Amsterdam is a city of contradictions -- picturesque canals and waterfront homes, rich art and culture, drugs and prostitutes. After a whirlwind three days, I am still not quite sure what to make of it, but I can say with full confidence that I will be back. The Dutch are a lovely people.
The weekend started around 4 am on Friday. I was running on a solid two hours of sleep, and I have trouble sleeping in any position but the fetal, so plane sleep has never been an option for me.
I think we were all running on adrenaline at the airport, though (see above), so I was feeling good when I arrived. From the moment we got off the train from the airport at the city center, I was captivated. Canals run through the city, and every couple of blocks -- even in the grime of the Red Light District -- you find yourself on a quaint waterfront pathway lined with colorful houses and cafés.
I was greeted, too, by the...
alternative culture of Amsterdam. Some other things I encountered almost immediately (we stayed in the middle of the Red Light District) were less picturesque but still caught my attention.
(More vibrating than the other vibrating shops, that is.)
Coffeeshops abound, inside them you will find both a drink menu (coffee, tea, etc.) and a marijuana menu.
We wandered around looking for our luxury hotel for some time, as the street names have way too many vowels to articulate in the hope of asking or receiving directions. Our 5-star accommodation youth hostel -- the lovely White Tulip -- was a true gem. The stairs were a feat of architecture, each one a mere inch or so wide. We were on the top floor. The air smelled mildly of Chinese food and the carpets were questionable. I showered once the whole weekend and I'm still a bit worried I'll find something growing on my feet in a few days.
Luckily, we found this greeting...
...on the wall of our room and immediately felt at home. And (!) for once I'm being totally serious -- I thought this "tag" just above my bed was hysterical, as would any
Summer Heights High aficionado familiar with the antics of the troubled teen Jonah. (And
Mr. G.)
Moving on. We met up with some friends, and our first activity in this Dutch city involved an aboveground tram (they're all over the place and they look like giant caterpillars) to the museum district. A factory tour of the Heineken "Brouwerij" was in order, and I was thrilled that our entry fee included two beers at the end of the tour -- just what my sleep-deprived, hungry body needed. (Apparently, Heineken is a dutch beer. Why did I think it was German?)
The science of beer (?)
Maryellen casually stirring some beer.
Strangest exhibit of all time. "Be the beer."
Bottling process.
MINI KEG EXHIBIT. TRUE LIFE.
The bizarrely fluorescent and mildly tipsy end to the tour at the "museum bar."
Next came more exploring that led into the evening. Amsterdam is an equally beautiful and perhaps more convoluted city at night: In the Red Light District, at least, the picturesque streets...
...stand in stark contrast with the gritty reality of legal prostitution. Women stand in underwear (if not fully naked) just behind full windows, posing alluringly as men (and women, I suppose) gawk and jeer.
The Moulin Rouge (above) is not a brothel, but rather one of many establishments that offer sex shows for a small entrance fee. Pay a few euros for entry, drinks included, and see real-life sex. Needless to say, the audience is mostly male. The content of the show is something I'll happily share in private -- shoot me an email or something. Nothing seems blog-appropriate (or blog-worthy, really), and a lot of leather and tape was involved. On the whole, I left with a feeling of disgust that surpassed my expectations -- truly, truly unfortunate that this sort of culture still exists. I will say, though, that the women performing in solo acts (basically strippers) showed a rather admirable confidence and power -- if only through their sexuality -- over the male audience members who agreed to participate. A dim light of hope, I suppose, in an eternally dim establishment. Also, this exists:
Anyway, beyond the whole voyeur-and-prostitution thing, Amsterdam nightlife is pretty relaxed. Coffeeshops are open late for a casual beverage or a casual joint.
I spotted this "Smart Drugs" poster signifying a mushroom store, and while it may read like an oxymoron, I think it embodies a pretty cool attitude. Essentially, Amsterdam seems to be encouraging (tolerating, accepting) the moderate use of marijuana (and perhaps the occasional hallucinogen) in an effort to discourage the use of "hard drugs" like cocaine -- drugs proven to be much more dangerous to the brain and body. In fact, the way the Dutch treat the subject of weed compared to the entirely taboo attitude of Americans reminds me of the comparable Spanish/American attitude towards alcohol. Both of these European countries enjoy a healthy culture of moderation with these substances that Americans have banned, stigmatized and abused.
Spotted this cat in a coffeeshop (every coffeeshop in Amsterdam has a cat!) -- he seemed interested in the milk I was pouring in my tea. He was also perhaps the most stoned feline of all time.
After a chill night out on Friday, we headed back to the Museum district Saturday morning to see the much-anticipated Van Gogh museum,
which is located right near the "I AMSTERDAM" sign, which is sweet.
We then explored a little more. Have I mentioned that Amsterdam is, like, really pretty?
With windows that opened up to the streets of the Red Light District, trying to fall asleep before 4 am that Saturday night was a real challenge. I was hoping to take a bike tour of the city the next morning. Luckily, the bells of this church (The Red Light Chapel?) rang for about 10 minutes straight every quarter of the hour, so I had no trouble waking up on Sunday.
Amsterdam must be the bicycle capital of the world -- just check out the photo below for an idea of the sheer volume of bicycles in this city. Instead of taking a tour, we rented bikes for a couple of hours and rode around. We started off with a map and quickly forgot about it, lost in the charming twists and turns of every street.
The city is full of strange little islands, and we ended up on this random industrial/shipping area island when we first set off from the city center.
Otherwise, it was great to get out of the Red Light grime and see more of Amsterdam. The residential areas are stunning, and the houseboats along the canals are the coolest. I was struck, over and over, by how
clean the city really is. The grass is green, the people are friendly, the children are almost blindingly blond.
We finished our stay with another stroll around town that started at the I AMSTERDAM sign just before sunset...
...and ended, at night, on a ferris weel overlooking the city.
