The canals of Amsterdam are plentiful and are a source of living and commerce for the city of Amsterdam. Monique and I found a tour company near the Anne Frankhuis that cost about $10 USD for each of us, and we paid and waited for the next available boat to come in from touring the canals with another bunch of tourists.

After a few minutes, the next boat arrived and as Monique and I boarded, our pictures were taken by a photographer to be bought after the tour ended. It's a cheesy souvenir but worth it if you like that kind of thing. I lost my photo moving.

Seeing Amsterdam's old merchant houses from the canal boats does justice and you see a lot more than if you are on foot. Most of these homes date from the 16th and 17th Centuries and the wider the house, the richer the merchant who could afford to pay the steep taxes that were slapped on Amsterdam's people at this time.

Along the way, we saw many houseboats dotting the canal banks with people living in them. Due to a huge housing shortage in Amsterdam along with high rents, people who chose to live in Amsterdam will buy or rent houseboats because it is a cheaper way to live. They are of many shapes, sizes, and colors, and if you like the idea of millions of tourists peaking into your windows and lives, this is the way to live in Amsterdam.

Our boat tour went under many bridge into the IJsselmeer, Amsterdam's harbor, which is one of the largest harbors in the world and several huge ships were docked there waiting for goods to be loaded on board.

The tours last about 1-2 hours and can be taken during the day or evening and are well worth your time when you visit Amsterdam.

All the stops are located near the major museums, attractions, and shopping areas. The day pass is actually good for a day and a half if you time it right, since it expires at noon the next day. We hop on and off as often as we like. There is a Dutch/English pre-recorded commentary that provides interesting information when we can hear it over our fellow passengers' conversations.

We use it to take us places where we want to walk, and then pick it up again after we've explored an area on foot. At one point, the captain graciously allows us to disembark at a non-scheduled, unused dock near the Dutch Resistance Museum, saving us a long hike.

Seeing the hundreds of different types of houseboats on the canals and appreciating the architecture of the large and small houses along the same canals is worth the price of the fare alone.

I'm sure it would enhance your appreciation of Amsterdam, as it did ours.

But the tour guide is from the US and moved to Amsterdam. He knew so much about the area, and there was no language barrier. He told us to grab a beer or whatever we wanted to take on the boat so we could relax, ask questions, and see the area. I learned more about Amsterdam on that boat ride and still had a fun time. We met some cool people there, too.