What's That Smell? Oh it's Just Amsterdam

Along with some new friends from Brussels, Paul and I left for Amsterdam. We had no idea what to expect. It was smooth sailing until we were notified that we would have to get off the train in some middle of nowhere town called Rosendaal because of work being done on the rails. Luckily, we had met a guy going the same direction as us who knew what he was doing. From Rosendaal we board a bus which took us to another station. From there, we caught a train straight to Amsterdam. I'm just going to say it now, Amsterdam is awesome. Now, in order to maintain the integrity of this blog, I will not be going into detail about certain aspects of Amsterdam, for example, the Red Light District and coffeeshops (where one can legally purchase marijuana and smoke). I actually still don't understand some of the laws regarding these anyway. If you want to know about them, ask me personally and I will tell you some stories. Anyways, escape from the hustle and bustle and the smell of pot and you find yourself in an amazing city surrounded by canals and and artistic genius. Even in the winter, the setting of the city is perfect. The houses line the water side, the bikers still pass on driving dispite the snow, and the graffiti covers the vancant walls for urban feel. Paul and I couldn't wait to just get out and start walking around, even if there were large shards of ice floating through the canal. On our first real day of exploring the city, Paul and I decided to first find the I AM-STERDAM monument. To our surprise, there are more than one in the city. However, the one we found was located conveniently in a random courtyard right around the corner from our hostel. After a couple pictures, we moved on past the under contruction Royal Palace in Dam Square to find Anne Frank's house. We didn't feel like going in at the time, but I went back the next day because I've been curious about how the family lived for awhile now. I hate to say it, but it could've been better. The idea of having quotes from Anne's diary on the walls of the house is a great idea, but most of the time, you're just walking through empty rooms with just a couple pictures, objects, or a short video. It was deffinitely not worth 8 euro. That being said, I'm glad I went back because it was very eye opening to how the house was actually set up. After some more wandering, that was really the extent of our day. The next day Paul and I were on our own. After some initial wandering and a quick stop at the Hemp Museum (which basically just stated every practical use of hemp and marijuana throughout history to the present), we made our way to the Van Gogh Museum which was located on the outskirts of the central Amsterdam. I really see no reason to talk about this place. Personally, I wasn't impressed. I mean, I like art as much as the next guy, and I have a general appreciation for Van Gogh as a genius, but this place didn't even have his most famous pieces. In fact, half the museum was other artists work. It was a waste of time. This of course was followed by more wandering and exploring of the multiple canals and shops that make Amsterdam so beautiful. Then, before I knew it, I was planning on meeting some random guy I met in my hostel named Kalen in Berlin the next day. Amsterdam is just funny like that. Its different from any place I've ever been to. Sexuality, homosexuality, marijuana, etc., they're just out there and right in your face. I was shocked by what shops are allowed to put in their windows, especially around the Red Light District. However, no one seems to mind. Its just imbedded in their culture. Its the norm. I really don't know how else to explain it. The one thing that still amazes me is how families, with young children, go here for family vacations. Its just not an appropriate atmosphere for youngsters.