Amsterdam

The Netherlands

Notes From Kevin

Our visit to Amsterdam got off to a rough start but we were very fortunate to have our friend Victor there to help us get back on our feet. The local police and folks at the U.S. Embassy were all extremely nice and helpful as well. Every person we met in Amsterdam was actually extremely nice.

Walking through the Red Light District was certainly interesting. Multiple streets were lined with women standing in windows advertising themselves. Some would open the door and waft out perfume to garner attention and others would point at you and gesture for you to come in.

Fun Facts:

1. The prostitutes actually have a union.

2. The city is able to empty the canals and control the water levels. In previous wars, they were able to control the water surrounding the city so it would be too shallow for boats and too deep for soldiers to wade through.

3. The buildings here are super cute and wonky (yes, I'm saying this is a fact!). They are also tilted forward and equipped with a winch at the peak so items can be pulled up without scraping the building.

The only real thing we did not like about Amsterdam was the party atmosphere.

Overall Score while not taking into account our stuff getting stolen: 9.2