned my attention to the bin. There it was shouting and nodding at me… the packaging for the infamous ‘Rampant Rabbit’ Vibrator. I took out the bin liner with as much fuss and noise as humanly possible after which I turned back to the guest innocently inquiring about their night. ‘Uh we’ve gone out, no stayed in, we had fun thank you’. Spluttering and red faced the smile was instantly knocked squarely off their faces and miraculously found its way onto mine. It’s safe to say I had a permanent grin on my face all through the day! Oh yes, but let’s not forget the morning that we found a full set of kinky lingerie; G-string, suspenders, black teddy the whole lot. We just had to try them on… all the way to reception. How much? Guests at the Flying Pig usually travel for quite some time stopping in numerous places. Who wants to be lugging huge, heavy bags around right? Well it seems most of the backpacking population does really judging from the familysized bottles of shampoo, ‘super value’ packs of toothpaste, ‘bumper’ bars of soap and ‘75% extra free’ cans of shaving foam on the bathroom shelf. Or what about the guest who spent 25 Euro on a bottle of conditioner??! Instructions: ‘for a full-on deep condition from roots to tips. Nice’. NICE? It better be f**king great for that price! The receptionist While working at reception there was always some guest trying to sneak a non-guest into the hostel. It never ceased to amaze me how these people believed that begging and pleading ‘Oh please, please, just for a drink’ would make me budge. They were convinced I would eventually concede and let them in. So I listened to a lot of ‘Oh go on’ -wink, flirt- ‘Pleeeeaasse?!’ Patience is a virtue, I’m told… Let Pigs Fly! In short, never before have I had a job where I was looking forward to go to. Such amazing, generous and warm people -who will just take you to an emergency pharmacy at midnight because you need them to- surrounded me. People who make cheering you up their mission just because you feel bad and who will serenade you Frank Sinatra songs at 10.00 a.m. in the morning just because they can. I’m sentimental over Flying Pig key chains, I still hum the cleaning song and even vacuum cleaners can make me nostalgic. Working at the Flying Pig has been unforgettable for so many reasons but mostly because of the people I was lucky enough to meet. This summer has been very special and I have learned many things but above all that Flying Pigs bring HAPPY DAYS!! back to top Uptown Hostel (Palace Hostel) fun , nightlife , backyard & art Besides offering you free clean sheets, continental breakfast and a cheap single or queen size bed, the Flying Pig Uptown is known and loved for her mellow and laid-back atmosphere mixed with crazy, swinging Amsterdam vibes. The hostel bar is always ‘gezellig’-Dutch for fun- and it’s the ideal place to meet fellow travellers. The kitchen is available to backpackers who like to cook worldly or local dishes -or who just want to cook themselves to save money!-. There are nice pillows on the stage to sink into and relax a bit. We play DVD’s during the day and there’s free internet to keep in touch with everyone. Backyard With their passion for travelling and love for Amsterdam, opening a hostel was the best of both worlds for the founders; Ronald and Willem. With the large Vondelpark nearby, only a few minutes away from lively squares and with a laid-back atmosphere, the Uptown hostel is considered one of the favourite hostels in Amsterdam. Nightlife The Leidsesquare is a bustling square that offers a variety of clubs, restaurants and coffee shops. While still in the city centre -only 10 minutes away from Central station- the Uptown is perfect for travellers looking for the thrills of the Red Light district without having to wake up to it every morning. Art & more famous sights If you’d like to experience Amsterdam by night as well as by day, the Uptown is also the place to be. The hostel is right next to the Museum Quarter, home to the Van Gogh and Rijksmuseum and the Concertgebouw. Filmlovers only have to cross the park and they’ll find the Dutch Filmmuseum. Also the Heineken Brewery is at walking distance, located in the old working class area of Amsterdam. In this part of town you can treat yourself to tasty, spicy food from all over the world. Try the Surinam food, it’s very good. Relax in the kitchen with a hot cup of tea or chill in our cosy basement, drink a cold beer from the bar and swap travel stories with other travellers. Meet, relax and enjoy in the Flying Pig Uptown, a backpacker’s oasis in the middle of Amsterdam’s hot spots! The Flying Pig Uptown can accommodate up to 135 people. If you’re looking for a room, please check our web site for availability.  previous page
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