June 10, 2009 – 2:08pm

I’m on the train traveling from Amsterdam to Berlin. From Berlin I will get another train that will take me into Prague, Czech Republic. All that I have to say about Amsterdam is that what happens in Amsterdam stays in Amsterdam. LOL. But really, Amsterdam is like Vegas but much more intense. The things that you just know that goes on beneath the surface in Vegas are right up in your face in Amsterdam. After getting off the train at the Centraal Train Station I have to make my way to the hostel carrying, what now seems like, a bag of rocks. My feet are seriously blistered and I feel like I’m developing a sore ankle. What I notice first about Amsterdam is the beautiful architecture of the buildings and various ethnicities of people here. The place is more of a melting pot than New York City. There definitely seems to be categories though. First you have the tourists are walking to and fro looking at everything. Second, you have the guys that are posted up at the side of the roads, up against the alley walls, on the corners, etc. These are the people looking to sell illegal drugs (cocaine, heroin, certain kinds of mushrooms, etc.). Sadly, most of them were African or Caribbean. Walking through the streets I sometimes felt that I was mistaken for one of them. Not all drugs are legal in Amsterdam, only marijuana and one type of mushroom. Then, you have the natives who walk around not even bothered by it all.

The hostel that I stayed in was a block away from the red light district. If you walk out the front of the hostel, turn left, and left again, there you are. I already knew what the Red Light District was about from doing my research but what I was not prepared for was how beautiful the women are. These women who sit in the windows practicing the world’s oldest profession were surprisingly gorgeous. I would have to say at least 80% of them are 8’s, 9’s and 10’s physically by American standards. The windows are different too. Some are on the main streets, some are in alleys, and some are even in tunnels underground. Walking by, most of them will beckon you to come to them or blow you a kiss.

The drug scene there is very prominent. There are hash shops, seed shops and coffee shops everywhere. I’m not much of a marijuana smoker so it’s not something that I was really interested in. I will tell you something about Amsterdam though. IT’S EXPENSIVE. Bring your wallet. Some places charge 8 Euro for a beer! The souvenirs, the food, even going to the bathroom all COST. But I can say this, I survived.

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