Amsterdam - Monday

Dam Square & Canal Boat Tour

On our final day in The Netherlands we walked from our hostel to Dam Square in Amsterdam. There we saw protesters dressed in gorilla suits. They were protesting the fact that on government construction projects in the Netherlands, only 30% of the wood is from "sustainable" sources.

Mrs. Lamers then gave us a wonderful walking tour of Amsterdam. After exploring the city and eating dinner at the Stayokay hostel, we took a tram back up near Central Station and took a boat tour through the many canals of the city.

Tomorrow morning we leave the hostel at 6:30 a.m. to get on a 10:25 a.m. flight to return to Michigan.

Our hosts in the Netherlands have been wonderful. Many thanks to Mrs. Lamers and Mr. Hubbers for helping to coordinate this trip from the Dutch side. Also thanks to all of our amazing host families. Many tears were shed yesterday as students said goodbye to their host families. While students report looking forward to seeing their families back in Michigan, all say that they will really miss their new families in the Netherlands.

I will post a few more items and videos upon my return to Michigan. Thanks to all of you for following the blog. The students had a wonderful time and represented their school, city and country very well. See you all back in Michigan tomorrow.