Today I met up with Andy – who I actually met in London. We only spoke for a few minutes in London since both of us had somewhere to be but planned to get in touch when we were both in Amsterdam. Andy was with another friend – Zuke, and the three of us went on a walking tour around Amsterdam. The tour was fantastic, we got the run down on the urine deflectors in corners of buildings, were told all about the legality of drugs and prostitution in the area, were taken through a tour of the red light district and around some of the canals. We eventually broke off from the group – to hang out on some large stones by a pond in Vondelpark. Later that night, after work of course, we all met up again. This time we needed to take our own walk through the red light district – just to say we had done it at night. It was fantastically hilarious to watch and listen to what goes on as we weaved in and out of the streets. Getting lost – as is the custom with Zuke leading the way – we saw quite a bit of the city.
It isn’t too large, but you can in fact lose your bearings rather easily. The best part about it all is that there are more bicycle laws than actual driving laws. They don’t even have too many sidewalks for those who choose to explore on foot. If there is one thing to remember about Amsterdam, it is to always be alert as more often than not you are likely to be run down by a bicyclist or some sort of tricked out golf cart.
