This past weekend was probably the best 3 days of my life…because I spent them in Amsterdam. As you all know, the whole mystique about the city is that marijuana is legal, as is prostitution. What you don’t know, though, is that you are wrong. Hookers ARE legal. Pot, however, isn’t “legal” it is just “tolerated and decriminalized.” It’s a big legal loophole or something.
In any case, after spending what seemed like eternity on the train from London to Brussels, and the Brussels to Amsterdam, I set foot outside the station, and was instantly hit with warm, inviting sunshine. As I walked around with my friends trying desperately to find our living quarters (all the street names were in Dutch, as was our map), I got a sense of why this place is so amazing. The city is like a grid…only instead of major streets, there are canals. I also noticed that nobody really drove anywhere..they rode bikes or Vespas. There was even a bike lane on most streets with higher foot-traffic.
Once we finally asked someone for directions, got to our room, and got situated, it was time to walk and explore. Our first stop was All Day Cafe. I made my first ID-required marijuana purchase (Chocolope) and went upstairs and rolled up a nice j, sparked, and was in the clouds. People weren’t kidding when they said that the pot was stronger. After finishing, my friend Nai and I walked around outside, eventually sitting by a canal and just watching the boats go by. Every boat seemed to have people partying on it. Then we went home and passed out.
I woke up the next morning and sat on the front steps, got high, and watched the city begin to start its day. I also caught the tail-end of the sunrise, which was pretty sweet. After we ate breakfast, I set off to explore. I found one of the stores I was looking for, but then got tragically lost when going to another. I was wandering around for 2 hours, and finally stumbled upon the Dolphins Cafe, where I was told I could find some Northern Lights (they had it, and it is incredible).
That night I went to the Anne Frank House. That museum is such a sombering place. It was so surreal walking through the place where 8 people hid for 2 years. They couldn’t talk, walk around, or make any other noises during the daytime, and never saw any natural sunlight. It just puts everything about that time period into a perspective I had never dreamed of before. After that, I went to meet my friend at a restaurant, and on the way saw a hooker walking around without a shirt. Hello free titties. On the way home, I also witnessed a man walking out of a brothel, and then further down the road, watched as an older gentleman rang the bell, had the maiden come to the door and tell him the price, and then he said “OK” and handed her the money, and walked inside.
The next day it was time to leave. I needed to finish up my stash (G-13 x Amnesia Haze) so I went to breakfast, and got pancakes. Then I just went to the train station and hung around until my train came. From there I don’t remember alot, cuz I was stoned, and I passed out on the train. Same thing going from Brussels to London.
All in all, it was a weekend well spent. I can honestly say that Amsterdam is the perfect city for the things that go on there..due in large part to its natural beauty, and its pact to keep to the old style, at least in the Jordaan section. I am already planning a return trip, because there was so much I didn’t get to explore in my short time there.
If you’d like, here are some pictures.
til next time…peace
-hb
