Many moons ago a stack of vintage playboys handed down from my elders had been bestowed upon me. Being the connoisseur of literature I am, I actually did read the articles within the magazines and found them very funny and interesting. However, I learned quickly that no one will believe you if you say, "I read playboy for the articles." I get a very similar response when I say. "Amsterdam was one of my favorite trips because it is a beautiful city." Amsterdam really is a beautiful city and more than just weed and prostitutes.
My trip started with arriving Thursday evening, with five friends who are also studying in Seville. We quickly learned to not take a taxi, ever unless you got some deep pockets. The fare from the airport to our hostel was over 60 euro. We all had tears running down our faces watching that number grow. After getting settled we all went for a walk into downtown. Walking through the city I thought it was strange of how many coffee shops they had. It was not until I got close to a door of one of these "coffee shops" that I realized that more than coffee was being sold inside. Being the student of culture I deemed it necessary to investigate a bit more and hang out in one of these shops.
The rest of the weekend was spent walking the city. I fell in love with the endless canals and the beautiful gloominess. Every place I have ever visited has an intangible vibe that either makes it more or less attractive. Amsterdam has a great vibe. The temperature was more like home for me, and I loved how the gloom made the city even more picturesque. The buildings are mostly brick and have little to no color to them which made the colors of the trees pop even more.
If someone asks what I thought was the most interesting thing in Amsterdam is, I would say without hesitation the RedLight District. This place absolutely blew my mind. Never in my life have I seen prostitutes or a sex culture appropriated in public. One can find a sex shop on nearly every block and in the ally ways and small streets are filled with windows bordered with red lights containing nearly nude women beckoning customers to come in. It was one of the craziest places I have ever seen. My mind was blown because I could not fathom that a place like this exists, or that I was seeing it. On a few of the streets, there were signs saying, "No f**king pictures. These are proud women." This was interesting because my initial thoughts were that I feel bad for these women, but these women have chosen this line of work. They pay taxes, have unions, and although some may say it is not respectable profession they are legitimate professionals in the workforce.
All in all, Amsterdam was a great trip. I would recommend anyone to visit. If you have any more questions about the city or any of my trips feel free to send an email or comment on my social media. Thank you for reading!