Amsterdam's red-light district

I spent my two evenings in Amsterdam relaxing at the hostel and exploring the nearby red-light district either on my own or with a group of younger kids from Canada, Australia and the USA. The red-light area in Amsterdam is much larger than in Hamburg and is less concentrated. It is therefore possible to walk down a completely empty street and unexpectedly come across a scantily-clad woman sitting by the window and inviting you to come into her tiny half-basement flat for a good time. The warm glow of a red lantern unmistakeably identified the profession of a particular apartment's resident. If the light was on, that likely meant the girl (or in some cases male transvestite or transsexual) was home, and if the heavy red curtain was closed it probably meant she was not alone.

The college kids I was with were not the most mature or original crowd, and I soon tired of their company. I returned to the hostel, but not before dropping by a coffeeshop, which in Amsterdam usually means a licensed pot shop. I managed to get through college without trying pot (crazy, I know), and the idea of smoking it is still unattractive to me. However, when I saw "spacecakes" on the menu, I could not resist splitting one with Bree. The dessert looked and tasted quite like a chocolate muffin, except for a barely-noticeable dry aftertaste. I was actually a bit disappointed because I did not feel any effect whatsoever besides a sugar-rush, but wasn't about to try for another one. As a result, the first time I tried marijuana turned out to be a complete non-event. However, I can now with complete truthfulness attest that I have tried marijuana, but did not inhale...only ingest.