ROTTERDAM
But we want to party with those beautiful Dutch people.
After our glorious night at Paddy Murphy’s Irish pub, we decided we wanted to see if we could repeat the awesome night we had on the Monday prior. The only problem was that it was a Tuesday and we were at a loss for where to go. It was about 5 pm on Tuesday and we were having drinks at “Ter Masch & Co.” a bar next door to King Kong Hostel. The New Zealander in our crew decided to ask the bartender for advice on where would be good to go on a Tuesday night.
New Zealander: “Hi! Are you from Rotterdam?”
Bartender 1: “Yes, I am! I grew up here and have lived here all my life.”
New Zealander: “Great! Do you know a good place where we can go dancing tonight?”
Bartender 1: “Ahh! Sorry buddy, you are out of luck! Not a lot goes on in Rotterdam on Tuesdays.”
The New Zealander looking glum and down cast returned to sipping on his cocktail when all of a sudden another bartender came over to our table.
Bartender 2: “Are you the guys looking for a place to go dancing tonight?”
Dante: “Yes! We are!! Why? Do you have any places in mind?”
Bartender 2: “Actually, there is a bar here in Rotterdam called Bed. They hold Erasmus events there on Tuesdays. Lots of college students attend”.
Dante: “Oh really? Thanks for the info. Do they have a dress code or anything of that sort?”
Bartender 2: “No! They don’t! It’s a casual event as I said earlier. It’s hosted by the Erasmus organization for college students.”
Closing out our bill and heading back to the hostel we decided to leave her a big tip for the info.
Some Knowledge: Erasmus is an organization named after “Desiderius Erasmus” who was born in Rotterdam in the 15th century. The European exchange program that sees college students from one country in the European Union (E.U.) go study in another country in the E.U. It is a program that was set in place to foster greater co-operation among “citizen intellectuals” of the E.U.
At around 10 pm, we went back to Café Witte de Aap, just because we had a good time pre-gaming there the night prior. We had a couple of shots and then headed to the nightclub. (Info below)…
Bed
Coolsingel 18, Rotterdam, Netherlands
+31 10 414 1614
On getting to Bed nightclub, there was a relatively long line of 18 to 25 yr olds trying to get in. We joined the queue and after about 15 minutes we got to the front. The bouncer at the front put his hand out blocking the entrance of the club and then proceeded to ask…..
Bouncer: “Can I see your I.D.’s?” (In a thick Dutch accent)
Irish: “Yeah! Here you go, this is my passport.”
Bouncer: “I mean your student I.D. card.”
Irish: “Oh sorry, I left it in my dorm”
Bouncer: “You need university I.D. to get in”
Irish: “Uhm! I go to school here. No need to fret” (Irish is actually not a student)
Bouncer: “What University do you attend? What is the name?
Irish: “Urr…. We attend the University of Rotterdam”.
Bouncer: “I knew it. You guys are lying. No such university exists!! !! You are definitely not getting in.”
As those words came out of the bouncer’s mouth, a group of very good looking female Dutch students walked by us and straight into the club. With Irish’s mouth wide open and still trying to recover his focus. He quickly turns back to the Bouncer…
Irish: ”Please you have to let us in. I am sorry I lied.”
Bouncer (looking aloof): “Sorry this party is for Erasmus students only. I cannot let you in”.
Irish (pointing at the people in the club): ”But we want to party with those beautiful Dutch people.”
The bouncer, amused by Irish’s reaction to the girls that walked by began to crack a smile at the corner of his lip and in turn chastised us for lying. We made the argument that we were vacationing in Rotterdam and only there to spend money to boost the city’s local economy. We promised we would cause absolutely no trouble whatsoever. After about five more minutes of us pleading our case, he budged and let us in.
Once inside Bed, we would realize our pathetic pleas to get into the club were well worth it. Bed was a big club. There was a basement to drop of your jackets and also bathrooms on the same floor. The main floor served some of the cheapest beer western civilization had to offer and there was a balcony of sorts where you could hang out and smoke a cigarette. The night progressed into being a lot of fun. Our crew would split up as there were so many interesting people to meet. The music ranged from Top 40, House, and Hip-Hop and the energy in the club was amazing. We stayed on till the next morning and then headed back to our hostel.
To see what a typical night at Bed is like please watch the video below…
For the remainder of the week, we kept the tempo of partying up, trailing different restaurants, clubs and bars. In all, I would advise anyone going to the Netherlands to make sure they stop by this terrific city. A week is definitely not enough to soak in all Rotterdam has to offer but it was all we could make do with. The party trail though is eternally grateful that we got to visit this city also known as the “Gateway to Europe”.
Below we have compiled a list of sights, clubs and markets you must visit if you are ever lucky enough to visit Rotterdam
This is a newly designed market in Rotterdam. It is a must visit if you like pastries and assorted foods.
This is for you art snobs. We strongly recommend a visit here. It fits perfectly into the whole theme of what Rotterdam is about.
