//<![CDATA[

    if (GBrowserIsCompatible()) {
      
      // this variable will collect the html which will eventually be placed in the side_bar
      var side_bar_html = "";
    
      // arrays to hold copies of the markers and html used by the side_bar
      // because the function closure trick doesnt work there
      var gmarkers = [];

      // A function to create the marker and set up the event window
      function createMarker(point,name,html) {
        // use a custom icon with letter A - Z
        var letter = String.fromCharCode("A".charCodeAt(0) + (gmarkers.length));
        var myIcon = new GIcon(G_DEFAULT_ICON);
        myIcon.image = "../_img/marker.png";
		myIcon.iconSize = new GSize(30,30);
		myIcon.iconAnchor = new GPoint(18,26);
 
        var marker = new GMarker(point, {icon:myIcon});
        GEvent.addListener(marker, "click", function() {
          marker.openInfoWindowHtml(html);
        });
        // save the info we need to use later for the side_bar
        gmarkers.push(marker)
        // add a line to the side_bar html
        side_bar_html += '<b>'+letter+'</b> <a href="javascript:myclick(' + (gmarkers.length-1) + ')">' + name + '</a><br>';
        return marker;
      }

      // This function picks up the click and opens the corresponding info window
      function myclick(i) {
        GEvent.trigger(gmarkers[i], "click");
      }
	  
	 var default_point = new GLatLng(52.36182,4.875373);

      // create the map
      var map = new GMap2(document.getElementById("map"));
	  map.addControl(new GSmallMapControl()); 
      map.addControl(new GMapTypeControl());
	  map.setCenter(default_point,15);

      // add the points 
	  var point1 = default_point;
      var marker = createMarker(point1,"Hotel","<strong>Boutique Hotel Blyss, Amsterdam</strong><br><a href = 'http://maps.google.nl/maps?f=d&hl=en&saddr=&daddr=Vondelstraat+74-78,+1054+GN+Amsterdam' target='_blank'>Route description</a>")
      map.addOverlay(marker);
	  //GEvent.trigger(marker,  "click");

	  var point = new GLatLng(52.378730,4.900460);
      var marker = createMarker(point,"Central Station","Central Station")
      map.addOverlay(marker);
	  
 	  var point = new GLatLng(52.375193,4.883884);
      var marker = createMarker(point,"Anne Frank House","Anne Frank House")
      map.addOverlay(marker);
	  
	  var point = new GLatLng(52.373064,4.892499);
      var marker = createMarker(point,"De Dam","De Dam")
      map.addOverlay(marker);
                       
      // put the assembled side_bar_html contents into the side_bar div
      <!--document.getElementById("side_bar").innerHTML = side_bar_html;-->
      
    }

    else {
      alert("Sorry, the Google Maps API is not compatible with this browser");
    }