Trip to Amsterdam

Today I head off to Berlin but yesterday was Amsterdam. On the way there, we stopped at Duisburg and stopped at a Toys R Us. Can you believe it? They stock good games at these stores in Germany!


Once in Amsterdam, we initially headed towards what appeared to be the town square before looking for a fondue restaurant. The restaurant was closed, and we ended up walking through the red light district prior to eating supper at a smaller steak and pizza restaurant. Then onto the red light district. Legalized and regulated prostitution and tolerated marijuana sold in "coffee shops" make Amsterdam famous, despite its elegant and beautiful architecture.

I found it slightly disturbing and odd. The women dance and entice visitors inside of these tiny rooms with glass doors peeking out into the alleys. They appear perfect; perfectly objectified. You end up speaking of the women as "this one" and "the small one over there." It was worth seeing, but jeez. Fine, let it be legal. But I don't have to promote the trade.

Even more interesting are the truly beautiful things that you see stuck inside this mess. Bikes for instance.

But seriously, the sheer number of bikes in this city are awesome! They have bike lanes, bike lights, and in addition to this, they appear to have great public transportation. We were at one intersection, and it took forever, lights were flashing all over the place. But the lights in this intersection needed to regulate pedestrians, bikes, cards, and the light rail!

And then you have these swans in the canal. So elegant and grand swimming there in the lights.


There are more pictures, but they will have to wait until I return home. For instance, who doesn't need a teddy bear with a dong? Or, why not enjoy your sporting event with a beer and a joint? Finally, remember: It's always worth running. So with that, I am signing out and heading towards the train station for Berlin.