Europe: Amsterdam

"A street performer dressed simply in only a thong, dangles upside down in the Leidseplein square in Amsterdam, June 21, 2009."

Some say that anything goes in Amsterdam. While that generally seems correct, there are still laws and hard drugs are officially illegal.

I’ve been posted here for a couple days and have two more left. I’ve seen it all in the “dam.”

The barely dressed women posing in the windows of the world-renowned red light district, the stench of the marijuana freely lingering in the air at café shops, the history of Anne Frank, and the other characters you see roaming the streets.

It really is like stepping into an entire different country: literally. But most stays the same about Europe to me. It’s super easy to travel, for the most part safe to walk the streets any and most people speak English.

Two things I absolutely love are the long days and the feel of the city. In Amsterdam it’s hard to realize you’re in a “city.” When one thinks of city, they would say skyscrapers, non-stop traffic and mobs of people.

While parts can be crowded, the city is what I call an old town. There are no tall buildings, nothing is modern and it really feels like you’re in Disney World (if you have ever been to Epcot). I find myself staring, thinking, is this real? Is this just a fake building or do people really live here? It really is awesome.

The second part is the best. The long days. No joke, I am looking out my hotel window right now at 10:44 p.m., and it’s still not pitch dark. I would say the sunsets at 10:15 p.m. or so. I LOVE THAT!

Anyways, I am again paying for Internet, so making this a quick post although I have a lot on my mind and lots of photos. Nonetheless, I thought the above summed up Amsterdam well.