During the day the Red-Light district is mostly downtown shopping with cute fashion shops, Chinese restaurants and British sports pubs. OK, and hash bars and prostitution, but the vibe is still downtown shopping district. Come dusk every few blocks you'll hear a quiet whistle, and if you turned your head someone would offer to sell you coke or X (low quality, according to my tourist guidebook). The prostitutes were all out behind their windows, preening under red neon in bikinis or lingerie and looking rather bored.
Going down a side alley (I know, never go down the side alleys...) I ran into a very friendly gentleman who wanted to pick my pocket. We chatted for a while, him asking questions like "have you taken any pictures of your trip," and patting his pocket, as if to say "now you pat the pocket where your camera is!" I never gave him a lead and kept to the touristed streets, glad that I'd zipped everything in my inside jacket pocket. Eventually he asked if I smoked pot and I when I told him I didn't we parted ways, and I went to the Hash Museum.
(No pictures — even during the day I didn't want to take my camera out.)
Posted by bug to Culture at November 13, 2004 10:34 AM | TrackBackjust wondering were i can find sum good accomadation...hostels and hash bars im n amsterdam...??
is it the redlight district and are they easy to find??
will i be uplifted by the sweet smell or will i have to be told were to go down sum side ally..
give me sum pointers people, thanks
jackamo
My wife and I are semi swingers and we are traveling to amsterdam soon. Not neccesarily lookinfg for other couples but would love to find a place to hang out in and have a drink with my wife and she can dance and flirt and and get groped.....any ideas?
Anything labeled "Coffee House" is a hash bar (if you want coffee, look for a Cafe). I didn't check them out myself, but this guide seems to have a lot of info.
No clue on places for swingers (or semi-swingers), but in general I found Frommers Irreverent Guide To Amsterdam to be a great guidebook for everything from museums and places to take kids to any vice you might be looking for.
Posted by: Bug at April 4, 2005 5:31 PMwow i hate u all
Posted by: Autumn at November 23, 2005 7:28 AMi am visiting amsterdam in the summer and i wanted to know were the best hash shops are and the best marijuana? thanks kevin
Posted by: kevin mcilvaine at April 29, 2006 9:11 AM