Beauty and Irony in Amsterdam

I have visited many liberal cities, but none that flaunt their acceptance of “alternative lifestyles” as blatantly as Amsterdam. The Red Light District? It’s real. Completely and utterly. I saw women posing nearly-naked in windows, giving passer-byers (male ones) “come hither” signals. Angela informed me how this system works: the women rent out windows for a daily fee. Then, when they get a customer, they invite him in and close the shades. The shades are red: hence, the Red Light District.

Also, regarding marijuana legality? Not only is it legal, but it is extremely prevalent. You cannot walk down a street without encountering at least either one shop selling drug paraphernalia. Most likely, a sex shop will reside next door. Part of me is convinced that these shops are all for the benefit of tourists. After all, even the souvenir shops sell bongs, rizzlers, and dildos. Plus, Amsterdam cannot be any more ridden with smoking sex-fiends than any other city. Well, perhaps more people smoke hash because it is legal, but I did not find evidence of this in my observing the public, and I have a pretty good nose for the stench of weed.

If it hadn’t been for the beautiful canals running throughout the city, the sexuality and bohemian-ness would have been overkill. What was especially unusual about our stay is that we accidentally booked a Christian hostel . . . in Amsterdam, of all places! Talk about ironic. Michelle was very obviously pleased and felt right at home, while Angela balked at the idea of being exposed to more aggressive evangelism (she has had some bad experiences with religious groups). As for me, I was just annoyed that a hostel I considered extra-responsible for being generous and accommodating to its guests forced us to pay for using its sheets. Bedsheet charges are one of the things Angela and I keep a lookout for when we are booking hostels, so I am almost certain Shelter Jordan (the place where we stayed in Amsterdam) did not advertise this additional fee on its website. Furthermore, we were informed that sheets “were not an option,” so even if we had happened to bring our own, we would still have had to pay the charge. What sort of “charitable Christians” trick poor student travelers into paying extra for their stay? Perhaps the same ones who feel justified in starting Holy Wars….