Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
Today I ditched Frankfurt for the "Venice of the North". I'm not going to lie, I've been dying to go to Amsterdam ever since I arrived in Europe and right from leaving the train station I knew that I wouldn't be disappointed. I caught the tram to an area near downtown swarming with tourists. Just a block away was my youth hostel on a street lined with restaurants and clubs. The hostel had to be one of the worst on my trip but luckily the location made up for it. After throwing my stuff in the room, I asked the guy at reception what I should check out first and his suggestion was Tops, a coffeeshop around the corner. I had just entered the shop and was perusing the menu when a girl came up to the counter and we started talking. She invited me to come sit with her and her friend and soon I was chatting with these two Australians, Sophie and Adam, who happen to be some of the coolest people ever! We talked for awhile and then headed out to explore the town together. I got my first taste of Amsterdam's food at FEBO, a half fast food restaurant, half vending machine where little burgers or some other deep fried concoction awaits behind coin-operated windows. We wandered north through the streets until we wound up in the red light district. It was still pretty early in the evening and there wasn't much going on so we decided to come back later when it was dark (although even in the daylight there was the occasional window open for business). We walked around some more, hit up an Australian bar and sat by a canal and sipped some beers. We did a bit of window shopping at a smartshop, which sells magic mushrooms and herbal ectasy, and the Condomerie,which sells hand-painted condoms in all sorts of shapes (dinosaurs and Christmas trees!). When it eventually turned dark, we went back to the red light district. Shuffling along the narrow streets swarming with men past sex shops and hookers was a bizarre experience. Everywhere you go there's another half-naked girl trying to lure in customers or a window display filled with toys or theaters advertising 'real life sex shows!'. After awhile it was time to head home and I left the glow of the red lights feeling slightly less innocent. I said goodbye to my awesome new friends and hit the sack!
- comments