The Flying Pig News Amsterdam No.2
from May till October 2004 |
The First Amsterdam backpacker newspaper!
 Page 3 -Sports and Traveling  |
| This newspaper gives a Pig’s view of Holland from people who know what it’s like to travel around the world. Issued by The Flying Pig Backpackers Hostels Amsterdam. |
K I T E S U R F I N G: 4 REAL DAREDEVILS
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BREEZING OVER THE WATER , USING THE POWER OF A KITE AND LAUNCH YOURSELF SKYWARD . . . |
| In medieval times the Dutchies were already using the wind to achieve their
goals: windmills to keep the land dry and sailing ships to find new boundaries.
Four centuries later we are still using the wind for power supplies but
its possibilities have also blown over to sports. |
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Imagine breezing over the water, wind
blowing through your hair, using the
power of a kite to launch yourself skyward
with your board secured firmly to
your feet. Introducing one of the newest
and fastest growing extreme sports to
take flight.....literally! Of course, we are
talking about “Kite surfing”.
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It’s a bit like wake boarding, it’s a bit like
wind surfing, but still it’s an entire different
experience. You can make 720’s, 30 feet
high jumps, you can wave ride or just cruise
along with speeds that can go up to 35
knots. This extreme sport has everything to
get your adrenaline through the roof.
The coast of Noordwijk is a perfect spot to
get some air and with a south west wind
pounding the shores, we have one of the
better kite spots in Europe, perfect for the
advanced player but with a wide range of
courses also fit for a beginner.
The Flying Pig Beach Hostel as a surf
hostel it is the perfect place to settle down
for a bit and get to know kite surfing. At our
reception you can book several courses
and we have a cool bar to meet fellow surfers
and exchange the secrets of the latest
tricks, and if you are not that advanced
learn about how to get started. (Be careful
in the bar because it tends to get late and
hangovers are not uncommon). |
Besides kite surfing, The Noordwijk shores
have more surfing possibilities to offer.
Via the hostel you can rent surf boards and
body boards to enjoy the onshore break,
skim boards to have fun on the waterline
and if you have the opportunity to bring
your wind surfing gear, you definitely have
to get out here. For some additional information
about the surf club and the weather
conditions you can ‘surf’ to www.ksn.tbo.nl
So whether you just want to get your feet
wet or soar like a flying pig, kite surfing is
one unique sporting experience you can’t
afford to miss.
So, surf lovers get your act together and
get your lazy butt out here!!
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NOTHING BEATS |
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ONCE UPON A TIME THERE WERE TWO OZZIES IN AMSTERDAM, ROSS AND JAMES. ONE JUST CAME FROM A
TROPICAL BEACH AND HAS ANOTHER FEW MONTHS OF TRAVELLING AHEAD OF HIM, THE OTHER CAME FROM A
SNOWY MOUNTAIN IN AUSTRIA AND IS ALMOST GOING HOME. THEY MET UP IN AMSTERDAM AND ARE HERE TO
PARTY AND LAY-BACK. THEY ARE FRIENDS FROM BACK HOME AND LIVE IN A SMALL TOWN NEAR MELBOURNE.
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TRAVELLING |
FULL MOON PARTY
Ross just started his all-around-theworld
trip in Thailand. He has still got a
nice tan which makes all of us look very
pale. Ross is telling me about his trip: “In
Thailand I went to ChangMai, to do a
week of trekking through the jungle of
North Thailand. “That was unreal”. His
Thailand trip ended with the famous Full
Moon Party on a beach of Ko Pha Ngan.
“This was awesome. The whole week
towards the party it got busier and
busier with more people appearing
every day. Until finally, 10,000 people
had gathered to party all through the
night” concludes Ross.
James had a great time as well, especially
in Spain: “Those Spanish really
know how to party!” (as Flying Pig
staff I’ll have to agree with him, meeting
so many Spanish in the hostel,
they do know how to party!). He liked
Granada the best: “Very nice people
and the Alhambra is just amazing, it’s
one of the most beautiful things I saw
in Europe“. He stayed at the Oasis
hostel in Granada which has a beautiful
rooftop for you to sit on and chat
with other backpackers”. |
AMSTERDAM
Their Amsterdam trip started off really
well. In Paris Ross read in the previous
Flying Pig newspaper that ‘the Darkness’
were playing in the Melkweg during their
stay in Amsterdam. So the two of them
met up, dropped off their bags in the Pig
and headed for the Melkweg to buy tickets
straight away. But unfortunately the
gig was already sold out. While they waited
in line they got into a conversation
with another guy who was standing outside
the Melkweg. They both thought:
“This guy looks familiar, but couldn’t
place him.
Turns out he
was not the
singer of the
Darkness,
but
the guitarist
from another
band called
the Ataris,
who were
playing in the
Melkweg as
well.
Ross
and James
spent the whole afternoon with
him, going to the
red-light district, to coffee
shops, eating
space cake. He could not get them
in the
Melkweg that night, but they had a great
time anyway. “Afterwards he gave me his
own
VIP pass from the Melkweg, so that
was kind of
cool” adds James.
ICE-CREAM AND ELEVATORS
And another Europe experience you want
to share with us?.. hmm “ Yes! The Italian
ice-cream! ”Well James, no more lousy
hostel-breakfasts or delicious Italian icecream
for you. He’s almost going home
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you see. But he adds; “First finish uni, and
then I would like to go travelling again.”
Although Ross did not spend so much
time in Europe yet he also has some very
useful advice for all of us: “Don’t take
the elevator at the Paris airport!!” Ross
explains he spent his first hour in Europe
stuck in a French elevator. But being
relaxed from a few weeks in Thailand he
just slept for an hour before they rescued
him. Haha Isn’t travelling the best? You
might get stuck in elevators or share your
room with loud snoring persons, or in the
worst case you get mugged. But travel-ling still remains the best thing in life. And
Ross still has a few weeks of beautiful
destinations ahead of him: San Francisco,
California, Honolulu and to ultimately end
his trip in Auckland, New Zealand, before
heading home. HMMM. That sounds sooo
good! Ross turns out to be a nice guy and
offers me a spot in his backpack. I had to
restrain myself, for I had to finish this article
first so I could not go........ bummer.
This is the end of my article, my work is
done! Is that corner of your backpack still
available? Honolulu here I come!! |
The Flying Pig News will be published twice a year by The Flying Pig Backpackers Hostels Amsterdam >> First issue - Number 2 >> From May till October 2004 >>
Circulation ±50.000 >> Advertising Flying Pig Headoffice +31 (0)20 428 49 34 >> Graphic design and lay out AzimDezign&Communication, Haastrecht >> Writers
Marike Knaapen, Esther de Waard, LindaPeperkoorn and backpackers >> Photography Joyce van Tienen, Marike Knaapen, Renske Douwes Dekker, Jos Groenendijk, Karin Selter, Branding Beach Club, Lowlands Travel >> Printed by Drukkerij Verhagen bv
Great ideas, travelstories, Amsterdam experience, travel photo’s etc. All interesting material for this backpacker newspaper e-mail to: pignews@flyingpig.nl
Hostel reservation and information: www.flyingpig.nl >> info@flyingpig.nl >> tel. +31 (0)20 428 49 34 >> fax +31 (0)20 421 08 02
Things can only be copied from this newspaper after having received a written confirmation of the Flying Pig editors. This version of the Flying Pig News Amsterdam is strictly informative and no rights can be derived from the content of the articles.
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