April 29, 2017 – Day 92 of 365

Technology — 

More and more in our crazy rushed American lifestyle, we tend to think of technology strictly in terms of electronics.  But on our recent trip to Amsterdam, I was reminded that technology is also at work in many other forms.  As an example, the number of bikes in Amsterdam is estimated to be 800,000.  63% of Amsterdammers use their bike on a daily basis.  Compare that to the 263,000 cars in Amsterdam.  That means  32% of traffic movement in the city is by bike compared to 22% by car and 16% by public transport. In the city center, 48% of traffic movement is by bike. 

Biking would have been a good option on this trip had I not had such a strong urge to take pictures every time I turned a corner or a shiny object caught my eye.  On foot, I found it difficult to compete with the locals who could talk on their phones and still zip by me in the bike lanes.  There’s no way I was going to be able to safely navigate the busy bike lanes with a camera bag and equipment.  So walking was my daily option.  We managed an average of 15,000 steps each day. That forced me to interact on a social level with hundreds of people we came in contact with throughout the day.  It also made me come to grips with the fact I need to up my daily exercise regimen once I return home!