//<![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, "http://www.google.com/mapfiles/marker" + letter + ".png");
        myIcon.printImage = "http://maps.google.com/mapfiles/marker"+letter+"ie.gif"
        myIcon.mozPrintImage = "http://maps.google.com/mapfiles/marker"+letter+"ff.gif"
 
        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(51.90943762922421,4.482486248016357);

      // create the map
      var map = new GMap2(document.getElementById("map"));
	  map.addControl(new GSmallMapControl()); 
      map.addControl(new GMapTypeControl());
	  map.setCenter(default_point,14);

      // add the points 
	  var point1 = default_point;
      var marker = createMarker(point1,"Hotel","<strong>Maritime Hotel - Rotterdam</strong><br>Willemskade 13<br>3016 DK Rotterdam<br><a href = 'http://maps.google.nl/maps?f=d&hl=nl&saddr=&daddr=Willemskade+13,++3016+Rotterdam' target='_blank'>Routebeschrijving</a>")
      map.addOverlay(marker);
	  GEvent.trigger(marker,  "click");

	  /*var point = new GLatLng(52.378730,4.900460);
      var marker = createMarker(point,"Centraal Station","Centraal Station")
      map.addOverlay(marker);

	  var point = new GLatLng(52.375193,4.883884);
      var marker = createMarker(point,"Anne Frank Huis","Anne Frank Huis")
      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");
    }