I've never been anyplace where drugs were so easy to come by. And I'm not talking about weed. Walk down any street around Dam Square/the Red Light District, and you're going to run into a least... I dunno, but a lot, of guys who whisper "pst! coca? ecstasia?" It's crazy. It's not intimidating/sketchy at all, and they're not at all pushy (haha, non-pushy pushers).

It kind of makes me wonder about boundaries. Soft drugs are very well accepted here--not legalized, but legitimized, and I really respect the philosophy. Basically, the theory goes (and it seems to work quite well) that by giving people safe, non-stigmatizing access to weed and hash, you're removing the needs for the large group of basically harmless recreational drug users from having to interact with the sketchy criminal element, and drastically reducing the demand for an illicit marijuana trade and saving huge amounts of police money and time.

My question is: is it a slippery slope? Do drugs dealers just go away if they've lost the marijuana market? Or do they turn to harder stuff? I'm sure somebody's answered this question--I wish I had Internet access (I'm writing these posts offline, because my hotel has no wireless). I'm tempted to think that the police resources saved by not cracking down on soft drugs would make room for more effective enforcement on the harder side of the spectrum. And easy access to some drugs could reduce the demand for harder/riskier to acquire substances--particularly since the drug dealers who sell marijuana in other countries wouldn't be good businessmen if they didn't try to upsell to more expensive and addictive product. Maybe marijuana isn't a gateway drug itself--it's more the way it's marketed and sold in most countries (read: illicitly). But... I don't know. Anyway, in summary: I think it's an amazingly good policy.

The other Dutch policy that I think is great is their recognition of the sex trade. It makes so much sense to make something that is going to happen anyway safer for everyone involved. I'd give some stats if I had Internet access, but I'm sure that the Red Light District and protection/regulation of the sex trade has had amazing effects on the spread of STDs and the risk sex workers face. It also makes a pretty neat neigbourhood to wander around in the evening!

Oh, and everyone here rides bikes. All the time. Add that to my earlier comments about the use of public space, and basically, this is the best place ever. Expensive, but great.

In summary: Holland is a great place. Live here. I haven't checked out this site yet, but apparently it helps non-Dutch find jobs here (I saw it on a bike taxi)--www.undutchables.nl).

My Saturday
Anyway, what did I do on Saturday... Hmmm, well, first off, breakfast in the hotel. It was Dutch style. Which means ham, salami, cheese (which I did not eat), yogurt, hard boiled eggs, and toast. Oh, and Nutella. Yummmmm.

After a leisurely eat, I wandered around town a bit. I checked out the Homo-monument--pretty neato. The story is pretty neat (find a link), and what's neater--it's in the plaza of a church. Then I checked out Anne Frank's house. I would have gone in, had there not been a huge line. So I decided just to move on. Then I tried to visit the Royal Palace, but it was "closed due to circumstances"... Sooooooo, I checked out a cool church, the Waterlooplein flea market (such a weird mix of stuff), and then the zoo.

I was really tempted to go into the zoo, because I'm all about zoos lately, but once I got there, I found out it was 16 euros. Since I had no evidence of the presence of giraffes or elephants, I decided that I couldn't justify the expenditure. So again, I moved on. After a bit of rest, I headed for the Museumplein. The Rijkmuseum (which is where Rembrandt's work and the National Collection are housed) had another huge line that I chose to skip (the gallery was being renovated, so only a limited selection was on display). Skipped the Van Gogh museum too--basically, it was a day of not going to major tourist attractions.

In the evening, I had a few drinks with some people from my hotel in the bar, then had dinner at an Argentinean steakhouse and watched the France vs Brazil game. After that, a wander around the Red Light District, and a drink at a neato bar. Then I got tired. And here I am :) Sleep time! Bye. Oh, and happy Canada Day!