I've been trying to find the words to describe Amsterdam. I should preface this story by saying, I've never smoked cigarettes or pot in my life. I've never been high on any substance or drunk to the point I've blacked out or thrown up or even been disgustingly hungover the next day. I don't judge people who do but I don't like not being in control of my body/actions or that uninhibited in public. I say this because when I told people I went/was going to Amsterdam, everyone assumed that I was going to be high off my ass in a cafe all day...and maybe I should've taken in some debuachery but that goes with one of my travel tips: Be who you are where ever you are and remember who that person is...Meaning, if you don't like to wake up early, being in a foreign country is not going to motivate you to wake up early to check the sights. Don't schedule early things. ConverseAdditionally, if you don't smoke pot, don't do it just because you're in Amsterdam where everyone else is smoking pot.
Well, not everyone.
When I talked to my host about why he moved from Israel to Amsterdam, he told me he moved for love. He met his girlfriend on a long weekend and never went back home. Romantic, yes? Whatever.
I also asked him about how he felt about the reputation the city has for being home for all these vices. He didn't care. He felt like Amsterdam was much more than sex shops and cafes. After spending a bit of time there, I agreed.
When I got off the tram, the first sights I was bombarded with were young tourists looking like the cat that ate the canary: eager to indulge in whatever they wanted for the night and a black man preaching the gospel of Jesus in Dutch in the middle of the crowd. Amsterdam is a verrrry religious city but yet you can basically take drugs, buy a hooker and eat a cheeseburger out of a vending machine. Liberating, yes? It had me thinking about how Amsterdam would fare as an American city with our crazy religious fanatics. I don't think it would do well. Our religious people condemn instead of help. I didn't get that feeling in Amsterdam. I told a coworker of mine my philosophy about religion which is...they all say to love one another. I can love my hooker friend without stoning her to death or paying for her services, no?
What I also noted about the city was how even though you know people are getting high and doing whatever, they weren't acting crazy in the streets. I never felt unsafe or like some man high on shrooms was going to push me in a canal or take advantage of me. Maybe they have it right. Allow people to do what they want in a safe environment and that makes it safer for the community as a whole.