'Dam partying

Sex, drugs and… techno ??

Don’t think that Amsterdam is all about the party because there is so much more on offer. Granted the nightlife is superb and goes on until the wee hours of the morning; but there is more to Amsterdam than this.

THE FOOD Forget all pre conceived ideas about dull Dutch food-we ate like kings from the traditional brown cafes, the trendy restaurants to the late night diirrrtttyy kebab shops. Indonesian food is very popular, and with good reason, as the food is wonderful.

ROMANCE Amsterdam is beautiful and walking the canals and the hidden, cobbled side-streets is a calmer side to this city. The cute houseboats and the sun setting on the Amstel river is enough to take your breath away. There are also really pretty parks scattered around for a touch of nature.

NIGHTLIFE Ok, ok, so the nightlife rocks. Techno is very popular in the clubs they will host the top name Djs from time to time. After dark some of the seedier side streets become a neon Mecca and stays packed until all hours. Be sure to end the night like all the others with a Kebab and chips at 5am.

CULTURE Culture vultures look out, as this city has the Van Gough museum, the famous Rijks museum and the Anne Frank house

SHOPPING The Euro doesn’t do too well against the dollar; but still they have so many cool shops to browse and for you shoe whores-its heaven!! The markets are fun especially the farmers markets and the flower market.

Quick Tips:

I couldn't list all the brown cafes we ate at; but they are a great cheap option to eat and hang with the locals.

Remember to empty your pockets of any drug paraphernalia before flying home-a half smoked joint in the pocket doesn’t seem a big deal in Amsterdam but have a feeling the New York customs wouldn’t be too forgiving.

If you buy from the flower markets be sure to ask if it’s ok to take the bulbs back with you. Some are labeled that its ok and they have special licenses already.

Take a canal tour. It might sound cheesy but was really fun to see the canals from that angle

The street toilets save men from peeing in shop doorways after a hard night out. Forget your modesty and use them.

Watch out for the bikes. They have separate cycle paths that run alongside the pedestrian paths but being mid winter, a covering of snow made it tough to see the markings and the snow does NOT stop the bicyclists from venturing out

Beware the space cakes--and that’s all I'll say.

Best Way To Get Around:

Amsterdam is not a big city and being compact it makes walking easy. Following maps can be tough with all the long street/canal names but still getting lost can lead some great adventures in itself.

Bikes are probably the most popular mode of transport and had it not been minus five I may have cycled some too, but in that freezing temperature I left it to the experts.

Trams are really easy to use and you can buy (multi-day) strips to jump on and off. I would not recommend renting a car unless your mission is to go further a field into Holland. Many street and cobbled, slanted and narrow; a sure fire way to end up in the canal!!

The SWISSOTEL was our base for a long New yrs eve weekend. We booked a mini package from the Uk which included the flight and room which turned out tobe a great deal. The stack rates per night were quite a bit more than what we paid, (rooms on the hotel brochure are advertised at 145 euros per night) so it certainly pays to shop around.

We arrived at the train station, from the airport,and the location of this hotel was perfect…just a 15 minute walk down the main street,located on the corner of Dam square.

We arrived with heavy backpacks and in a huge blizzard and still made it from train station to hotel without needing a taxi!!

The staff on reception spoke great English as well as trying to help us with some Dutch words. They were friendly and helpful.

Our room was a nice big size but the décor was a little flowery, which reminded me more of a motel than a luxury hotel. The furniture, however, was lovely, pale wood, extra chairs, TV (complete with porn!!), telephones, iron, robes, safe, etc.

The bathroom was also big, with a bath/shower and big vanity area.The mirror was trippy with view upon view of ourselves (no, it wasn't the drugs) The only downside was the useless hairdryer. It was a really old style and would have taken about an hour or more to dry hair as it was so crap. Not really a major problem, but as it was -5 outside coulda done with drying hair once in a while.

For business travellers (or even keen IgoUgo folk), they do have a pretty good Internet room with about 6 computers.

We didn’t get breakfast included in our package and didn’t really care as there were so many great places close by to get Dutch pancakes or just about anything.

Being located in Dam square the Swissotel was very central to everything and a tram stop was just outside for those days you just don't feel like walking.

Café Fonteyn was one of many Brown café that we ate at in the latter part of this trip, ie when the $$$ ran out

This particular one is located in the really pretty Nieumarkt area which is very easy to get to on the trams 4,9,14,16,24,25.

Like most brown cafés, it’s a no-frills, wooden tables, lots of smoke and loud locals. We went to three different brown cafes and I’m sure it was a bizarre coincidence but they all had black cats. They were all friendly black cats that would happily run through the bar and sit on your lap, hoping for a handout. I’m sure this isn’t the most sanitary situation, but being a cat lover, it charmed me.

The food is cheap and usually simple: lots of olives, sandwiches, pitas, burgers, and other simple fare.

In this particular café I ordered a slab of goat cheese drizzled in honey and almonds. It came with bread and filled me for a mere 3 euros. The others all ordered various sandwiches, all delicious and fresh for about 5 euros each

The beer selections are good but don’t expect too much in the way of local beer. I drank the hot wine at every stop which was filled with spices and herbs and perfect for a freezing night.

We sat soaking in the local atmosphere in a window position overlooking Nieumarkt.

The PANCAKE BAKERY is a wonderful place to meet friends for breakfast and talk over the previous nights wild times.

Situated in a warehouse along one of the most famous canals, the Prinsegracht, just a few blocks from the Anna Frank house its easy to find.

There were 6 of us for pancakes and we hit the quiet period between breakfast and lunch so avoided having to wait. By the time we had finished the line was going out the door and perilously close to the canal edge. I think I would have been close to diving in the canal too if I didn’t get to eat here.

It was wonderful.

They managed to seat us at a big wooden round table near the back of the restaurant and though Smokey the room was warm and cozy. According to our waitress this place has been under the same ownership since it opened in1973

The difficult part was choosing which pancake to order (they also have specialty omelets). Should I have the Greek,, the Egyptian…hmmmm the ‘Winter special’ sounded good stuffed with venison and cranberries. Finally I opted for the Caprice which was fresh basil, tomatoes, cheese. Simple yet perfect.

At our table we all ordered something different and so got to try a variety from the meat packed to the dessert style. Mine, of course, was the best but I must say the ‘Norwegian’ came a close second stuffed with Cream cheese and salmon lox.

The staff was friendly and patient with our dithering. We drank coffee and lovely hot chocolate with our food oblivious to the bitter cold outside

The basic pancakes and omelets were all around 8 euros whilst the deluxe (international) ones were all 11 euros. You will see from the photos I’ve included that they are HUGE.

One of the most famous, ultra-chic places in Amsterdam is the bar/club/lounge called Supperclub.

The Supperclub Amsterdam has now expanded and, as well as the original location, they also have the SUPPERCLUB CRUISE.

This is much the same design as the original Supperclub but on board a boat.

This place is expensive with a capitol E, but the experience was one I will never forget, so here's the story behind our bizarre cruise night

The night started with a snowstorm. No scratch that. A dam blizzard. Ten of us were booked on the Supperclub cruise but were unsure if it was even going to take place. We were also running late and were under strict orders that 15 minutes late and we would be left so here we are four girls and six guys running through a blizzard in our stilettos (girls, not guys!!) sliding all over the road, trying to find the right harbor.

We got there with mere minutes to spare only to hear the ship would not be cruising due to the storm. That was great news to my hubby, who does not like boats anyway.

The open-air deck was obviously closed for this non voyage but we didn’t mind that. The upper deck “La bar noir” was a sexy black space all chrome and black (duh!!) with dark hidden alcoves whereas downstairs was “la Salle Neige” basically a huge giant white bed, white floors, white walls, white, white, white. Apparently last year the Supperclub cruise won the Lensvelt Architect Interior Prize. Now I don’t move in architecture circles but I don’t need awards to tell me this place was amazingly cool!

As we got settled on our bed which fits 100 people-a great way to make new friends- the music began and the food started arriving. The great house DJ was smoking pot, and no one cared if you wanted to light up a joint right there on the bed-that was ok with them

In all, we have 5 set courses, and everything which arrived was delicious, from the warm cheese tart to the succulent fish. The waiters were out of this world and joined us on the bed to chat between courses. The meal itself lasted over 4 hours, with belly dancers and shows between courses

We sat, we ate, we drank and smoked and then we danced and danced. Any available space was our dance floor. In fact I laughed at the website saying, ”The bed can be used as a dance floor…among other things.” Too funny.

Be sure to bring your second mortgages--this place is not cheap. We spent about 100 euros ($118) each. However, we were dam cool for at least one night!

I had never eaten Indonesian food before and so when I heard that Amsterdam was famous for its great Indonesian restaurants, I thought it would be the perfect place to start.

TUJAH MARET had peaked my attention after reading other Igo guides.

Much as I want to be original, I have to admit two of my restaurant choices in Amsterdam were based on reviews I'd read from fellow IgoUgo guides' glowing reports.

So I apologize if I’m repeating the eateries with an equal amount of enthusiasm but they do say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

To back up this choice, here's another review of Tujuh from MR WONKA, and I can thank him for some wonderful meals. His Amsterdam journals steered me in the right direction for a culinary experience.

Tujuh Maret is right on Ultrechtsestraat but on arriving it looked closed. We were gutted: I had dragged 6 hung-over yanks here with promises of great cheap food and the doors were locked. There was a note on the door but I couldn’t read Dutch so I had no idea what it said…probably “gone away for the holidays or something.”

Hmmmm.. But there were arrows, and I wondered what they meant. On a whim I walked a little down the street and Lo and Behold here was another Tujah Maret. There are two with a couple of Liquor stores between them, maybe all owned by the same people. Hallelujah.

It was well worth the find. The food was wonderful, and we ordered as much as we could fit on the table and got to try all kinds. The restaurant was empty but it was lunchtime New Years Eve, and the guy working there was sweet and friendly, helping us as much as the language barrier allowed and, when not, just lots of smiling and head nodding.

I ordered from the section on the menu labeled “different dishes”. This seemed to be a mix of different foods to get a good sampling. For 15 Euros I got one meat dish, one chicken dish, two vegetables, and one skewer of chicken and peanut sauce, rice and prawn crackers. Quite a feast.

Okay, we really did try to inject some culture into this party trip, and so despite the hangovers we set off towards the famous Rijks Museum to be culture vultures for the day.

Little did we know that the museum was in the process of being renovated and I don’t mean any small changes... These are renovations which began in 2003 and won’t be done until 2008!!

Despite this and the artwork being limited, believe me, there is still plenty to see. You can easily spend a good afternoon wandering the museum and checking out all the Dutch art from artists such as Hals, Vermeer and Rembrandt. The most famous one being the Nightwatch a huge (11ftx14ft) Rembrandt.
There is a great Collection of Asian art as well as some wonderful Dutch dollhouses which were just stunning.

It was 10 Euros to get in and getting headphones was an extra option which we didn’t bother with.

The museums shop was huge and I have to admit after a couple of hours of staring at paintings I was done and found myself a seat in the shop to read the many books on Dutch history and the history behind the paintings. I actually found this just as interesting as seeing them in the flesh so to speak.

There’s no restaurant or refreshments available inside the museum but the ticket stub said that you could get 15% off a nearby café (cobra).
For more information use their
Website

When in Rome…..

Actually if you want to enjoy the Dutch relaxed attitudes to drugs you should probably book a trip here soon, as there are serious talks about making the Coffee shops illegal to tourists.

I have no idea how they will implement this law; but word is it's going to happen in the next few years

So with this in mind, I thought it would be a shame not to sample some of the wares whilst here.

Finding a coffee shop is easy; they are all over the place. The ones around the red-light district I found to be seedy and dirty but those down the random side streets had a great laid back atmosphere to them, with plush velvets and cushions to aid relaxation.

Despite it being talked up before going, we really spent very little time in them. A quick joint at the start of the night was enough to satisfy our curiosity of these shops. In reality they are really too smoky (duh??!!) for a non smoker to enjoy for long

Heres a few tips for coffeeshop enjoyment
• In theory, the advertising of the drugs is not allowed, and on entering, you have to ask for a menu. However, in reality, we found that the coffee shops all had menus either on the table or the staff arrived quickly with one.
• Whilst its legal to smoke the drugs its illegal to grow them and so many of the varieties of pot are not local…but that’s also possible to find if you ask.
• Joints are meant to be smoked in the coffee shops but everyone smokes them in the streets, some restaurants, clubs etc, If in doubt at a club or bar just ask.
• although Marijuana is legal in Amsterdam; Coke, E's, heroin, etc., is NOT (despite how much you see around). Mushrooms are legal (but only the fresh variety) as is Hash cakes/Space cakes.

The coffee shops provide many different kinds and strengths of all their products so never be afraid to ask questions. A good coffeeshop is used to tourists and will help you out with any questions..

Many of the coffee shops also sell the infamous Space cakes

Before going I had read that the Space cakes, though legal, were so strong that many of the legitimate coffee shops refuse to sell them because of the strong effect and the ”number of tourists who end up in the canals after getting messed up on them”

Well it turns out that most coffee shops do actually sell them but the strengths vary greatly. One night some in the group did one from the Bulldog café with no real high. Another night one purchased from Goa coffee shop had VERY strong results! Believe me!

One final thing to remember: it is so normal to smoke there and to walk around with half-smoked joints in your pockets. You don’t even think twice about it after a few days. But PLEASE remind yourselves to empty such pockets before flying back to the States!

The fireworks started at 10am. Well, those were the first ones we heard while out shopping, and they were earsplitting. We saw the culprits soon enough--kids on the bridges throwing firecrackers down the street… at people.

This was our first warning that the fireworks in Dam Square were going to be wild. We stocked up on joints and liquor that day. They do have plenty of stalls for buying alcohol, but with 30,000 people about to gather in the square, we weren’t taking any chances.

People were already partying as we headed out to dinner at 9pm. On our return at 10:30pm, the party was in full force. All the other 29,980 folks were there.

There was a big stage with music and DJs pumping out from speakers all around the square; lasers and lights shone through the winter sky. The atmosphere was truly electric.

Most people like us had supplies in small backpacks, so the champagne, wine, absinthe (UGH), and joints were already being shared.

Fireworks are the biggest part of Dam Square partying, and they rarely shoot into the sky but are big old rockets aimed into the crowds. I saw more than one bloke with his rocket set in an old champagne bottle ready to be launched.

There were 10 of us, and we huddled close with the brave men on the outside of our circle until the alcohol set in and the fireworks lost their fear. That’s not to say we didn’t get hit. One friend had a rocket explode by her leg and was “wounded” by the shrapnel. The pain wasn’t felt that evening with too many natural anesthetics coursing through her body, but she had a good bruise the next morning

For all my screaming, I was only hit once on the hand, and by the countdown I too had left the security of the guy circle!!

10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1

Oh, my God, this wasn’t Amsterdam, this was Iraq. We were under siege. Fireworks everywhere, people yelling, screaming, more fireworks, singing, the smoke clears... any dead??? Time to really celebrate we are all here in one piece--alive. Rejoice!! The music carried on and the square did not calm down for a few more hours. Some friends and I climbed onto one of the lion statues and somehow managed to dance whilst clinging to the stone mane. The tunes were techno now and the crowd was ravin’.

What an experience!

Happy New Year

"You see woman? Hey you, come see show. You like women?"
This was the call as I walked with a couple of friends through the Red Light District.
“No thanks”
“Come on, great show, banana show”
“No, really, prefer men. Thanks, anyway”
“That’s okay, come here you. I call my brothers for you”
Oh God, time to move on

We had quite an interesting time exploring the Red Light District, and emotions ranged between utter sadness and utter hilarity!! The streets that make up the official RLD lie on the eastern side of the city bordering the canal around Oz Vootburgual. These streets are just full of coffee shops, bars, clubs, and the infamous windows. Here big glass windows (8 feet by 8 feet) house a small box room with red sheets, pillows, and women in various state of undress.
The women were either:
A) stunning blonde (Eastern European-looking)
B) old and draggy-looking

and were either..
A) enticing men to look at them by stroking themselves
B) bored on a cell phone, reading, or doing their nails
And it wasn’t necessarily the blonde stunner doing the petting and the ugly chick reading!!

I felt like I shouldn't stand around watching, but I was curious how the women worked and, like at a car wreck, I couldn't tear myself away

At some point a man approaches the window and she would open the glass doors. Somehow she could tell the serious guys from those who would walk by and bang on the window as a joke or the drunk ones who would be up at the glass so close slobbering against the glass. UGH. Anyways, she would talk for mere seconds (obviously discussing prices) and then he would go into the box, doors closed and curtains drawn. A business transaction was taking place--welcome to the oldest profession in the world. Minutes later--I didn’t count but someone told me 20 minutes--the man left and the woman was back open for business (no pun intended).

You can’t take photos down here for obvious reasons, but as long as you don’t aim the camera at the prozzies, no one really cares. It's not a place you will want to spend long, but it is worth seeing and the area itself never felt unsafe, despite the seediness. A street running parallel to the girly windows had the gay section, but there were no men in windows here, just some very interesting shops and bars. A club called Cock-ring looked interesting, but we didn’t dare venture in after seeing the shop opposite advertising Bear Monthly magazine (UGH, those guys need a waxing!!!) and that put us off just a little.