Europe: Day 7

October 20, 2010

Our flight to Amsterdam was not until mid-afternoon, so we decided to take advantage of the morning by returning to the secret beach we had discovered the previous day.  This time, however, we took another road to get there and it took us straight onto the beach.  I seriously died and went to heaven when we arrived.  Do you not feel the same way when you look at the following pictures?

And then, what felt like a blink of an eye — I was no longer in heaven — rather I was back in Amsterdam.  My brother and I searched for about an hour trying to find a restaurant without a wait.  Amsterdam had just won a World Cup match and everyone was out celebrating.  We stumbled across a cafe with some free tables and quickly sat down.  The sadness between us was palpable; we had waited a year for this trip and now it was over.

However, what kind of trip would this be, if it did not end with yet another crazy adventure?

About five minutes after I took the above photo my brother got a fish bone lodged in this throat while eating.  He tried absolutely everything to get it out, only to no avail.  We returned to our hotel to finish packing and I could tell he was in some serious discomfort, though he did not want to go to the hospital.  He decided he would try to sleep, thus we both apprehensively went to bed.  Around 3AM I heard him call out to me.  The pain had become too much for him and he wanted me to see if I could pull the fish bone out.  So, at 3AM in a Marriott bathroom I performed “oral surgery” with tweezers and was eventually able to extract the damn fish bone.  In that moment, I think my brother was ready to give me his firstborn child he was so happy!

While we waited for our flight the next day, my brother thanked me from the bottom of his heart for planning such an incredible trip (misadventures and all) and for opening his eyes to the wonderful world of traveling.  In that moment, all of my sadness from the trip ending disappeared and I was elated that 1) he was happy and 2) to have a new travel partner.

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Andi Perullo de Ledesma

I am Andi Perullo de Ledesma, a Chinese Medicine Doctor and Travel Photojournalist in Charlotte, NC. I am also wife to Lucas and mother to Joaquín. Follow us as we explore life and the world one beautiful adventure at a time.

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25 thoughts on “Europe: Day 7

  1. Pingback: Madpet Jumper | Juegos De Bendies

  2. Marie

    Are you sure your brother wasn’t just trying to see your root canal and raise you one lodged fish bone? Just joking. Glad he didn’t have to go to hospital on that last day. Are you heading back home now? I only just found your blog, so I’m afraid you’re just going to have to get back out there!

    Reply
  3. Emily

    Those pictures are so gorgeous! I had no idea there was anything like that anywhere near Amsterdam… and your beach dress is cute, too! 🙂

    Reply
  4. Ali

    Those pictures of the beach are amazing! Scary about the bone caught in your brother’s throat. It really sounds like you two had a great trip & it’s so great that your were able to help him gain a better appreciation for travel.

    Reply
  5. Mary

    I always go through that same feeling of sadness a night or two before I return home, but then I get home and feel so charged up and ready for the next adventure… I’m so glad the fish bone got extracted! It’s sort of scary being abroad and incapacitated like that. I always think it can wait til I get home, but sometimes it can’t!

    Reply
  6. J.D. Meier

    I just have to say, blue water or blue sky always makes me feel good. When you put them together that’s magic.

    I always wondered where the Cat in the Hat got his hat from … it must have been Amsterdam and he must have been a soccer fan.

    Great job on getting the fishbone out … that could have soured the situation, but you stepped up the plate and put your skills to the test. Let me guess, you played the game Operation growing up?

    Reply
  7. Rease

    So glad you had a wonderful end to your trip. Travel endings are always bittersweet but I think you can say this trip was an amazing success.

    Reply
  8. Amanda

    That beach does indeed look amazing!

    And the fish bone! I swear, you come home with the craziest travel stories to tell, Andi. But they make for great reading!

    Reply

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