The HB has three greenhouses in different climates. This is the South African one.

Several of the buildings had catwalks that were accessible to the public, which I really appreciated. You don’t see it much over here, presumably because everyone is so lawsuit-happy.

The HB also has a small butterfly house. All the butterflies and their cocoons were out in the open, and there were not attendants. The delicate cocoons were hung in an open glass enclosure, or hung on sticks and placed carefully in the trees. I feel that this too, could not happen stateside (where everyone’s child is so special and unique that they don’t have to follow rules). It was really neat.

They also have a small succulent house – I think for species of the Americas.

It was easy to see the grounds must be stunning in season. Here we see the cycad house.

The atrium of this building also had a catwalk. You can see our traveling companions down on the bench there.

Then I hung out with George Clooney…’s wax figure at Mdme. Tussaud’s. I like to think the blurriness makes it look authentic.

Adam letting Daniel Craig know what he thinks of him.

Madonna.

Tussaud’s was right on the Dam, so here is an aerial view of it.

Freddie Mercury. Like in the butterfly house, the figures were just out – no boundaries or restrictions, people would throw an arm around one to pose.

I appreciated seeing Vincent Van Gogh, since, unlike modern celebrities, I’ve never seen him in 3D. This experience is more like that wax museums were first invented for.

Pannenkoeken (Dutch pancakes). I am still wistfully daydreaming about the one in the front.

Next, we took a canal tour. There were many houseboats of all kinds of styles. Traditional houseboats…

Modern houseboats…

Funky houseboats…

And swan habitat houseboats.

This is a place in the canals where you can see seven arches.

After our tour, we noticed two rather pathetic swans on a dirty little raft. Eventually we realized they had attempted to assemble a nest out of garbage.

Garbage aside, it was a pretty feeble effort at nest-building. They also kept eating garbage while we were there, which was just so sad we bought them a loaf of bread.

Next up, the Heineken Experience!

It was pretty commercial – think World of Coke, but we got two free Heinekens each!

That’s it for this round! Next up are tulips and windmills!