Amsterdam - More than just Sex and Drugs

I didn't know that much about the city of Amsterdam before my visit. One of the few things I did know and one of the most popular ideas associated with the Dutch is that of their lenient drugs policy and legalization of prostitution. 

I learned a lot about these two things during my travels. In Amsterdam the Coffee Shops are actually a place to purchase and smoke marijuana. They do not serve coffee. You just walk up to the counter and can choose from a multitude of different types  and then here is the important part, you must smoke it in the shop. Once you leave the shop it is no longer legal. So unless you know what goes on behind the coffee shop doors the presence of drugs in Amsterdam is very minimal. 

As part of my Intercultural Communication class we were taken to the Prostitute Information Center. A small inconspicuous little shop in the Red Light district. Started by a former sex worker, as they like to be called, the PIC educates tourists and provides a resource for current workers in Amsterdam. It was amazing to see how a different culture reacts to something that Americans are so against. For the dutch it is a profession with health benefits and you get to be your own boss. Granted children do not grow up with "prostitute" written down among the other professions that they are considering, but it is something you are able to do if that is where life brings you. If you ever get the chance to travel to Amsterdam a quick stop at the PIC is a must, it completely opened my eyes to a new a different type of culture.

I suppose most people do travel to the Netherlands and Amsterdam in particular to take advantage of the availability and legality of drugs and prostitutes. However Amsterdam has so much more to offer. 

There are canals everywhere in Amsterdam, and they are absolutely beautiful.

We had a required excursion to the Anne Frank House with my World Since 1914 class. It has been quite a few years since I read the Diary of Anne Frank, however it all came back very quickly as I walked through the empty rooms and gazed at the displays. The most touching moment for me was seeing the pencil marks on the wall from where they had marked the growth of the children throughout their time in the Secret Annex. 

Our Amsterdam experience also included a trip to a Portuguese Israeli Synagogue, the Rijksmuseum, a guided walking tour of the city, and a delicious Indonesian restaurant. And then of course the nights were ours to do as we pleased. My favorite night spot was "La Margarita" which was on the (unofficial) gay strip of Amsterdam. I was not much of a fan of the Margaritas themselves, but my Pina Colada was delicious. We also had a bit a free time during the days to shop, eat, see and been seen. It appears that even though the dutch don't seem to think very highly of Americans, they love Obama. I received a few side comments from people on the sidewalk when they heard my accent but in the few conversations I actually had, everyone wanted to talk about Obama.

Bikes line the sides of the canals, push their way through the crowded streets and I am convinced that they are the sole reason that europeans are so skinny. I really have never seen more bikes in one place. I love watching the children on bikes. Some of them were ride on their own little seat, others in a carriage pulled by their parents' bike, and some of them even on a bike of their own. I also saw a mother riding a bike with a baby on the front in a car-seat type thing driving one handed with a leash in the other hand and a dog running along beside her. The dutch are very talented in their bike riding. 

I have ventured out on a few bike rides of my own. Jeannie and I have been going a few times a week. We have been exploring the neighboring dutch towns and even traveling into Germany which is only about 5 km away.