AMSTERDAM

Alrighhttttt Amsterdam ...
So on the bus ride into Amsterdam Andrew explained a little about the red light district ... Amsterdam was a large trading area and there was a nice mix of Protestants and Catholics, so people became pretty tolerant of others beliefs. It is not acceptable to walk down the street high as a kite.. but you are accepted with whatever you choose to do in your own time, behind closed doors per say and as long as it doesn't directly infringe on my own rights. The Dutch were actually a huge power in the world, they even beat the English Navy.. they gave the Brits 'new Amsterdam' or our day New York in exchange for islands that housed nutmeg. Poor choice but at the time spices were more powerful than gold.
So.. prostitution is a trade here.. majority wise, people choose to practice.. I highly doubt that every circumstance is peachy keen but they say as a whole...oddly enough, real estate and retail in the red light district is very expensive.. and hard drug abuse isn't as outrageous as one would think.. I suppose because people grow up with light drugs being okay and they learn moderation or grow out of it.. and there examples like Needle Park where addicts go to get clean needles so kids see it and don't want to end up that way .. class A drugs are illegal. And everything is taxed!

So the house are super super slim! They were taxed on width but not depth of houses! There are hooks connected to the tops of the houses near the roofs where a pull is connected. so things like couches and stuff can be hoisted up thru a large window because hallways are so narrow!!!!

The roadways are NUTS!!!!!! I ALMOST GOT RAN OVER BY A TRAM. It was by the grace of God I didn't. Bicycles have the right away (by the way bicycles are EVERYWHERE OMG I CANT EVEN EXPLAIN HOW MANY THERE ARE.fact there are more bikes than people in the city. It is the major form of transport) the stupid trams are set up on the road, even tho their tracks are cut into the road.. then the car just drive right over it. And AND they can just drive right on up the sidewalks!!!!!!  Like the road is the same brick color as the street and you can be walking down and have to dodge a motorcycle, bicycle,  car, and tram coming every which way at you!!!!! Insane. There are also a poop ton of boat houses everywhere along the canals.  Tons.

Windmills in the country are like social housing in London. They're really sought after too.. you can live in one for free as long as you maintain them...they're huge! And also I searched for a leiderhosen (spelling?) Outfit for William hahahah. But I couldn't find one :( they sell those wooder clogs everywhere tho!

Soooo we went to Anne Frank's house this morning... it was very moving...I can't say I had a very accurate vision of the Annex.. it was very interesting.. I completely forgot that they had a moveable bookcase that hid the stairway to the annex! There was reallllly old pictures of Royalty and writers and movie stars in Anne Franks's room.. I think one of the most powerful quotes was by Otto Frank after the War ended
"We cannot change what happened anymore. The only thing we can do is learn from the past and to realize what discrimination and persecution of innocent people means. I believe that it's everyone's responsibility to fight prejudice." I bought a book qboutnthe 7 ,months after Anne frank was captured. I got William a comic type book of Anne Frank's diary, in hopes he'll actually read it haha. And 3 postcards of pictures of the Annex.

I'm still sick so I slept instead of going on the bar crawl... I heard they played Call Me Maybe 4+ times, bummmmmmed I missed it hahah!!!!