Ilsa Around The World

Amsterdam - Art, Drugs, & Fallen Women

I was most fortunate to get a customized tour of Amsterdam by Helena, Jocelyne's mom. It was such a treat to not have to carry a map, etc. I gawked at everything and she kept me safe so I could enjoy the day. Plus she's like a talking encyclopedia - having explored the city for the past four years she knew lots of neat little tidbits about everything.

We checked out the Rijksmuseum, full of Rembrandts and other wonderful things, like 15th Century doll houses. I needed to restrain myself from breaking the glass to play with it. Most of the museum was closed for remodeling but the wing we viewed had more than enough to keep us busy and a multi-media exhibit on Rembrandt.

After a Capuccino, we headed to the Van Gogh museum. I just love his work - his pieces were in order so we could see how he evolved in the short span of time he produced. I took a few photos before I was told not to. You should recognize a couple below.

We went for lunch at the Historisch Museum. Behind Helena, you can see the colorful lockers for the children of the former orphanage in which the museum is housed.


A tour of Amsterdam is not complete without a visit to the red light district. Standing in one spot, among many on crack, I saw a drug deal on my left, with streets of prostitutes in the background, and policemen walking the beat on my right. Tourists and locals were just going about their business as usual.

I didn't realize how close you could be to the prostitutes. They were showcased behind individual windows much like shoes. Because it was so warm, a lot were were standing outside, wearing neglige and having a smoke. It's quite sad.

Before finding a patio to refresh, we wandered into the Old Church where they were having a photo exhibition. The subjects were from Cap Mae La, a refugee camp on the Thai/Burmese border, south of Laos. Their injuries were from either land mines or torture. Tragic stories and beautiful photos.

In the evening I met up with Jarome, a man I had met in Galapagos. Having been raised in Amsterdam, he knew all the hot spots of the area. We went for a boat ride in the canal, checking out the different gables (tops of houses), before going for Spanish food.

The atmosphere totally changes at night, with neon signs highlighting the coffee shops (where you can buy drugs) and red lights (where you can buy women). There are different areas, depending on what you like and how much you want to spend. For sure the best people-watching city I've seen so far.

These guys are walking away from one of the streets with the famous windows (I won't judge)

posted by Ilsa @ Sunday, July 09, 2006