I Can't Stop Gawking

Amsterdam. We left the train station and walked through Chinatown, right into the Red Light District.

All I can say is: shocking. There really are prostitutes. A lot of them. There really are "coffee shops" and you can smell them a block away. The Red Light District is all sex, hippies, old perverts, and young tourists.

We walked through the rain until we found a steakhouse with a 9 euro special. The food was great, but the decor was hilarious. The Dutch take on the American Southwest is tiki huts, canteens, cave drawings, leather, and Mexican music.

Our hostel is in a historic building right in the action. It shares the block with a sex show, a few "windows" and the Cannabis College. This really is a strange place.

Our roommates are 4 canadian boys and a couple from Australia. All they do is lay in bed and watch the Discovery Channel all day.

Our first morning, Hunter and I took a tour of the city. It was 3 hours long and totally fascinating. We learned:

Amsterdam was once the boat trading capital of Europe. It has had prostitution forever. Sailors loved girls. Interestingly, a huge church is in the Red Light District, because sailors liked to repent afterwards (or buy an Indulgence for future sins).

Amsterdam was also the site of the ONLY direct resistance against the Nazis. When the Germans came in, boxing clubs were formed by non-Jews to protect the Jews. When a Nazi officer was beat into a fatal coma by the boxing group, the troops got pissed. The Jews were immediately surrounded by a barbed wire fence. Within one day, the Dutch went on strike in every line of work, including those building Nazi airplanes. 200,000 people met in Dam Square to protest the Nazis. The Nazis reacted by shooting into the crowd and executing the mayor...

The current state of Amsterdam (totally liberal) is an attempt to avoid crazy regimes. Thus the drugs and prostitution. Prostitutes here rent windows, are protected by the police, are tested regularly, and pay taxes. Crazy. (Oh and it's 50 euro for 15 minutes!)

After the tour we ate at an awesome food market cafeteria. It is seriously my favorite place in all of Europe. Everything is fresh and cooked in front of you: pastries, sandwiches, salads, juice, ice cream, fruit, etc. I had tortllini and got to pick all ny ingredients.

Last night we walked around all night looking at prostitutes. It's actually exciting, especially when you see someone make a deal. We even found a house filled with red light windows!

Side note: we've been offered cocaine at least 5 times. You walk by someone and they whisper it to you. It's weird and scary.

Sorry to scare you guys!!! We haven't done anything bad and feel very safe. Only a few more hours to go!