{"id":55,"date":"2007-03-01T20:40:00","date_gmt":"2007-03-01T20:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/borkurdotnet.com\/urbanvolcano\/?p=55"},"modified":"2025-03-21T11:57:13","modified_gmt":"2025-03-21T11:57:13","slug":"camels-in-amsterdam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/camels-in-amsterdam\/","title":{"rendered":"Camels in Amsterdam"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<aside class=\"other-formats\">Other formats: <a title=\"Camels in Amsterdam (PDF)\" href=\"https:\/\/urbanvolcano.net\/ebooks\/en\/pdf\/camels-in-amsterdam.pdf\">PDF<\/a><\/aside>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-medium\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/03\/363270216_ec156e7816_b-e1420136670598.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/03\/363270216_ec156e7816_b-e1420136670598-300x300.jpg?resize=300%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Camels in Amsterdam -- Photo by B\u00f6rkur Sigurbj\u00f6rnsson\" class=\"wp-image-434\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/03\/363270216_ec156e7816_b-e1420136670598.jpg?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/03\/363270216_ec156e7816_b-e1420136670598.jpg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/03\/363270216_ec156e7816_b-e1420136670598.jpg?w=683&amp;ssl=1 683w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo by B\u00f6rkur Sigurbj\u00f6rnsson<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>On Rokin I turned left an walked up the narrow Langebrugsteeg. It had been relatively cold in Amsterdam for the past week. It had even snowed&#8212;a rare event in this city. On a normal day I would have gone to the university on my bicycle but with the arrival of the snow I decided it was safer to walk. I also liked walking in the snow. I loved the sound of snow cracking under the sole of my boot. I guess I felt homesick. I missed the snow back home in Iceland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Langebrugsteeg turned into Grimburgwal and the street got wider. As I approached the Sleutelbrug bridge I saw an odd sight that had yet become familiar to me over the last few days. A junkie on the bridge with a bactrian camel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When it started snowing a few days earlier I was surprised to see how quickly the native Amsterdammers replaced their bicycles with camels. In a matter of a few hours all bicycles had disappeared from the streets. Everywhere you looked you could see people going about their business on their camel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It can be dangerous to ride a bicycle when the streets are covered with snow&#8212;it is too slippery. Camels are better suited for snow. They have an incredibly good grip and an excellent sense of direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As I crossed the bridge the junkie came up to me and whispered: &#8220;Camel kopen?&#8221;. I ignored him and kept on walking. He realized I was not a native. He followed me and decided to make me another offer&#8212;now in English: &#8220;Want to buy a camel? It is only 10 euros.&#8221; I shook my head and walked on&#8212;faster than before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Camel thefts are very common in Amsterdam. Many junkies finance their addiction by stealing camels overnight and then sell them the following day. I was very surprised by the lack of care that some people show their camels. Everyone knows that one should always lock her camel with at least two good camel-locks and always make sure to lock it to something that is fixed to the ground. Yet some people do not. Their camels sometimes get stolen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before entering the university building on Binnengasthuisstraat, I looked over the camel stalls. Long rows of camels eating hay and waiting patiently for the return of their owners&#8212;preparing for the ride back home. The sight made me wonder if I should have taken the junkie&#8217;s offer. I wanted my own camel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I decided I would go to the camel rental on Dam after class and rent myself a camel. It would not make sense to buy one. The snow would not stay long and I would graduate and move away from Amsterdam before next winter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<aside class=\"wp-block-group book-ad has-text-color has-background\" style=\"color:#000000;background-color:#65aab1\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:33% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"820\" height=\"735\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/book_covers.png?resize=820%2C735&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"B\u00f6rkur Sigurbj\u00f6rnsson's book covers\" class=\"wp-image-1796 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/book_covers.png?w=820&amp;ssl=1 820w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/book_covers.png?resize=300%2C269&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/book_covers.png?resize=768%2C688&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/book_covers.png?resize=500%2C448&amp;ssl=1 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p>If you enjoyed the content on this page, we encourage you to support the publication by purchasing a copy of a book by the author.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>B\u00f6rkur Sigurbj\u00f6rnsson publishes books as paperbacks on <a href=\"http:\/\/amazon.com\/author\/borkurdotnet\">Amazon<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/s\/%22B%C3%B6rkur%20Sigurbj%C3%B6rnsson%22\">Barnes and Noble<\/a> and e-books on <a href=\"https:\/\/books.apple.com\/us\/author\/b%C3%B6rkur-sigurbj%C3%B6rnsson\/id565639117\">Apple Books<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/amazon.com\/author\/borkurdotnet\">Amazon Kindle Store<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kobo.com\/gb\/en\/search?query=B%C3%B6rkur%20Sigurbj%C3%B6rnsson&amp;fcsearchfield=Author\">Kobo<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.storytel.com\/in\/authors\/b%C3%B6rkur-sigurbj%C3%B6rnsson-709165\">Storytel<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can also support the author through  <a href=\"https:\/\/buymeacoffee.com\/borkur\">Buy Me a Coffee<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/patreon.com\/UrbanVolcano\">Patreon<\/a> or by rating his books on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/borkurdotnet\">Goodreads<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-horizontal is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-499968f5 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button has-custom-width wp-block-button__width-50\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-text-color has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/category\/books\/\" style=\"border-radius:50px;color:#ffffff;background-color:#000000\">book details<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A short story by B\u00f6rkur Sigurbj\u00f6rnsson. An Icelandic student in Amsterdam considers an alternative means of transport when it starts snowing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":434,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2],"tags":[58,12,66],"class_list":["post-55","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-shortstories","tag-animals","tag-daily-commute","tag-street-life","col-md-6 col-sm-6"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/03\/363270216_ec156e7816_b-e1420136670598.jpg?fit=683%2C683&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2221,"href":"https:\/\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55\/revisions\/2221"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/434"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/urbanvolcano.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}