Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Red Light District

I can hardly write about Amsterdam without a word or two about the Red Light District.  This area of the city center is full of restaurants, bars, shops, and, of course, prostitutes.  As you would expect, it is full of tourists as well.  I have to admit, I was expecting something more flashy, like you would find in Las Vegas. 

Amsterdam has a wide streets, with very narrow lanes connecting them.  Most of these lanes are for foot and bicycle traffic.  Most, but certainly not all, of the prostitutes are on the lanes.  You can look down a lane, and see rows and rows of doors with red lights above them.  As you walk down the lane, you find that the doors are glass fronted, and lead into a small room.  If the lady is available, the curtains on the door and window are open.  If she is not, there are red curtains pulled across both.

Each room is a tiny cubicle, with a vinyl mattress covered couch or platform, a small sink and a chair.  Many buildings will have several cubicles, which  have adjorning doors.  The women stand or sit in the window or doorway, inviting customers. Sometimes you will see two or three women talking, with the adjorning doors open.   Many of the women appeared to be enjoying themselves.  Some were decidedly surly.  It made me wonder.  I know this is legal, but I have to ponder if all of these young women have chosen to do this.

It was a fascinating experience.  And from what I could see, the vast majority of the people walking the streets were curious tourists.

Now, off to Iceland, with a long layover in Oslo.

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