Tuesday, July 21, 2015

I walked 9.9 miles TODAY! I LOVE AMSTERDAM!

Today was absolutely amazing! We started the day with a delicious breakfast served upstairs at the all you can eat buffet. After breakfast we had a guided tour through Amsterdam which was so terrific. Our tour guide, Julian Smith, showed us many historical districts and sites. My favorite of the day was Oude Kerk, which was a huge church that sits right down from the Red Light District, across from Coffee Shops, and around drugs. I learned that prostitution is legal here in Amsterdam after moving the age from 18 to 21. Individuals partaking in such activity averages about 50 Euros per 15 minute session. Compared to any other job, that is more than enough.  They call Amsterdam the city of Freedom, and now I see why. Although marijuana is illegal, they still don't take people to jail for smoking it out on the streets because it is so common to see. Marijuana is actually sold in the coffee shops, and coffee is sold in Cafe's. Weird right? After getting lost around the city and literally walking past the same shops 2-3 times, I was exhausted. Overall, today was a good day though.