Adventures in Amsterdam

7/31/10 3:48 PM We are just entering Germany after spending a great time in Amsterdam. Amsterdam is probably the most interesting place I've been to so far. Not only is it a beautiful city, filled with tall brick buildings and channels filled with boats, but it is very interesting also. It has a rich history of conflict, diversity and reinvention. As many of you know, both marijuana and prostitution are legal there. While I didn't partake in either one of those vices, they helped make Amsterdam much different than any place I have been before. Dark coffee shops populate narrow alleys, next to bakeries, souvenir stores, and sex shops. It's quite an interesting mishmash. The city is also teaming with people; teens with Bob Marley shirts mixing with middle-aged businesspeople in suits. Our tour guide told us that it is the most diverse city in then world in terms of number of different ethnicities. Not to mention there are possible more bicycles than people. All of these elements combine to give the city the sensation of being a living, breathing organism. I wish I could give it more justice with words, but it is a place I hope I can visit again in the future.