Living in Amsterdam - How can it be?

As a last post about that wonderful country, i leave a challenge here for my friends that life in Holland.

How is it, to live in Amsterdam? As any other country there are advantages and desadvantages. Some seem obvious to me, others maybe not. I wait for your comments and leave here my portuguese tourist point of view.

Although i do what the majority of the tourists do in Amsterdam and go to the typical places and the recomended museums, i don't belong to the big group that goes to Holland, stays in the centre of Amsterdam and keep stoned and high during all stay. There are closer places in Portugal for do so, like Ibiza and it's cheaper.

But yes, Amsterdam is a city in permanent party!

My first trip further than Iberic Peninsule was many years ago to Amsterdam. It was a "eyes opener"! Now continuing to visit and having several friends living in Holland my opinion changed.

At first impact it's all shocking! The drugs, sex, alcool, all so easy to obtain and all so permited, makes it easy to think: "Wonderfull! Incredible! Amazing! How it would be to live in such a tolerant country where everything is possible and each person are free to choose!"

Nevertheless, due to the education i had and the society i live, i can't imagine create a family in the red light district, go for a sunday family walk with a little son and see prostitutes in the windows 24h per day.

Not better, not worse, just diferent! Really diferent...

Bicycles everywhere, the chanels of water all around centre town and the straight, narrow houses, give a unique caracter to the city. With or without sun it's a beautiful town and there is always something to visit or to do. On byke to work, to the coffee, to the park catching sun, as a sport, bycicles domain the streets and they have priority over everything except over trams.

The food. This subject is fast and easy to comment. There isn't typical food. Dutch don't have or don't want to cook, so the mayority of restaurants are from foreign food. It's incredible to see the amount and variety of pre-cooked food seeling in the supermarkets. Anyway there are crazy for healthy food, fruits, vegetables, iogurts, cereals, natural juices, etc.

For not sunk myself in stereotypes and excluding the racial mixes that are so many, the typical dutch (whatever that is) has 1,90m is white, blond, bright eyes and thin. Pratical and direct to action, big self esteem and a bit "show off". Typical cold behavior from north countries, but acecible, funny and of open mind!

The variety of nacionalities living together in the same town is incredible and quite visible in Amsterdam. The tolerance exists! Races, religions, sexual orientation, everybody sharing a commun place, toleranting. But that nobody is silly enought to think that is the paradise like "Imagine" song of John Lennon!

One of the most tolerant countries in the world, Holland isn't what it was before. Like all around Europe, there are big problems with emigration. The ghost of the dutch writer assasinated by a muslim, that didn't like the publishing of a book about how the turkish women are treated in the society, still hangs around the country of tulips and the windmills.

To add some colours to all here are a list of curious photos:



Bycicles – is hard to take a photo that doesn't includes photos. It worths to transport everything! The gorcery bags, the kids, tie the dog and go pedaling to the Vondelpark. In the photo above dozens of bikes were blown by the wind that greated a great confusion.

Chanels – Although to diferent to compare, i prefer the smal chanels of water in Amsterdam centre rather than the full of traffic channels of Venice. With a smal boat, you can reach almost everywhere in Amsterdam and suburbs. Must be funny to see the chanels maze map...

Redlight district – Worldwide famous, this neibourhood has a suitable name. A couple of long streets and smalls narrow corners form the barrio where the prostitution is present and no hiding 24h a day. Behind each window, professionals of the business of all races, shapes and colours, provoque and tease who's passing. Always with a neon red lamp over it.

The client gets closer to the window, the price is discussed, "suck and fuck" is called to the standard service, all extras are paid over that. Costumer gets in, the curtains close and it happens right there.

Curiosity: The monthly rent of a windowon a main busy street can go till 5000€, which includes protection and insurance. Nobody is "forced" to turn on the redlight, like Roxanne in Police song.

Coffee shops - there are of all kinds and for every taste. The concept of the consumption of hashish and marijuana is equal in all, only the decoration and the type of music that passes are diferent. From rock to hip hop, chill out and lounge. There is a proper zone to smoke and in the majority of them it isn't allowed to drink alcool. Only teas and energetic drinks. All comes in a separated menu with prices in 2 categories. Grass or Hashish, already rolled up or in bags with grams. Diferent flavors, mixtures and origins. Prices can vary between 8 and 12 euros one gram.

Also famous are the spacecakes (muffins with a quarter of gram mixed) and the magical mushrooms for all kind of effects and trips.

The photo below was taken in the Heineken beer museum and the other one with players of chess on street board taken near VondelPark. All the photos can be seen in more detail clicking on them.