I am relaxing in our B&B with a coffee, while I start the blog. We have a couple of hours before we head off for our gay pub tour tonight, which should be a lot of fun (well, maybe it would have been, but the guide never showed up, more on that later).
So, we had a bit of an issue with our covid test results (not what you think, we were both negative!). But the issue was with accessing our results. So, Ill start at the beginning. As I mentioned in yesterdays blog, we did our covid test yesterday morning. They said they would email the results within 24 hours. So all day Im obsessively checking email, waiting for the results. Finally, about 8:30 last night, Im in the bathroom and Susan says her results are in. What do they say, what do they say? I ask. I dont know, I cant read the email, its in Dutch! was the reply. So Susan replies to the email and asks for it to be sent in English. Meanwhile my results in, in English, followed by Susans again, this time in English. Great, I think, finally. I open the
email, it says to click on the link to view the results, but that when you open the page a verification code will be sent to a certain cell phone #, which is needed to view the results. The problem is, the Dutch cell number I used to book the tests belonged to the relative of a friend, who lives in the Netherlands. I only used it because the test form required a Dutch cell #; I couldnt submit the form without one. I specified in field not to use the number, just to use email. Anyway, we now needed the code to access the results, and the code was sent to a cell phone we couldnt access. Susan called the test centre, but although they were supposed to be open till 10 pm, nobody answered. So we both emailed back asking for the code to be sent to our Dutch cell numbers (we got SIM cards when we got to Amsterdam so we have Dutch numbers while were here). I once again kept obsessively checking email waiting for a reply, until I fell asleep.
supplied by our B&B host Katrien (and an extra hour of sleep as the time changed last night), we headed back to the test centre to sort it out. The women working there today were very helpful, and we were able to change the cell numbers so the codes were sent to our phones. We quickly accessed our results, and as expected they were both negative, and we have our travel certificates ready for Kenya. Whew, I am glad to have that sorted out! The joys of travelling during covid times.
Speaking of covid, here in Holland they have something called the Corona pass, which is needed to go to restaurants, bars, etc. It is proof of vaccination. But it only works for the Dutch, we cant use it to upload our Canadian proof of vaccination. So for tourists, the only option is to hope the place you are going will accept your countrys proof of vaccination, or to get a rapid covid test, which is only good for 24 hours. So far we havent had a problem going anywhere. Several places havent asked at all, and the places that have, accepted our Canadian proof of vaccination. I wouldnât
mind getting a rapid test (they are free), but you have to make an appointment in advance, and with the results only being valid for 24 hours, we would have to do it every day while were here.
Anyway, enough of covid tests! We didnt have anything booked for today, except for our evening gay pub crawl. After our visit to the test centre this morning, we decided to go to the Amsterdam Museum. It was only a fairly short walk from the test centre. The museum is located in an old building that was previously a city orphanage. The museum is basically a history of Amsterdam, tracing the citys history through the ages to modern times. There are lots of video displays which you watch (and listen to on the included audio guide). It was quite interesting, and we spent an enjoyable few hours there. There was quite a moving display about the persecution of the Jews during the German occupation, including of course, Anne Frank.
