Thursday, June 25, 2015

Throwback Thursday #tbt - Amsterdam

As the title suggests I'm starting a new series about my uncommon adventures in which I do a throwback on Thursdays, as is the tradition on social media, to my October 2014 European adventure. My first stop in Europe was technically London, but I spent so little time there at the beginning of the trip and I circle back around and cap it off in London that I'll talk about it later. Therefore, for my first installment of #TBT on the blog I'll be talking about Amsterdam.


What is a trip to Holland without the customary windmill pic? I started off my Amsterdam visit with a tour of the countryside. I visited a stereotypical Dutch village, rode around on a bike, visited a dyke, met a cow, watched some cheese and clog making and then indulged in a Gouda cheese tasting. What a wonderful start to the trip! :)


Next up was the wondering around the city during the day and checking out all the city's highlights. This included taking a tram ride through the city, pictures with the 'I Amsterdam' sign and walking past many important landmarks. I spent most of the day checking out the Rijksmuseum, which was awesome and totally worth it. I walked past other tourist trap-type places, but I didn't waste time standing in the long lines, including Anne Frank's House and the Van Gogh museum. What I really enjoyed was wondering around the city and checking out the Flower Market.


Amsterdam was very cute and normal seeming during the daytime however the city transforms at night into something totally different. The evening was spent wondering around the city once again and checking out the red light district and spending time in a cafe pursuing the past-time that makes Amsterdam so famous.

What struck me so about Amsterdam is how wholly it transforms once night falls. My suspicion is that the majority of people who live and work in the city are not the ones that I witnessed roaming the streets of Amsterdam after dark. I have no problem with the legalities involved in making Amsterdam famous in several respects but what did disturb me is the circus-like atmosphere of the whole thing. I found it so strange that someone's chosen profession has become such a tourist attraction and a spectacle the world over, simply because it's different. 

Overall I felt like Amsterdam is one of those cities that does need to be experienced at least once in one's life however now that I've been there and done that and gotten the t-shirt I'm feeling over it. If I am to return to Holland it would be to see more of the countryside and to explore other Dutch cities, such as Rotterdam.

The start of my European Trip 2014 was definitely an uncommon adventure into the heart of Amsterdam. Have you ever been to Amsterdam, what were your thoughts on the city? Stay tuned for more stories of adventure and intrigue next Thursday. Until then here's to your uncommonly wealthy life! :)

2 comments:

  1. I'm wondering if the puzzling part you are speaking of is the fact that illegal narcotics (in most of Canada) are sold very openly, the same thing with prostitution, or why its a very significant tourist attraction?
    Maybe this is a topic or discussion for a future post?

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    1. I'm referring to the fact that the narcotics and prositution, which are decriminalized in the Netherlands, have become such a tourist attraction and spectacle in this particular city. I have no problem with the fact that these things are decriminalized and Holland is not the first nor the only country to have such laws so why is it such a big deal here in particular?
      While walking around the red light district I felt like the mentality of the tourists was like going to the zoo but instead of learning something and opening their eyes to another way of life, I noticed many of the people I was travelling with still came out of the experience with their same prejudices and bias in tact. There was a lot of misconceptions and misjudgements about the type of people engaged in the job and/or using the services.
      This is something I may have to go into more depth in another post but all in all I felt like it was an eye-opening experience for myself, in which I learned a lot about different cultures.

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