EuroTrip 2010: Dam Straat I’m in Amsterdam (1)

(Just one of Amsterdams many unique buildings)

Hoi! dear friends from the vice filled city of Amsterdam!

After a 7 hour flight, 5 hour layover in London and an hour plane ride to Holland, I have arrived and partied like it’s the Queen’s Birfday!

Since I have been in Amsterdam I have almost been run over by a Dutch cyclist, I have found myself as a main attraction in a random drum parade dance party, I have done my best to reassure some no-English-Italian guys on shrooms that their friend having a bad trip was going to be fine…while they were tripping, I have wandered the stone streets stoned and with a group of Aussies and Italians, I have eaten herring from a vendor (not a fan) and I have danced to euro Hardcore music in a sea of Orange ….let’s just say I am experiencing Amsterdam!….well except for the 50 euro per 15 minute prostitutes.

(Riding the ferris wheel on the first night, the National Monument can be seen on the ground below, very phallic)

If you know anything about Amsterdam it’s probably about the red light district. Our hostel, the Bulldog hotel (www.bulldoghotel.com) is smack in the middle of the red light district, so I have seen many beautiful (and not so beautiful) women scantily clad standing provocatively behind their red lit glass window. It’s shocking to see at first and it kind of weirds me out, but in a sad and curious way…it makes me think about what their life is really like, and what their reasons for doing what they do are.

Enough about that though. The main reason I began in Amsterdam was because I wanted to start my trip with a bang! No, no, not a 15 dollar hooker…a big party! This party is Queen’s day which was on April 30^th. These European people really know how to celebrate the Monarchy! Every street was closed to traffic, public transit and bicyclists (who usually have the right of way). Pedestrians and the many revelers boating on the canals had taken over. But this wasn’t like in Toronto where one street may be closed, or Dundas square, and it’s not like LollaPalooza (the next biggest party I’ve ever been to) in which a giant party is enclosed in a massive park…no no, this was a CITY-WIDE Party! Tourists of all types flocked to Amsterdam, and I was exposed to many different cultures in one day! Everywhere you went in the city was full of people drinking, dancing, smoking, chilling, climbing things, boating and unfortunately, littering and peeing in the streets. Now Amsterdam has had a long history of Men peeing in the canal and all over the streets it’s really gross because every once in a while you can catch a wiff. They even have public urinals set up everywhere for the dudes and many still piss in the canal. Sadly the female outdoor urinals had to be shut down back in the day after they were protested for by a group of feminists who said it was discrimination to make women have to pay per public toilet use rather then allow them to pee in the streets like men. Unfortunately, these female public toilets were shutdown due to junkies using the enclosed space as a place to shoot up. During Queens Day I paid a total of 1.50 euro to use the bathroom two different times….but let me tell you…it was an Emergency and well worth the buck fitty.

(Beautiful day for dancing)

It is really interesting experiencing completely foreign cultures and people in their natural habitat, it makes me think differently about my pre conceived notions of judging a book by its cover (we all do it) because then when you hear their voice it throws your whole schema of things off because you have a new sense of who they are by their culture. I don’t know, that might just be the lemon haze talking. One thing I did find ironic was that even though pot is so accessible in Amsterdam there are still illegal hard drug dealers prowling the streets and funnily enough if you want hard drugs you just go to the black guy on the street standing and whispering "Crack, Mushrooms, Charlie" at you as you walk merrily by. Some things are just universal I guess lol. Believe me when I say, hard drugs are just about the only thing you can get in trouble for by the Politie (police) in Amsterdam.

Currently, Melody and I are blogging and journal writing in the lobby of our hotel, sweet music is playing (did you know the best Dj’s in the world are in Amsterdam? Well, now you do), and we are enjoying the sesspool of European culture parading by, it’s quite lovely and wonderful. Tomorrow we will go to the Van Gogh museum or possibly bike tour through tulip fields, I’ll let you know.

(Yes I have already bought a pair of shoes...practical and stylish, only 20 euro...and they match my fanny pack!)

I wish you all luck and happiness,

Love and Kisses,

TaCaGo