Do you like my Heiney?

Can you believe 5 weeks have passed by already? I feel like I just left Canada last week. I am just leaving Amsterdam and from what my friends tell me, I had a great time. Jokes. Before I get into the good stuff on Amsterdam, let me provide some historical and cultural info. First of all, the most important item...beer. The Dutch love their beer, and the most famous Dutch beer is Heineken. Over here it comes in brown bottles (instead of the green we get back home) and tastes better than the stuff that gets exported. Draft beer is served with two inches of head...and that's not because the Dutch are cheap. It's to hold the flavour in. My favorite is Heinekin Extra Cold...and the hangover that I am sportin' this morning tells me I was liking it a little too much last night. Gin was created in the Netherlands and is another popular beverage choice. But these crazy Dutch drink it straight and then chase it with a beer. This is called 'kopstoot' which means 'headbutt'. No kidding. That would knock me flat on my ass. You can't think of Holland without thinking of clogs. These wooden shoes originated in the Netherlands due to the abundance of water. Amsterdam actually has more canals and bridges than Venice. The Dutch needed an inexpensive (again...not that the Dutch are cheap) and durable shoe to work outside with. The clogs are called 'Klompen' by the Dutch and are cut from a single piece of wood. People still wear clogs today and they have been modernized to remain fashionable and come in a variety of colors and even suede and leather. Dino...since you are the most fashionable person I know, I picked you up a pair of black leather clogs. I'm sure you'll be stylin' in them! I have never seen more bicycles in my life than in Amsterdam. They have huge bicycle parkades that are as large as our car parkades at home. Six stories high and completely jammed with the two wheelers. The bikes are pretty junky though. They are the old school cruiser style but most are pretty rusted and rickety. It is the main form of transportation in Amsterdam and you have to be more worried about getting hit by a bike than by a car. In the winter though, if it gets cold enough and the canals freeze over, people leave their bikes at home and strap on their ice skates to get around. Okay...now the good stuff. Amsterdam has a reputation for sex, drugs, and rock n' roll. And it fully lives up to that reputation. The coffee shops have menus for marijuana, hash, and mushrooms and are very descriptive of the effects that you should experience. The staff are also amazing at determining which product will be best for you (ie. Are you a first-timer, do you want to see brighter colors, etc.). As for sex, there is lots of it and its easy to find. There are these little rooms at street level, just large enough for a bed and a sink. Girls stand in the full length window in various outfits consisting of very little fabric. If you're interested, you knock on the window then negotiate the terms of the deal. The red light district is split up by little "ethnic communities", so you will find the Asian girls on one block and the European girls on another. The legal age in Amsterdam is 14 and you will see a wide range of girls from very young to women that are 40 plus. I can't really comment on the rock n' roll bit. I did see a chick playing some sort of flute but I think she was stoned outta her tree. I'm traveling through Belgium right now, on my way back to France, and then across the channel to London. I'm meeting a friend that lives in London tonight and we are going out clubbin'. I hope all my Calgary peeps have an awesome time Stampeding tonight! Take some pics and save some energy for my return. I'm ready to ditch my clogs for my cowboy boots! Can't wait to see everyone very soon. I've missed all of you way too much. Smooches from Europe, Giff