3-28-11 (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
My friends and I decided to take advantage of our four-day weekend and travel to Amsterdam. I was a little skeptical at first, thinking it would be too seedy or dirty, but I must say that my attitude has been completely changed. First off, Amsterdam is one of the most unique and beautiful cities I have ever visited. The slanted buildings, unique architecture, and endless canals give this city a charm that is simply unbeatable. Second, the Dutch are amazing, happy, and tolerant people. They have excellent customer service and go out of their way to make you feel welcome as an outsider. Everyone spoke good English and there was never any struggles of overcoming a language barrier. As a consumer-based city, the competition between the bars, restaurants, and shops made it really fun. Owners would come outside to help draw you in, show you pictures of their menu items, etc.
I know the subject on everyone's mind is about how I felt about the Red Light district so I'll describe it now. Most surprising to me was how relaxed I felt in this area despite the traditional vices like drugs and prostitution being very, VERY, prevalent. It is amazing how one's attitude can change just by acknowledging the fact that these things are legal. Competition between store owners and between the prostitutes has made everything feel "cleaner" some way. I think it is because none of it comes from off the street. People know what they are buying or getting into. These businesses are market-regulated as well as state-regulated.
Prostitutes: Red Light prostitutes are, for the most part, pretty attractive in that trashy way only whores can pull off. There were definitely girls there that would qualify as being a 10/10 in terms of looks. I'm glad I was traveling with one female friend because it made walking down in the red light seem less perverse. In fact, I'll admit to even having fun seeing all the girls and how all the people down there conduct business. In case you are wondering, no, I didn't engage in any "services."
Drugs: Marijuana, mushrooms, peyote, and some other plant-based drugs and things are available in coffee shops in Amsterdam and they are not all confined to one area. People would smoke pot outside, in the streets, in bars, in coffee shops, in the park, etc. Ill effect on society? I didn't see any. Most everyone was really friendly, relaxed, and happy. The weather was nice and you just got the feeling that people were just trying to chill, forget their problems for a while, and have fun. Nothing wrong with that.
Absinthe: This was probably the highlight of my trip to Amsterdam. I love herbal/anise flavored liquor so I was definitely excited about drinking some legit absinthe. The whole ordeal of lighting the sugar, lighting the drink, mixing it, watching the flames, and adding the water is super cool. I like that there is a drink that takes some effort and theatrics to enjoy. I drank the 140 proof absinthe and it pretty much just tasted like strong pastis/ricard/raki/ouzo. Very good though! Nice , relaxing feeling were enjoyed thoroughly.
In summary, Amsterdam is a beautiful city with lovely and unique architecture and sights. The canals are charming and the people are warm. While the red light district is what comes to mind when people think of Amsterdam, the city has much more to offer than just sex and drugs. It is a fun place, a tolerant place, and should be a model to other cities in terms of drug and sex laws. Crime was minimal and I felt genuinely safe walking around different parts of the city. Lesson learned from this visit? Just chill.
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