Starting off early on Saturday, we get to the city by train from a district just outside Amsterdam. The train station building is amazing. It's almost like you come out of a castle. Walking down the main street to the Dam Square, we were always tripping on every step of the way, because we were looking up all the time at the buildings' facades and the Christmas decoration, which was giving the city center even more atmosphere.
We had a meeting with a Free Walking Tour guides at the War Memorial right across the street from the Royal Palace. It was raining cats and dogs. I was ready to run and hide in the "Madame Tussaud" Museum, but...! Sam (our tour guide) was so contagious with his energy , that we actually stayed to the very end. Thanks to him I learned a lot about the city, the country and the history, seeing some of the most beautiful places along the way. The Netherlands had a lot of colonies over the years, most notably South Africa and as it turns out Afrikaan and Dutch. The Netherlands was in the past for a very long time (don't ask me exact dates) the only European trading partner of Japan, as they did not want to convert the Japanese people to Christianity and conquer them as opposed to the Portuguese for example. (Although at our trip to Lisbon, the guide there told us the complete opposite. Portugal never wanted to control Japan, but only to have good trade relationships) . As it turns out there is not only the Netherlands as we know it a part of the European Union but also The Kingdom of Netherlands, which includes some islands in the Caribbeans. Those being, however, not part of the EU.
I would summarize a few of the highlights of the tour, but if you happen to be in town, don't miss on it! So here are some of the interesting essential to hook you on a visit to the city:
The houses were build with a small incline outward (a couple of degrees) and had a special beams with hooks at the top so cargo could be lifted up. Because water and mud drift through the years, some houses got inclined even more, some so dangerously that they had to be anchored to the neighboring houses for stability.
The Dutch eat a lot of herring, which is also one of the biggest export goods. Herring contains high percentage of Vitamin D. Holland was a province and trademark for the herring.
Becoming one of the most important ports in the world in the 17th Century, Amsterdam attracted rivers of sailing crews, which led to prostitution being established and to keep flourishing. The sailors could spent their money, the locals kept their women. In later years the sailor culture also brought the coffee shops with some sailors smuggling pot. The biggest winner among all these immoral activities was of course the church.The good Christians, being afraid of life damnation, ran to the holy buildings, hoping to buy their place in heavens with the little money they had after the days of fun.
Later the state decided to legalize the marijuana. That may bother some people, who never tried it, like myself. But it actually turns out that it is not such a big deal. The only difference I saw to every other capital city in Europe was, that more people on the streets were laughing and having a good time.
We visited three big Museums: The Rijksmuseum, The Van Gogh Museum and The Madame Tussaud. Being completely honest here: if you are not an art fan, don't waste your time visiting them. If you want to take some fun photos at Madame Tussaud, go. But don't expect the almost alive doppelganger of Jason Momoa.
Visiting the Red Light District is an interesting experience. You'll get to the point of realising that it is just business and leaving your prejudices aside. Nobody is being forced or taken advantage of. The women working there have to pay taxes and bills and that is how they choose to do it.
Fun fact though, there is a Prostitution Information Center where a new girl could get the "How to get started" package.
So grab your bags, hop on a plane and enjoy Amsterdam to the fullest, because it has to give far beyond from what the eyes can see.
* A few useful links:
1. Check what the Holland Pass has to offer you. There are some great deals and ideas that it covers:https://www.amsterdam.info/amsterdam-holland-pass/
2. Check what's on at the museums. That way you'll be sure you didn't miss anything or you'll be able to avoid something that you wouldn't like and have the time for something more interesting to you:
2.1 The Rijksmuseum has an amazing interactive website! https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/whats-on
2.2 The Van Gogh Museum's website would give you an idea what to expect, although it is much darker and confusing than I expected. https://www.vangoghmuseum.com/en/whats-on
2.3 These guys have amazing tours and incredibly cool guides: https://freewalkingtoursamsterdam.com/
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