One week later after traveling to Berlin, our Muhlenberg group visited Amsterdam.  We departed from the guest house early in the morning and arrived in Amsterdam about two hours later.  As the bus approached the city, I was amazed by the structure of the buildings that surrounded Amsterdam.  The image of the city were somewhat expected, as I have seen pictures and have visualized the city through my friends' past experience there.  But all of my expectations changed once we got off the bus.

 Once I stepped off the bus, the first thing I noticed was the beautiful canal across the street. In the canal, I noticed there were houseboats along the sides, close to the streets.  As the day went on and as we walked past more canals, I noticed that the abundance of houseboats in the canals was the norm for the city of Amsterdam.  It was eye opening to see, especially in Amsterdam, that people have conformed to the structure of the city and are living in the canals. This was something I have never seen before and made me cherish the city of Amsterdam and its canals even more.

After we got situated, we all walked to the square and met our tour guide Axel, who was one of the most informational tour guides I have had. He first gave a brief background of the city and the square.  After introducing himself and discussing the history of the buildings and statue in the square, he took us to the red light district.  Before I had seen the red light district, I had expected it to be what my friends told me about their experiences, which coming from twenty-year-olds, might seem like an adult playground.  None the less, I was quite surprised to see the district with my own eyes.  But what really stood out to me was the history behind it.  As we got to the middle of the red light district, Axel pointed out a large church that was built almost seven hundred years ago. In addition to that, he stated the red light district was built at the same time.  At first, I questioned this and wondered why a church would be built not only in the middle of a prostitution district but also at the same time.  Axel explained that back when it was being built, people thought sin and salvation can go hand in hand and people can be forgiven for their sins directly after doing so by going to the church. He also said that the church in the middle of the district along with other churches within the city are not used for its original purpose today; they are used for social gatherings, museums, and even bars are now set up inside. From this information, I was able to get a better understanding of the setup and structure of the red light district than I previously had. 

After touring the red light district, Axel took us around the city and discussed the use of marijuana in Amsterdam.  He informed us that legally, stores that do sell marijuana can not advertise pot or HTC unless they are selling non-HTC products.  Usually, as Axel explained, all places that sell marijuana are called Coffee shops.  As we were walking through the city, I noticed the abundance of coffee shops but also pointed out some cafes.  I asked Axel about the distinction between the two, and he said that cafes are stores that actually sell coffee and other breakfast/lunch items.  That within itself, I found very funny, since back in America, both are considered very similar in what they sell and produce.  I was also extremely surprised to see how marijuana was immersed in the culture of the city.  To be able to walk into a coffee shop, buy marijuana and smoke it in public was very different to see especially coming from a state in America that sees the drug as an illegal substance with strict laws.

When the tour was over and we went on the boat that served pancakes, which were delicious and toured the Heineken Factory, my friends and I stayed in the city for the weekend.  Throughout our stay, I was blown away by the rich history, prestigious museums and well-known sites that the city had to offer. We stood in front of the royal palace, located in the center of the main square which was where French military and political leader Napoleon Bonaparte visited in 1811 to discuss the blockade and the forthcoming collapse of the British economy with Dutch merchants, also as Axel explained.  Friday night, we walked aound the red light district and I couldn't help but to notice the mass amounts of people flowing into the district, almost like walking through New York City; it was mayhem! On Saturday we visited the I Amsterdam sign right behind the Reich museum, which I had been waiting to go see and of course take a picture on top of the letters!  We also went to the Van Gogh museum, which I loved as well.  Since I studied art throughout high school and in my first semester of college freshman year, I have learned a lot about the great Vincent Van Gogh and heard great things about this museum.  Needless to say, I admired all of his work that was put up on display in the museum and paid close attention to the detail of his work as well.  Out of all the places we visited, there was one that is very meaningful to me which we weren’t able to tour, which was the Anne Frank house. We tried to get in, but the line was backed up all the way down the block.  For as long as I can remember, the story of Anne Frank has been embedding in my head. I have learned a great amount about her and her story and even to be standing in front of the house was breathtaking and made me feel apart of history.

With all of its culture, history, and scenery, I can say with confidence that Amsterdam is different from other cities in a special way.