Amsterdam

The Sin City capital of the world

Flying into Amsterdam and looking out the airplane window I thought the neighborhoods from the air differed quite a bit from U.S. They are perfectly spaced out and even. But I still couldn’t quite put together what was SO different. Then I realized that everything was on water! You could see the strips of water running through like ribbons. I had forgotten that Amsterdam is below sea level.

Amsterdam is set up as canals, The houses line the streets and the street drops off into the canals, then it is repeated on the other side. These canals are situated around the entire city.
In my opinion Amsterdam in the winter time is a very dreary and colorless city. I saw many pictures on postcards however of Amsterdam in the spring and summer and everything was covered in flowers, especially tulips. I got to see and experience many of the tourist attractions that the city had to offer but i think in order to really see the beauty of the city I need to come back during the summer.

While in Amsterdam my friends and I took a canal boat tour through the entire city. It was also the mode of transportation we used to get to the different attractions. The way the houses are built right next to each other and on top of each other reminded me of San Francisco but the style and details were very unique.

From the canal boat tour we visited Anne Frank’s house. This experience was a little surreal. It was incredibly interesting to visit and walk through the annex in which her and her family lived in hiding for 2 years. Each room was very informative and displayed excerpts from her diary putting the situations and experiences into her own words. There were also video interviews being showed of childhood friends of Anne’s and one of the women that helped keep the family in hiding. Compared to the other activities in Amsterdam visiting the house was very sobering.

The next day we continued our canal boat transportation and visited the Van Gogh museum. This was by far my favorite part of the trip. Being able to see some of his most magnificent work up close was very inspiring. My favorite was the famous Sunflower painting. The Starry Night painting unfortunately was not on display in this museum.

We visited a flower market which are scarce in the winter but abundant in the spring and summer. I imagine the markets to be absolutely incredible when all the flowers are in full bloom, especially the tulips.

In the evening we went to the Red Light District. The Amsterdam Red Light District covers a large area of the oldest part of the city. The buildings are tall, thin and crowd together, overlooking the tree lined canals. The Amsterdam Red Light District is a beautiful area and the later it gets, the busier it gets. And the darker it gets, the more obvious the glow of the fluorescent red lights above the many windows in the area becomes. Dating back to the 14th Century when sailors arrived in need of some female company, the district is full of sex shops, brothels, gay bars, cinemas, hotels and different kinds of museums. While my friends and I were walking through the district and witnessing men enter rooms with women, I couldn’t believe I was in this infamous part of the city.

A bouncer to the bar Bananenbar let me take a peak into this place because I was standing there taking a picture of the sign. At first I was like “Why are you talking to me?” But then I realized he was just being friendly and was harmless. I peaked through the curtain covering the door and this is what I saw: Scarcely dressed girls acting as barmaids and sitting on a specially designed bar where they perform erotic tricks with .... bananas.

The girls pour the drinks and turn a variety of sexy tricks on request. The bouncer told me that visitors can tell what their special wishes are... The entrance is 40 euros for an hour and includes all your drinks, hence why I was only taking a peak through the door. After I felt that I had seen enough I thanked the bouncer for his ‘hospitality’ and then asked if there were any restaurants nearby that he recommended for dinner. My friends and I ended up at a quaint Thai restaurant under his advice.

I was told that although there is a lot of adult entertainment, it is much more then just a tourist attraction. This district of 300-year-old gabled buildings and expensive real estate houses doctors, lawyers and plenty of families. It is a tolerant community where freedom is highly valued.

Speaking of freedom... Not only is prostitution legal in Amsterdam but so is the buying, selling, and smoking of weed. Just walking down the streets of Amsterdam I could constantly smell marijuana. I was a little amazed I didn’t think it would be quite so public. I was talking to my friend Katelyn, probably rather loudly because I have a hard time whispering, and I was expressing how potent the smell was. A random Hollander on the street must have heard me because he grabbed my shoulder and got really close to my face. He said “Yes, it’s the smell of freedom!” Well I figured I’m only in Amsterdam once in my life why not indulge a little... All I have to say is if anyone visits Amsterdam, I recommend the Space cake.
This concludes my Amsterdam visit.