The Red Light *coughs* I mean, Red Wine District...

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"I want to go to Amsterdam," my friend explains. I agreed that was fine, considering she had agreed to go to Bruges (my choice). Honestly? I didn't really know anything about A-dam except for hearing about the legalization of marijauna and prostitution. With no desire to smoke and even less desire to pay for an intimate encounter I was starting to wonder what I was going to do with myself in this land of sin. Read on as I try to find the innocence in A-dam and toil a bit with the debaucheries too...

*Red Light District (RLD)*

Writing about the RLD in a way that's appropriate for all readers presents a challenge. The RLD isn't meant for young eyes. None-the-less, I am going to attempt to say a few words about this area in the most sugar-coated and inexplicit way possible:

I love metaphors so let's start with one of those! There are many women in this area offering their services. Let's pretend they're selling "wine." Ok, so there are many kinds of wine and the product for sale is displayed in numerous windows in the district. One can have aged wine, fresh wine, sweet wine, and any color one may like as well. If one finds they'd like to purchase, he can knock on the window/door and tell the saleswoman what he wants, agree on a price, and then go in. A curtain is then pulled across the window for privacy while the customer receives their product and completes the transaction.

There're numerous shops that sell things to go with your "wine" as well. Let's say... corkscrews. And ummmmm, wine glasses, yeah! Wine racks, and... you know, other various props and gadgets to enhance the wine drinking experience. One can even go into one of the many theaters, sit down, and watch as other people shamelessly enjoy their wine on stage in many different ways.

Now that I've ruined wine for you, let's just say the RLD isn't for the innocent of heart. After a visit, some could feel the urge to hide away in an attic, curled up in a corner writing a diary about all the horror they've seen. May I suggest Anne Frank's house?

*Anne Frank's House (AFH)*

-- My Rant on Anne Frank's House --

So Anne Frank's house has wifi now, yeah... Modernization has strolled in and taken a dump on something historical yet again! And why? To accommodate tourists? I don't know. To think, it's a shame really that it's only just now that the poor girl's got wifi. I mean, had she had it back in 1944 she could have blogged, or updated her Facebook instead of writing a diary about it. I'm sorry to joke about the sensitive history that the house represents, but for God's sake! Anne Frank House wifi? I can't imagine what possible reason we would need to wirelessly connect with our mobile devices while visiting this place where people suffered greatly and endured one of the most devastating times in European history. It deauthenticated the experience for me a little bit.

-- End of rant --

That being said, it truly was a humbling experience going inside Anne Frank's house. It sits right on one of A-Dam's many canals and has been externally remodeled a bit to look like it did in the 1940's. Seeing where they lived, slept, and led their daily lives in hiding was intense. Being in the actual place was chilling, and gave me at least a shiver or two. Seeing her actual diary reminded me of when I read it so many years ago in school. The original copies and handwriting was surreal and very emotional to see. I choked up twice.

**Pondering and People Watching**

I'm sitting outside at a cafe. Trams. Cars. Bicycles. Motorbikes. Buses. Chatter. People all buzzing by. My eyes are darting around trying to keep up with the madness, a bar near by has live music and the song "mad world" begins, a sorrowful serenade by Gary Jules that suits the atmosphere perfectly. The song suggests, "All around me are familiar places, worn out faces... People run in circles, it's a very very mad world." And indeed it is! A-dam seems to reach a higher level of the madness. This intense busy city, with its easy access to sinful inulgences makes me question humanity. I can't help but think we're like dogs after our own tails, looping around chasing after the next thing that will bring us that temporary happiness. And like a cycle, the novelty fades and we must seek out yet something else to fill the void. Exhausting! "Worn out faces" indeed.

**Heineken Brewery**

Hop on over and smell the hops! What a fun experience, with a historical twist. Sample brewed barley, learn the brewing and bottling process, and even become the beer yourself in their 4D ride simulation. Delightfully cheesy! And you get three free beers at the end of the tour in their virtual "rooftop" bar that sends you around the world. It's a bar that has LCD screens framing the room that act as a 360 view of different cities. It virtually lets you enjoy your beer in Paris, New York, Hong Kong, and Rio!

Amsterdam wore me out. It's physically, and emotionally exhausting. It's an epic rush straight to your brain, and it's fantastic! My advice is to go somewhere very chill and relaxed after Amsterdam in order to recover from your physical and emotional hangovers.

Next is a quick stop in London and then it's back to Asia!

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Photos

I love canals
Holland and their flowers.

Near Anne Frank's House
I love arches

*rolls eyes*
Anne Frank House WiFi

At the cafe...
... Watching the madness

The brewery
Beer!

Inside the brewery
This is where the barley and hops gets a good brew!

Samantha and me!
Out on the town checking out some bars/clubs.