Dave the Nomad

If Las Vegas is Sin City, this place must be hell. I could rant and rave like the giddy Americans taking pictures of menus in coffeeshops and smoking ridiculously large blunts, or the red light district’s temptation of lustful release and bizarre feats, but this all seems to be part of a larger idea called Amsterdam.

You won’t see many Dutch out in coffeeshops getting so stoned they lose their belongings or stumble into the canal, and they usually visit the red light district on Monday nights when all the shops are close. To a native Amsterdamite these are just small aspects of everyday life, they aren’t a highlight, or something to be abused out of proportion. Yet, they are all so happy, and of course open-minded. These unique “rights” are to many of us novelties, but to them it is a symbol of their tolerance and ability to indulge responsibly. I wonder how America would function with similar policies implemented. Would government regulation lead to more control, happier citizens, and more tolerance for different ideas?

Deep thoughts and politics aside, this place really is awesome. Someone told me to get a general idea of the city, look at a map and unfocus your eyes. It should look like a spider web; if you’re lost walk to the middle and start over. If you spent any significant amount of time in A’dam you should have a Pavlovian response to bicycle bells and making sure you don’t get side swiped. There always seems to be something going on in this bustling city, and I decided to rent a bike to ride around and check it out. Lots of fun, just make sure to get off the bike, sit outside a cafe, relax, and enjoy the scenery, boats, etc.

Besides the normal “novelties,” there was one place in particular I wanted to check out, Vondal Park. When my dad visited here, you could actually camp in this city park with crowds of other people. Presently, the park is in the midst of an epic makeover. Large sections of the park were gated off as bulldozers and earthmovers skated around the paths. Thankfully, there was still ample green space to sit down and relax. I ended up spending the good part of a day here relaxing with some people and taking a catnap in the sun. Everyone is very friendly, and there were still some hippie circles playing songs that sounded a bit too much like kumbuya for my taste. Nonetheless, its a great place to relax, and certainly embodies the whole livelihood of Amsterdam.

I’d be crazy not to mention the canals. Water-lovers beware this is an intoxicating mixture of urban life, and boating. Cruise the canal at night, or pile in a bunch of pillows and take a “Sunday drive” around the city, stop at a cafe. To me I love the fact a city can have such a well made fluid infrastructure, then again, leave it to the country that is under sea level to undergo such a feat.

I’ll leave you with a few pieces of knowledge I learned. Fresh mushrooms are considered a vegetable and are legal, dried ones are a drug and illegal. Smoking tobacco inside will get you a big fine and a boot out the door, smoking cannabis is fine except in a cafe. Lastly, cameras can’t take pictures if you take the memory card out and leave it in your computer.