There are two things I have deduced from my weekend in Amsterdam:
1. Look out for bikes.
2. Weed is the best discovery ever known to man.
For a way of life that is completely backwards to the rest of the world, Amsterdam seems to have it right. Walking along pretty canals in a content haze, looking at the beautifully tall buildings made Amsterdam a much more tranquil place than I was anticipating. I expected my weekend to be interrupted by beer-bellied Brits with their 'LADS ON TOUR' t-shirts and loud cries for naked women. (In all fairness, a quick detour into the red light district did not let me down.) But as we walked around the nicer canals and streets, I started to notice how content and happy people are. They are constantly singing and humming to themselves, nobody is in any rush, and it seems the hustle and bustle of a normal European city is also lost in a fogginess that is not just weather related.
And what a fog that is. Liberty Haze, Pink Kush, Tangerine Dream, White Widow.. The choices were endless. You know you are in a backwards place when adding tobacco to a joint is against the law and 'frowned upon'. Each of these coffee shops cater for all walks of life, providing a snapshot of so many different people and their habits. At first, I entered these places with a sense of naughtiness and rebellion, not knowing where to look or what to say. But then it soon dawned on me that this is a completely normal past time, out in the open, accessible to all and loved by many.
After a quick inhale of the vaporisers and ice bongs, we were off on a wander. We walked and walked and walked. I love a city you can wander around and it not matter where you're going. Everyone and everything is so tall and effortlessly cool. The only traffic on the roads (or what look like pavements but turn out to be roads) are bikes, the only interruptions I had were the words 'Are you lost?' uttered from pleasant locals happy to help, and the odd near collision with a cyclist.
All in all, a very, very successful weekend.. I think.
Even I believe in a free world and people are free to do with their lives. I do not understand why people need to use drugs to escape their reality or have fun. Just share that moment with your friend and have great memories. Drug, Mariajuana, led me to disaster as I was young, and drove, and kill innocent people.. Think.. Jimmy Kopelia..www.jimmykopelia.blogspot.com
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