Amsterdam in red lights
I love to see cities over night - it gives them certain unrepeatable atmosphere. Particularly in summer one can spend whole night there.
A while ago I arrived very late at the Schiphol airport near by Amsterdam. I had almost 20 hours until my next flight and I had slept for 7 hours in a plane so I decided to spend this time walking around the city. It was my first time there - though I had a vague idea about Holandian bohemian openness towards drugs, alcohol and sex I had never gave weight to clichés in general. And I have never had a problem with walking in streets of a big city after midnight. I must admit that this time I was a bit afraid here, for the first time.
I arrived at the train station around 1 a.m. and just followed my nose and walked straightly from the train station.
Do you know the feeling when your sixth sense is telling you someone could be watching you even though it is just a mannequin in the shop window? And do you know the feeling when you realize after 10 seconds of staring into the vitrine it is not a mannequin but a (not-by-god-very-)endowed prostitute fully naked?
I couldn't believe it for other minute.
Who wouldn't know famous Red Light District in Amsterdam?! I didn't...
Fortunately I preserved calm, suppressed my photographic soul and held a camera in my pocket. Perhaps otherwise I wouldn't end up that well. The area was very lively - one could notice night is coming to an end as people often seemed hammered and stoned (haha, Mr. Brown, finally I get to use these words too :-) ). Still the number of vitrines either with girl or covered (and thus indicating "work in progress") was indeed large.
Walking further in the city I was offered three times in various languages a weed, a coke and "you know what". Also I had seen some drunk guy running over some girl through the main square. I was almost calling police when he changed his mind. Maybe he was too tired, or too drank to run. Also later there were some people having fight on the street and passerbies seemed to be very entertained by that. Again all in the very center.
Looking back I see it as a great experience and fun but I must admit I have never had a reason to be scared in any other city center in Europe. And I did the same in Paris, Rome, London, Prague, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Budapest, Luxemburg... One would think it is not like that anymore … in Europe. They should maybe increased their police budget in Holland.