Thinking back at my trip to Amsterdam and OHM2013

In 2013 I did my first trip alone. I always wanted to go to the famous hacker festival in Holland. Always named differently every time. I think it started in 1989 or something like that, and has been going on every fourth year since then.

I found out about it after watching the documentary Hippies From Hell. About, I think HIP1997.

Then it was HAL2001, as in the machine from the movie 2001 a space odyssey. I really thought it was so cool. All these hackers camping and hacking and doing all sorts of things.

I bought tickets to go in 2005, But I was way too scared to go to Holland on my own. Also finding myself into somewhere in the middle of nowhere in Holland. But I felt I at least I gave some money to support a festival that doesn't have any commercial backup behind it.

In 2009 I just couldn't go. I was a student and couldn't afford it.

Not until 2013, I got the courage and the money to go. Packed my bag up to about 18kg, with sleeping bag, tent, extension coord for outside use, power strip for outside use. network cable. clothes and other stuff. Really heavy luggage. It was so heavy, and I carried it alot. It had wheels, but, not stable at all..

I booked a nice hotel in a quite area in Amsterdam, a few days before the festival started. Hotel Van Onna, I can really recommend it! It wasn't cheap, but it wasn't expensive either. It was close to Anne frank house. I wanted to spend some days in Amsterdam before leaving to the festival. The corridors was so tight I remember. There was no room to meet someone in the corridor. And my room was back in the end of the hallway. Everyone asked me why I wanted to spend some time in Amsterdam before going to the festival, I coulnd't understand the question. Uhm, Why not? I never been there. And I like traveling.

Strange question I think.

I visited a nice jazz club

Everyone said to me to stay away from the Red  Light Disctrict, also something I couldn't understand. I was just strolling around in town, and suddenly I was in the Blooostraat in Red Light District. With some old laides flashing their boobs. What ever I thiught. People were walking throught there with their children.
But it was difficult to get a good photography.

I was so happy I travelled alone. I strolled around and got to do the things I wanted to do. Not hearing about places being "misarable", or not good enough. And I could really enjoy the entire trip, with no whining at the food . constantly being stuck to McD.. Yes yes, I eat junk food at home sometimes also. But not outside Sweden, Denmark and Norway doesn't count.

I  bought some MCS clothes when I was there. And just strolling around town.


Here are some more pictures like. They will come in random order.

This is from the OHM2013 festival. They had a place called Rainbow Island with lots of different games. One morning I bought some coffee and sat down at Rainbow Island and beat Chip'n'Dale Rescue Rangers :)

Breakfast as hotel Van Onna. Very nice :)

This is from OHM2013, this was the Swedish camp. And the green tent to the left is mine. The others was putting up a Maypole in the center.

This is an image from my hotelroom in Amsterdam. At hotel Van Onna. I was trying to get a picture of how tight the entrance to the bathroom was. But it was difficult to capture in an image.

This is something that I have seen on the internet. I just happened to pass this place. It was very close to the hotel where I stayed. When I saw this I immedietly thought "This is something that I recognize"... But I cannot remember from where. Anyway, I had to take a picture :)

This looked like a cool place. Not a good picture. I didn't really want to go in and just photograph everywhere in here. So I just snapped a quick picture with my phone. The place was empty at the time.

This was Open Garage, I liked those guys :) They had a tesla coil. And the Swedish Camp where I had my tent was just cross the road on the right side.

I don't know. Cloth changing booth for Superman maybe in case of an emergency.

I found that there might be other Swedish people here ;) I didn't go up and say hello... Well it looked like nobody was there when I passed the place, so I didn't feel like sneaking around.

My light green tent, quite expensive storm proof tent. They were constantly warning everyone to fasten your tent to the ground very very well. I also read this on the website, so I decided to put some money in buying a stormproof tent of good quality. I said this, but nope, not enough apparently. However, my tent never blew away.

This was from a place they called "Rainbow Island" where they had games. I spent some time here to relax and play some old games. It was fun :)

Another picture of Open Garage's nice Linux Penguin :)

In Amsterdam I found a toy store that sold these Japanese kits. When I was in Japan they had tons and tons and tons of kits like this. I bought two Gundam kits when I was in Japan. But I didn't buy any in Amsterdam. They were expensive there. But they were very cheap in Japan actually.

They also had some strange plants in Amsterdam.

Back at OHM2013, they had some cool lights when it was getting dark. I wonder what kind of permission they needed to be able to use those :)

A picture of Rainbow Island again, but from another angle. In the white tent in the back they had more stuff.

Another picture of the cool lights.

Do you know Orvillecopter? He also visited OHM2013.

Another picture of the lights.

One large NES controller at Rainbow Island.