Amsterdam is in South Africa?

One of the things that I love most about my experience in Durban is the glimpse of small-town living I get every once in a while. Even though Durban has over 500,000 residents, there are several regular hangouts where I always see familiar faces.

If you’re in Durban, chances are you will end up someway, somehow at Amsterdam. Amsterdam is the place to be almost every night of the week: live music on Monday, foosball tournaments on Wednesday, and just because on Friday. My favorite part about the little place on Davenport Road is that everyone does end up there. For example, in any given foosball tournament, each player might be from a different country. Coming to South Africa, I never imagined I’d learn so much about other countries through the people whose travels have brought them here from places around the world.

I’ve made so many friends and always see people I’ve met while at Amsterdam around the city. It’s really given me a sense of belonging, even though I’ve only been here for a few months. While abroad it’s definitely important to try as many things as you can, but if you can find a place where you instantly feel comfortable, I’d say keep going back. Chances are, you’ll make several close friends to take home! (Ok, you can’t literally take them home with you.)