Dutch pornography is second only to Japanese, it seems, in variety and weirdness. I went into one store in 1980, way pre-Internet, and walked out with my 19-year-old jaw down around my knees. “There are people into THAT???”
In those days, Underground Comix were sold alongside porn in Amsterdam shops. I came out of that one place with a handsome, independently printed pamphlet that was sort of a breviary for San Francisco psychedelic rock, emphasis on the Grateful Dead.
Lots of exquisitely drawn images of Pig Pen with a Byzantine halo, Garcia blessing the loaves and fishes, etc. Still one of my most prized possessions even though it’s in Dutch and I can’t read it.
I’ve been to Amsterdam more than any foreign city and I absolutely love it, it’s my favorite city in the world and I go there as often as I can. Obviously I would recommend it very warmly…
Comments and suggestions:
The Red Light district does not have the seedy vibe that you would think. Yes it’s a bit strange at first to see half naked women in the windows but after a while it just becomes an interesting feature, and you don’t need an “excuse” to go through the Red Light, it is located extremely centrally and you basically can’t got for a real walk in Amsterdam without going through it. And yeah, the architecture is very nice, which is however true for most of central Amsterdam.
There’s plenty of normal tourist stuff to do, like visit any number of museums or go on canal cruises, but frankly I think the best part about Amsterdam is just walking the streets, hanging out and seeing what comes up.
You should also definitely try the marijuana. Note however that there is a big difference in quality between the different Coffee Shops. Some are really nice and classy, others are pretty much dumps. Examples of nice ones would be Barneys (both the lounge and main) and Dampkring. The price difference between good places and bad is very small so there’s no point in visiting the dumps. If you don’t smoke, they usually have vaporizers or you can get a cookie.
I’d also really, really recommend you try some magic truffles if you have the inclination. You can buy them in any Smart Shop (they have a mushroom sign, can’t miss them). That is if you’re interested in consciousness expansion and really interesting experiences.
There is no shortage of sex shops in Amsterdam and I would have to assume that you need to be into some really, really strange and exotic stuff to not find what you’re looking for.
