Update #57 – Amsterdam, HOLLAND

Jan. 24/14 – Amsterdam had always been in my “to go” list since years ago.  Thus, even though it was only a short 4-day visit, I am glad to be here.  My curiousness about Amsterdam started when I first heard of the term” fish tank” to refer to the glass panel behind which are the prostitutes that people can see as if they are looking at fishes in an aquarium.

Amsterdam is well known for legal prostitution and marijuana smoking.   The “red light” district here feels very different from that of Thailand where it is a lot more crowded but where things are way less expensive.   I guess that has a lot to do with the weather since Jan & Feb are the worst months to visit Amsterdam, because it is misty and cold.  Temperature was just 1 to 5’ only so not many people are out on the streets.  There are lots of sex toy shops everywhere alongside bars for live shows.  The prostitutes here are all inside small individual glass boxes behind a window.  Instead, those in Thailand are with a number tag on them making them look like clothes with price tags behind display windows of a department store.   The prices are way higher here too compared with those in Thailand.  The older women from Southern Europe cost 30 EURO (45 CND) and the younger ones from Eastern Europe cost 75 EURO ($112 CND).  Oh, but by the time you get into the prostitution’s place, there are a lot more extra charges for additional services and extra time because the price they quoted is for a quick job only.  A restaurant staff of a local restaurant told me his first experience there.  He was supposed to have just paid 50 EURO for the prostitute but he ended up having to pay 200 EURO total after the extra services and time extension.  He felt pretty ripped off and thought it was just a tourist trap, so since then, he only goes to private places where he pays 150 EURO for non-rush and all-inclusive service.

The highlight of my Amsterdam trip was the visit to the Museum of Prostitution that opened only 3 weeks ago inside the red light district. Here, we can get to know the life of a prostitute through a video showing them when they are at work and when they are not at work. Or, one can also view life from their own eyes like the one that I experience: sitting on a stool in the display window and experience what it is like to be stared at by potential customers out on the streets.  This is my 2nd favorite museum after the visit to the Ripley’s museum in Malaysia.  My heart felt heavy after I found out that many of these girls are here due to human trafficking.  It’s indeed very saddening to realize that the treatment we can have are based on where we are from…  This experience made me feel very grateful again for the choices my parents made when they took us away from their hometown 38 years ago or else our lives would have been very different today…

Holland has a population of 16.5 million and I was told that 600,000 are Chinese.   The food seems very expensive here. A Thai glass noodle salad costs $23 CND; a $40 3-course Chinese meal in Vancouver costs $95 CND here;  and a $20 3 small Spanish tapas in Vancouver costs $45 CND here!  The only thing reasonable was the small 8-ounce glass of Heineken draft beer which is for $4 CND.  I am reminded again why I so love visiting Asia where food is great but way less expensive!!

The famous 60-minute Amsterdam canal tour was good as it gives a totally different view of this city which is known for the gables on their buildings.  There are more than 1,200 bridges and more than 600,000 bikes in this city.  In fact, the city has a parking lot for 2500 bikes but even then, city officials are already talking about providing a bigger one since there are just still 9000 bikes parked on the streets in the downtown district.

I am leaving for Hamburg today to meet up with Stephan, the backpacker buddy I met in Buenos Aires last year and who we stayed with in the hostel for 2.5 weeks.  He is one of the few I met during my 2 years of travelling that I am still staying in touch with.  Very excited to see him again!!

Wanting to know more Amsterdam before and during my trip there, I searched for info in the Internet.  Below are facts that I found interesting:

1. Amsterdam

• the capital of Netherlands; an urban district

• with over a million in population

• the country’s largest city and the center of finance, culture and arts

• known as the Venice of the North because of the canals that wind through the city

• with impressive architectural designs of their buildings

• offers variety of interests for tourists – culture, history, entertainment, etc.

2. Famous canals and canal boats

• one can enjoy different views of the city through the canal boat ride that several companies offer.  A tour can last from 45min round trip to longer cruise trips complete with lunch or dinner

3. Canal Ring – a UNESCO World Heritage Site

• literally dug in the 17th century to lure rich people to build their homes there

• a high-end residential area, home to well known Dutch personalities

• has the Leidsephlein and Rembrandtplein – most famous nightlife destinations

4. De Wallen (Red Light District) – may be known as the Red Light District, but there’s more to see than the prostitutes

• there are colossal structures here

• Oude Kerk (Old Church) – built in 1306 is an attraction

• Museum Ons’ Lieve Heer op Solder (“Our Lord in the Attic” Museum) – a reminder of the time when Catholicism was not allowed, way before Amsterdam became known for being a “beacon of tolerance.”  This is a former underground church tucked away in the attic of house.

• dining places, especially famous of which is the Amsterdam China.

• naturally an attraction: the entertainment for the older ones are live sex shows in Casa Rosso and Bananenbar, a favorite choice for couples and single men and women alike.  There’s more:  there are escort services for the more clients who prefer more privacy and secrecy, of course.

Despite all these seemingly openness about prostitution there are concerns that the government recognizes: human trafficking that lure women into this “business.”  To know more about this concern, one can have a tour of de Wallen with a former sex worker.

Originally posted on Amy’s travel blog: TravelwithAmy.ca