Mecca

A canal in Amsterdam.
see all photos »

Cilly and I got up at 4:30AM, left Bloomsbury, and took the Thameslink train to Luton Airport, where we had a 9:05 cheap Easy Jet flight. Note: if you're ever booking your flight from Luton and want to take the bus there, book one that's after 10:00AM! That's cuz tubes don't start running until about 5:30, and you need to take a tube (or otherwise take a pricy taxi) to Baker St. to catch the cheaper Easy Bus. That's why we needed to take the train instead, though it was more expensive. Anyhow the flight was great - checked in early so got to sit in the front of the plane! Under an hour and we were in Amsterdam!

Think I needed a smaller clog size.
see all photos »

Amsterdam's known for windmills, tulips, art, but also for sex and drugs. After taking the train to Centraal Station, we walked to our hostel, the Flying Pig Downtown, which is right next to the Red Light District. It's a decent place, with a kitchen (yay!!!) and free internet (yay!!!). But our room has 22 beds, and it smells like smoke just about everywhere but the room - both kinds. After settling in, we headed out for Anne Frank Huis. Even though I never read her diary, I still got a lot out of visiting the secret annex, which has been preserved as a museum. It was really moving to read excerpts from her diary written on the walls, and to see the original book. There's lots of really tall, narrow buildings in Amsterdam, especially along the canals. Some look like they're leaning over. The stairs are really steep and narrow as well. It's really neat!

We took a stroll through the Red Light District...

We picked up so groceries and with the help of a frying pan, we ate like kings! Just made a simple ham and cheese omelette but it was delish after days of bread, and more bread.

We headed out again, and found our way to Dampkring, a coffeeshop, where we had coffee... :) This was the place were they filmed scenes from Ocean's Twelve and came highly recommended. Actually it was pretty groovy. It was still daylight, so we went to the Sex Museum! Yup it was all about sex through the ages, from paintings from ancient China, to Valentino, to the Marquis de Sade - some of which was really interesting and even funny, and others were cringe-worthy. Finally at night, we took a stroll through the Red Light District. Wow. There are literally only red lights lighting the streets, under which women in their underwear were beckoning at the guys (some were, others just sat there and talked on their phones). Ancilla and I walked around a few blocks, looking at the different girls, some old, some young and even quite pretty but with heavy make-up and revealing clothes. Even saw one tranny prostitute! They have a whole little room behind those doors with curtains that close when someone goes in. I think they charge 50 euros. I also think this has changed my opinion about legalized prostitution (compared to the situation in Vancouver), and am really glad I came and saw for myself.