Anyway, the first stop is Amsterdam, the land of sex and drugs!!
Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands (a.k.a. Holland). Since the Netherlands is very tolerant, you get places like this...
which contains fascinating exhibits such as this...
This is only the tip of the iceberg. I do not want to spoil all the fun for those who will be visiting, do I? (^_~)
Marilyn Monroe is also here, with her skirt flying up when the music plays.
Anyway, Amsterdam is not just all about sex and drugs. It has a lot of canals, and is often compared to Venice. You can get around the city by boat: there are hop-on-hop-off Canal "Bus"-es for tourists. I opted for a 1-hour canal cruise on a boat.
Amsterdam has lots of houseboats along their canals, such as this one. Apparently, lack of space on ground has led to the emergence of these houseboats.
This picture says it all...
Besides on boats, bicycles are also popular modes of transport. You can see people riding bikes everywhere you go. There are even separate lanes and crossings for bicycles!
Even taxis have pedals! Neat! (^_^)
There are also trams to bring people around the city. Their rail tracks share the same road with cars at times.
I know I have been talking a lot about transport, but this vehicle is just too cute to resist!
Here we have the national monument at Dam Square.
This is the Red Light District.
Red Light District is famous for its adult entertainment. You have scantily-clad hookers waiting in little rooms with a see-through glass door/window (I've marked with a red arrow some which I think are such rooms), doing makeup, reading, sewing or even flirting with passers-by. What is supposed to happen is that you can go up and chat and ask for a quotation, and if you're satisfied with the price, enter the room, draw the curtains, and well... you get the picture (^^;). I can't take any close-up pictures of the rooms and/or the girls because it is completely forbidden to do so.
Places like these are also a norm. Little Josiah is a good, innocent little boy and is not interested in such things. Honest. (>.<)
There are also lots of sex shops around here. I will leave you with a more innocent example of merchandise on sale.
