Amsterdam - What a trip

I know what you're thinking about Amsterdam. You're probably right in most respects. With legalized prostitution in the Red Light District and the controlled, but what seemed to be non-existent drug laws, this city is a Mecca for those going to 'enjoy' themselves. While I did see all of that, there's a lot more to the most culturally diverse city on the planet.

In some ways, it seems like a cross between Las Vegas and Venice, Italy. Like Vegas, there's a ton to see, but for the most part, you just go there to party. Like Venice, it can be relaxed in some areas, and with its system of canals and waterways, building looking like they could topple at any moment, it was definitely a sight to see.

This city is alive with young people. Whether it be the local trendy hipsters or the backpacking hosteller. They're literally everywhere, past 3:00 in the afternoon that is. I couldn't tell if everyone was at work or if they had been out too late the night before, but the city was actually quite peaceful before noon. After that, the bikers come out and are everywhere. Since bicyclists have the right of way to all other forms of transportation in the city, including pedestrians, this is the most popular way to get around.

The apartment we stayed at was actually someone's home, which turned out to be a series of skinny staircases up six flights with one to two 'apartments' per floor. We were lucky enough to get the penthouse that was more or less a 400 square foot studio with a loft. It did however have a rooftop terrace (which sounds fancier than it was) but it was nice to have. The owner was a 50-something ex-pat from Quebec, Canada who was a bit of an aging hippie. He did have a lot of information about the city and was pretty interesting to talk to. You could say that I liked the guy. This guy's facial expressions told you that he had a lot of stories to tell, but it could have been that he was just stoned all day, too. I'm going to say it was probably a little of both.

The first couple of days spent in Amsterdam were like most when I go to a new city. Spent wandering around, taking in all of the sights, touristy stuff, taking pictures. This had plenty of opportunities for wandering, for it seemed to go on forever, and then just wound its way back to the central locations again. Yes, we went into the Red Light District, which to be honest, was a little like a haunted house. Just when I was least expecting it, the doorways in which the girls stood just sort of happen. Before you know it, they're a foot from you and grabbing at your arms to try and get you to come into their room. With the makeup jobs a lot of them wore, it was a little like Halloween. Don't get me wrong, I did see some sort of attractive women, but I'll stick to riding the trains instead.

Since the World Cup was going on one of these nights, and the Netherlands upsetting Brazil, the city went crazy. These people do know how to party, too. They stayed out to the early morning hours celebrating and blowing those stupid vuvuzelas that everyone on the planet now despises (I personally think South Africa is sorry for that one). This may explain the next morning's tranquility in the streets.

My last full day, I decided to rent a bike. Wandering around the streets is fun, but after a while, the brick and cobblestone sidewalks take their toll. Truthfully, riding a bike is the only way to go in this city. You can get where you're going a hell of a lot faster for one, but you also start to feel like you're getting immersed into the culture. There are a lot of bikes and scooters in this city, and by a lot, I mean an unimaginable amount of bikes. They're everywhere. Locked up against buildings, in the buildings, hanging off of the canals (I'm guessing the coffeeshops may have had something to do with this, but I've been wrong before, it could've been a tourist). Like I said before, for the most part, bicyclists have the right of way. You're constantly hearing the little bells ringing letting pedestrians or other cyclists know you're there. It may seem kind of trendy now in the U.S. to ride a granny bike around town, but here it's the norm. A mountain bike or a regular road bike in this city is what stands out the most. Kind of a "Where's that person going on that thing."

I asked the 'landlord' where to rent bikes and he just pointed to the narrow hallway. There was my bike. A fold-up Dahon with 7 speeds and a wobbly back tire. Let's ride. We had met up with some acquaintances of my brother and his wife the night before. They asked if we wanted to join them on a ride out to the beach, and since my brother was getting up early to go take some photos, I decided what the hell. So at the early morning hour of 11 am, I hopped on the bike with my new cycling companions. Getting out of the city was a little troublesome, as none of us speak Dutch, but we made it out in about an hour and were on our way to Haarlem. This is the next major city next to Amsterdam to the west, and in reality, is just an Amsterdam Jr. It has most of the same features, the canals, church steeples, main square, and a ton of shopping. It was sort of the Bellevue to Amsterdam's Seattle. Cleaner, newer and less traffic (bikes I mean). After a quick bite, we headed the extra 8 km out to the beach, and eventually hit the coast of Holland. Not what any of us were expecting. Apparently, none of us looked at a large scale map of the country. When we got to the, for lack of a better word, the boardwalk, there was just miles of beach as far as you could see. Then, I remembered, that the beach runs the entire length of the country. It was pretty amazing. There were people everywhere. I could've sworn I was at spring break in Ft. Lauderdale. There were clubs on the beach, and we only rode a couple of km down it, but the people were neverending. We stopped and got a couple of beers, and then decided to head back to Haarlem and catch the train back into Amsterdam. I'm guessing that you really have to get your ass accustomed to a fold up bike if you're going to ride it 30 km a day. After we got back, I decided to ride around the city on my own a bit and weave my way back to the apartment. I almost felt like a local after I picked up some Heineken and took it back to our place. No accidents, or even close calls. A success in my injury prone travels.

Needless to say, I would like to go back and check this city out again. It deserves some more exploring. I usually don't like to do the really touristy things in big cities, but there are some things that I missed here that I would like to check out if I go back. The Van Gogh museum is the one thing I regret not seeing, but all in all, I had a great time. The city is full of life. A melting pot of nations that come together to celebrate things that are looked down upon by most, seem to thrive here. It made for some great experiences that everyone should enjoy sometime in their life...hopefully more than once.