"Amsterdam! The most liberal city in the World" Amsterdam by BlueBerry_7

Amsterdam provides an excellent beginning for exploring The Netherlands, a country just as eclectic as its famous capital. Amsterdam emerged from the sea created literally by its inhabitants. The Dutch say that though God created the world, they created The Netherlands, a country which is a masterful design of engineering. Since most of it is below sea level, vigorous pumping methods along with many dikes were used to create the dry land thus making civilization possible. The beautiful lush green terrain remains and is surrounded on all sides by canals lined with elegant gabled houses that lean over the streets as if trying to glimpse their reflections in the canal waters. Today Amsterdam's myriad of dikes and canals remains a true testament to the devine architectural genius of the Dutch people.

The public transportation system is wonderful within Amsterdam which includes the trams, buses, and the metro or subway. In addition, the rail network is very extentsive from Central Station which is the public transportation hub of the Netherlands. There are seven stations just in Amsterdam alone, Station Zuid World Trade Center, Station RAI, and Amstel Station in the south of the city, Station Lelylaan, Station De Vlugtlaan, and Station Sloterdijk in the west and Muiderpoort Station in the east. Because the transportation system is so highly integrated, all of the railway stations are served by at least two other modes of transportation as well, ie., trams, buses,ect. The Netherlands rail system is the most punctual in all of Europe and it is by far the best way to get to and from Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam, Haarlem, Zandvoort, and all other destinations in and around the Netherlands.

Damrak

Amsterdam goes back more than 700 years and a good portion of the central city is 200 to 500 years old. These beautiful old buildings have been wonderfully restored and preserved all these years which is truly remarkable when realizing that most of them are built on stilts that are stuck into the mud. So many of the structures lean at odd angles that and it is very rare to see a whole block in alignment. Some drawbacks to the old Dutch buildings are the steep and narrow winding staircases with very low ceilings which make it so easy to bump your head. These staircases make it impossible to bring any large objects into the house therefore all of these buildings have a hook extending from the top, called a gable, allowing residents to hoist larger furnishings up through the windows.

The absolute worse feature created of Dutch design is the bathroom or the WC as it's called in Europe which stands for 'water-closet'. The toilet itself is usually separate from the bath and shower areas often in a very small room and typically very claustrophobic with poor ventilation. The bizarre toilet design is that it comes built with a platform or examining shelf to hold the waste for inspection before flushing it away which also does not help with the smell!

Climate

The proximity of the sea and the warm North Atlantic Gulf Stream ensure a temperate maritime climate which provides adequate if not substantial rainfall amounts annually. This causes a changeable but moderate climate allowing for mild winters and nice cool summers for the long summetime nights. While clouds and wind are quite common features in the forecast, the weather in the Netherlands is usually unpredictable.

Assortment of Weed & Hash, Amnesia Coffeeshop

The Netherlands is unique for its liberal attitude in regards to soft drugs and prostitution. Even if cannabis is not a choice for you please be open minded enough to learn about the aspect of Dutch society which shows how practical and straightforward they are as a people and as a culture. In 1970's the Dutch designed a new and unique policy to deal with the growing problem of drug use. Recognizing that there is a difference between the effects of soft and hard drug use, they decided to allow the sale of weed and hash in coffeeshops. By creating a practical seperation between soft drugs (cannabis and hash) and hard drugs (coke, herion, etc.), the Dutch policy eliminates the criminal element involved in the sale of weed & hash and allows the distribution to happen in a legally controlled situation. The Dutch tradition of tolerance is still upheld today and the sale soft drugs are highly regulated in an attempt to create the safest possible environment. Amsterdam has now become a mecca for soft drug use and experimentation, drawing people from all walks of life to this liberal land to relish in the tolerance. The Netherlands remains one of the most open, level headed, and dynamic modern societies in the world.

Picasso, Haarlemmerstraat

Those who have been persecuted in their own country due to their attitude and activities regarding cannabis have found Amsterdam to be like heaven. Not only is soft drug use tolerated in the Netherlands, it has become quite a very profitable and growing industry with hundreds of coffeeshops selling weed and hash openly to the public three hundred and sixty five days a year. These shops all have menus which will list the various strains of weed and hashish available for sale. The best feeling is being able to sit at an outdoor table and roll a joint or smoke a bong or pipe while people,including the police, just walk by which exhibits the true test of a tolerant society. If someone is engaged in an activity in public that harms no one then there is no crime, no criminal, and therefore no problem! Everyone could learn from the Dutch how to get along and prosper as an open society.

With over 300 coffeeshops just in Amsterdam alone, it's hard to decide which ones to visit. I have put together a list all my favorite coffeeshops and strains I have sampled on my numerous visits to Mecca.

Here is the menu from Barney's coffeeshop as of October, 2002. If you click to enlarge you can see all the kinds of weed and hash available and the prices in Euros.

• Pros:Coffeeshops
• Cons:Rain Rain Rain
• In a nutshell:True Freedom does exist!