No trip to Amsterdam would be complete without witnessing the notorious red light district. I guess it's the most famous in Europe. It was a pity I could not take any photos of the prostitutes because they will get really mad at you, smash your camera on the floor, push you down the river or have a glass of urine ready to splash at anyone trying to take photos of them. The prostitutes rent a place behind a window (investment before business) and wear bikinis (some glow in the dark...haha...) to attract customers. The service fee is relatively high, it is about 150Eur for 20 minutes and the fee increases by 20-50Eur every 10 minutes or so if I don't remember wrongly. There are also sex theatres and live sex shows. Haha....
Drug laws are also relatively relaxed in the Netherlands, drugs have been tolerated or decriminalised. You have to look out for smart shops with the mushroom signs if you are interested to see or buy "herbal enhancers" and hallucinogens like magic mushrooms ('shrooms'). :) You have to be over 18 years old to buy something you want from there. Places calling themselves coffeeshops sell hashish, mrijuana and "space" goodies.
For the rest of the story, the photos will speak for them....
arriving in Amsterdam from Berlin
architecture
architecture
just outside the train station
just across a few streets from the train station, you enter the famous red light district of Amsterdam
Oude Derk: A Protestant church right in the middle of the red light district. In the mediaval times, the church serves as a place for 'repentance' for those guys who went out into the sea and came back and sinned in the red light district and they have to BUY a certificate indicating that their sins have been forgiven. People are superstitious back then, so this certificate gives them peace of mind so that they can be assured a place in heaven in case their ships sink before coming back to Amsterdam. :)
a sculpture on the ground outside the church. It was placed there anonymously and was almost removed in the past but the prostitutes wanted it to represent them-anonymous and bounded by chains
Marijuana Musem. I heard there is even a college for 'High' Education nearby. :)
The head office of the Dutch East Indies Company used to be located here
The Jewish living area, which was stripped of its residence during WWII. It was rebuilt by the Dutch government after WWII.
in the red light district
in the red light district
Koninklijk Paleis: The palace, closed for renovation until 2009. The central government of the Netherlands is not here, but in The Hague although Amsterdam is officially the capical city.
The place of Amsterdam miracles. The miracle revolved around a piece of bread (body of Christ) which float around a fire during the last rite conducted for a dying man..... At the end of the day, the bread was lost in the river.
orphanage built by wealthy Dutch merchants. The crown with the 3 crosses symbol symnolises Amsterdam. It was used in the past so that the Dutch people can identify themselves while in out in the sea.
street sign
our favorite pancake restaurant. We were there twice and the waitress can already recognised us the 2nd time we were there. :) Nice cosy place
Looking at the menus. From left: Nick, Jon, YuiChi.
Dutch pancakes. It was small pieces of pancakes with cream, mandarin orange and sugar.
Anne Frank House from across the river
A shop selling mutil-shapes and multi-colored condoms in the red light district... Interesting!
close-up views of some of the condoms
Peace in the area of erotica
some shops grow their own cannabis
Erotic Museum
Madame Tussauds Museum behind
the Dutch national Monument, honouring Dutch victims of WWII. Inside the 22m white stone obelisk is soil from all 12 of the Netherlands's provinces and the Dutch East Indies
our hostel is actually a bar right in the middle of the red light district, but it was a clean and cosy place. At night, it was not noisy and it is not a place where you can smoke 'you-know-what'.
good breakfast
misty night view
when you see this sign, you know it sells something 'unusual'
this is what they sell. The herbs and seeds and mushrooms are of 'unusual' variety. :) You know what I mean?
slanted houses characteristic of Amsterdam. Built to withstand strong winds.
Nick was not cold at all!!
windmill which I found while walking around Amsterdam on my own
I don't know what this means. Just found it interesting
Multatuli-The only hero in Indonesia who is not an Indonesian. He revolusionised the government systems in Indonesia which used to ill-treat Indonesians
Anne Frank
outside Anne Frank House
Anne Frank Diary in Chinese. :)
This bookshelf was used to hide the door behind which the people hide
The people in hiding
old Amsterdam
walking around Amsterdam on my own with a map. :)
view of Amsterdam
view of Amsterdam
Amsterdam at night
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