Ducks and a swan soak up the sun in one of Amsterdam's many canals.
Amsterdam is a city of contradictions. It’s known for being liberal, yet I witnessed police with a drug-sniffing dog pull a man off a tram and arrest him for hard drugs. People are allowed to smoke marijuana in special designated indoor areas, but smoking tobacco is strictly prohibited. The infamous Red Light District is right next to a church–an irony if I’ve ever seen one.
HOSTEL OF HORRORS
I started off my trip to Amsterdam by finding the Flying Pig Uptown Backpacker’s Hostel. It’s located near Leidsplein, a square with the infamous Bulldog Coffee Shop and a three-story Burger King. There’s a bar and a smoking room in the basement and reception takes much longer than it should, since it is at the bar.
I thought I could brave a few nights in the top bunk of a bunk bed, but once I saw the actual room, panic set in and my heart started beating faster. Strangers with bloodshot eyes stared at me from bunk beds in the dimly lit room. There was no electrical outlet next to my bed or a light.The yellow, mustard-colored walls and the blue railings of the beds reminded me of camp, not a place to stay on vacation.
There was less than a foot in between the toilet and the door and the shower consisted of a showerhead and a drain on the floor. There was no raised flooring or section carved out. It was simply a part of the bathroom floor. This was even worse than camp. We’d at least had shower stalls.
Horrified, I ran out of the room as soon as I could and my friends and I went to a bar. We socialized, since we were exhausted from a full day of travel.
ANNE FRANK AND VAN GOUGH
We started off the next day with breakfast at Sports Cafe. While our pancakes were good, at €11, they were extremely overpriced. I went with the traditional Dutch mini pancakes instead for €4, called poffertjes, which were scrumptious.
I then was able to meet another friend, flying to meet me all the way from Syracuse. We joined up with the rest of the group at Anne Frank Huis, the office building where Anne’s father, Otto, hid his family during the Holocaust before they were sent off to a concentration camp. The line stretched down the block and around the corner and only a small group of people were allowed in at a time.
It was worth the wait. The writings from Anne’s diary line the walls, describing events taking place in each room. Even board games, described in the diary, were on display. Although the furniture from the infamous annex is no longer there, the dark curtains block out the sunlight, to give the stifled feeling of going into hiding.
The papers identifying the Frank family and the others hidden in the secret annex are a startling display, playing into the visitors’ emotions. Seeing the path to death and destruction on display at a museum is one thing, but visiting the house of a family that almost made it through is another.
My group of friends and I headed out for another destination in the pouring rain: the Van Gough Museum. At a hefty 15 euro, the masterpieces behind the heavily guarded doors are magnificent.
The genius and the insanity come together, even in the museum decor. A blue rug with blue couches in the lobby seem like unusual decor, until you peer at the wall from the second or third floor, only to realize that people are sitting on a giant blue screen. The images projected behind them are abstract works and humor is abound, since some people have no idea they’re on camera.
THE RED LIGHT DISTRICT
Pictures in the Red Light District cause trouble, so I had to take this one from afar.
I had no idea what to expect when I stepped foot in the Red Light District later that night. While some of my friends decided to attend Casa Rosso, a live sex show, my intentions were to get a mild flavor of the prostitution industry in Amsterdam.
On both sides of the street, women flashed their scantily-clad bodies in provocative positions in rooms that looked like a combination locker and dorm room. The district gets its name from the red lights that frame the window in which each prostitute stands.
I couldn’t make eye contact with a single woman. I stared down at the ground almost immediately after walking onto the street. Every part of my body motioned toward leaving. It was like a human zoo. Seeing men walk in and out of each window was even more disturbing. I wondered exactly how desperate they had to be, especially in a place so public.
HEINEKEN EXPERIENCE
The next day, we visited the Heineken Experince, which is more than just a brewery tour. As the name indicates, it’s an experience. As someone who detests the taste of beer, I was completely enthralled by the exhibits.
There’s the typical, museum-type exhibit with the awards, the history and all of the details about the Heineken Family. Then comes the good part. We learned about the brewing process and how hops are used to make beer. We were then given a sample in the brew room of beer without hops. it tasted a bit like green tea.
In the brew room, the giant kettles once used to brew beer now contain projectors that show movies inside, which explain how the beer is made. Everyone is then directed to the Heineken Stables, where horses wearing the company’s green-colored blankets are housed. I’m still not sure why there were horses, but they were beautiful.
These futuristic recliners provide nostalgia through old Heineken advertisements.
The attractions went from old school to technologically advanced very quickly. We were ushered into a room, where we each had to stand on a large platform and grip the railings in front of us. The man in the video in front of our eyes explained that we were being made into a beer. It was like Disney World, complete with sprays of water and motion effects.
Then came the first beer tasting. An employee explained to us how to evaluate a beer, which is something I didn’t know how to do. The foam, I leaned, prevents air from entering the beer, which preserves the color and taste.
We headed into a dark hallway, lit by a fiery-looking wall. I couldn’t believe my eyes: inside the Heinken Experience was a club. The ceiling was made of bottles and the onto the walls, projectors showed advertisements. The club was completed with flashing lights and techno music.
As if this wasn’t eye-popping enough, we entered a room with recliners with screens overhead. Each screen played Heineken advertisements through the ages. As always, the green light lit each individual recliner, leaving us with a futuristic feel.
The next room was filled with large advertisements, leading to another where you can customize and bottle your own beer for 5 euro. This then led us down a staircase, to a bar. Unfortunately for me, this bar only served up one drink. Take a wild guess: Heineken.
MORE ATTRACTIONS
Amsterdam’s one staple attraction for all study abroad students is the IAmsterdam sign, located in back of the Rijks Museum. Of course, each of us found the letter corresponding with our first name and had a glorious photo shoot.
The surrounding park and nearby Amstel River are beautiful. If you wander around a bit off the beaten path, you’ll find many people who live outside Centrum, the city center, live on quiet streets in Museumplein.
The streets in Amsterdam have several lanes of traffic: two for cars, two for bikes and sometimes another lane for trams. It’s frightening to cross the street, so look both ways numerous times and pay attention to the “walk” and “don’t walk” signs. The tram is easy to navigate and is relatively inexpensive.
The food is an attraction by itself. Stroop waffles, which are small, cookie-like waffles are delectable. Cafes on nearly every street have Belgian waffles covered in chocolate, as well as other pastries. If you have a sweet tooth, Amsterdam is paradise.
LAST THOUGHTS
Old canal houses tilted from age. Most are under construction for extra reinforcement.
The next day, a friend and I decided to take the initiative to do one more touristy thing in Amsterdam. We embarked on a canal cruise, run by Lovers Canal Cruises. For 12 euro each, we were able to sit on a boat that gave tours in English, Dutch, German, French and Spanish. We saw some of Amsterdam’s most beautiful attractions this way. I’d highly recommend it to anyone considering a trip to the city.
We learned:
- Some of the oldest canal houses are leaning forward because they’re built on wooden piles, which are now rotting beneath the water
- There are hooks on top of almost every house that used to be used to hoist up goods and they’re now used to bring furniture into the upper floors, since the staircases are too narrow
- Centraal Station is the largest train station in the Netherlands
- Over 200 bridges span the canals in the city
Amsterdam may be Europe’s city of sin, but it’s also a historically relevant center of trade, riches and culture. While sex shops and coffee shops dominate some areas, the real gems are the hidden streets and quiet bridges. If you stay out of the coffee shops and reside in the Marriott, your trip is most likely going to be a pleasant one. The biggest surprise is the serenity and solitude that you can find, even for just a few days in one of the world’s most controversial cities.
