Let me start off by saying, I absolutely love Amsterdam. I think it reminds me very much of my hometown Portland, OR except even bigger, with even more bikes! I’m sure that many people have written about the famous (infamous?) Red Light District so I’ll keep this post short. Word on the street is that the girls in the window will yell at you, and even toss your camera in the canal if they catch you taking their pictures. I did my best to snap some shots (with my cell phone) while trying to maintain some of their anonymity.

The RLD is usually pretty packed. You can see all sorts of tourist as well as drunk people stumbling along the canal with their friends. The later it gets, the crazier it is. The RLD will always hold two particular memories for me:

• The time I got hit by a drunk bicyclist and
• The time a very drunk man (presumably at his bachelor’s party) poked me in the cheek with an *ahem* adult toy and nearly incited a fight.

If you have an open mind (and no children with you) definitely check out the RLD. If you’re afraid of it getting too rowdy, hook up with one of the free tour guides (they work on tips!) in the main square and take a tour of the RLD during the day.