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How I Discovered the Netherlands in 1969

Rotterdam was the first city I visited in the Netherlands. It was during the Vietnam War when I was draft-dodging in 1969. After leaving Montreal for the Old Continent on board a transatlantic Ocean liner I saw nothing bu an endless Ocean all around for a few weeks. That's when I realized how small and meaningless we are on the face of this planet. I also realized how much we are in the hands of Mother Nature. Towards the end of that long voyage our ship went into a bad storm somewhere on the North Sea. I've also gone through two other storms on ships to Copenhagen, Denmark and to Montreal since then. But when we docked in Rotterdam in the Netherlands I fell in love with Holland.

As soon as I stepped ashore in the Netherlands for the first time I felt as if I returned to a long forgotten home. I still feel that way every time I return there, even though I am not Dutch and don't speak the language. But perhaps there may be an explanation for that. I learned many years later that my Mother's maiden name is also a noble Dutch name. Though that may be difficult to explain, perhaps I could be Duch in some way. Read more about my 1969 exile to Europe here.

I took this photo on the Atlantic Ocean in 1969

Rotterdam, Netherlands 1969

About Amsterdam

Here are some of my photos and other information about Amsterdam in the Netherlands*.

Amsterdam is the Capitol of the Netherlands but the seat of the government is in The Hague (Den Haag). The Hague is also the hometown of two legendary 1960s Rock Bands:
1. Golden Earing - recorded the top USA hit single "Radar Love".
2. Shocking Blue (1967-74) - recorded "Venus", #1 Billboard Hot 100 hit single in February 1970 and still ranking high among many hippies.

There are more canales in Amsterdam then in Venice and more bridges then in Paris. Bicycles are the primary form of transport in Amsterdam and throughout the Netherlands. Generally speaking, Amsterdam is like another world parallel to ours. So don't expect it to be like your neck of the woods. I think it is what the rest of the Western world could be like in some ways if people would become less restrictive and more pragmatic minded. But that doesn't mean that it is a perfect society with out any problems. There are many problems there too but that will not be the object of this article.

There are at least three types of opinion groups on Amsterdam. The first group are the liberals and non-conformists who would like to see more places like it. The second are less tolerant folks and conformists who would like to limit some freedoms that Amsterdam is so famous for. There may also be some among those that may even hope to see the city fall and serve as an example for others not to follow. Finally, the third and the least heard opinion groups are of those who take the freedoms to be as normal as nude sunbathing is in Europe, for example. I happen to belong to that last group. And as an American residing in Europe, I have also observed the expansion of American culture and politics and many negative influences it has had on the indigenous European cultures. Therefore, I am happy that we can still enjoy what's left of some of that liberal European culture in Amsterdam and other places in Holland.

To simplify Europe a bit for those Americans who have never been there, and that's probably about 95% or more, I'll begin by explaining the difference between Eastern and Western Europe in a nutshell. So, imagine that Western Europe is a bit like the Northern United States, and Eastern Europe like the Southern belt states accept for the climate, of course. And also imagine that Monte Carlo is the European's Los Vegas and Amsterdam is a bit like New Orleans or what San Francisco used to be in the 1960-90s but with centuries older pragmatic, libertarian and open-minded culture. Well, there you have it - that bubbling with primartal creative energy magic place on our planet called Europe put in a nutshell that many of our ancestors came from.

The Dutch have also incorporated into their culture many elements from their former colonies in Bali, Indonesia, Africa, India, the Far East and the Caribbean making it a truly cosmopolitan place already in the Middle Ages. And do you remember the Middle Ages? Remember the Dutch Masters that painted plump naked women and the books that were published in Amsterdam that couldn't be published anywhere else in the world? Well, that's the place and the spirit of Freedom Amsterdam has always represented.

Though Holland** has changed much since I discovered it in 1969, Amsterdam has managed to keep some of that charm that could be found in Haight Ashbury, Chicago's Old Town or New York's Greenwich Village in the 1960s but on a smaller scale. However, don't be surprised not to find many hippies and peace signs in A'dam anymore. Things are changing and I don't think they're changing for the better there, at the moment. But that is the global trend of our times. Lets hope this trend will change in the future.

I have always believed that there where is freedom there is spiritual, intellectual and material growth. And an example of that have been the Netherlands for centuries, the country that grew out of the Mother City of Amsterdam. Though not without problems Amsterdam is probably the most pragmatic and congenial urban environment I have come across*** to this day. Therefore, I am proud to admit that I love Amsterdam, that it is my "Paris" i.e. that what Paris was to Balzac, G. Stein, T. Williams, E. Hemingway and many others, and that I feel that I am Amsterdam. Yes, it is a beautiful dream. But isn't the world made of dreams?

Footnotes:
* The name means "low-lands" because much of the Netherlands is far below sea level.
** The name comes fom the words "holt" and "land" i.e. forest-land.
*** So far in this life I have been in England, Holland, Denmark, Germany, Austria, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Rep., France and Canada. I have also lived in Poland and USA for several decades.

Sex, Drugs & Bicycles

Here is some information and advise about Amsterdam that I hope may be helpful in making your stay there a pleasent one.

Most of the Netherlands is not like Amsterdam. Almost everyone in Amsterdam speaks English. Amsterdam is the hometown of Heineken Beer and is the world's leading diamond cutting, production and trade center. That's why since 1586 it has also been called "The City Of Diamonds". And it has also been well known for its coffeeshops (spelled "coffeeshop" in Holland) where cannabis has been sold and smoked since the 16th Century. But if you would like a cup of coffee then go to a café instead. So please remember, there is a difference between a coffeeshop and a café in Amsterdam. These and many other things make Amsterdam the most interesting and international city in Europe and also the most Bohemian one I have found.

Before I continue, I should explain that I do not recommend doing any drugs or coming into any sexual contacts with sexworkers or anyone else in Amsterdam. My goal is to information those who may decide to ignore the warnings and indulge in such activity of the realities and some of the dangers involved. The reader should also be aware that there many be many other such dangers that I failed to mention in this article. So, utmost caution should be taken when one decides to indulge in the many liberties Amsterdam may have to offer. Because of international pressures mainly from the USA and its allies in the UN cannabis is formally illegal in the Netherlands. But in spite of that, it is tolerated and taxed. One can walk into any coffeeshop and order a coffee, a joint or both in Amsterdam. Though I do recommend purchasing some loose stuff and rolling your own because some of the the prerolled joints sold there are packed with tobacco and may have little if any weed in them. When the first coffeeshops openned in the 1960s they sold potent Moroccan hash. So, they used to mix the hash with tobacco. So if one has kicked nicotene addiction then one could easily get back on nicotine in the process.

The price of a coffee or a joint is usually similar, about 2 Euros (in 2008). But you don't have to buy weed every time you visit a coffeeshop. After ordering you can stay as long as you like, sip your coffee or tea, smoke a joint without worrying of being fined or arrested, read a paper, listen to music or just gaze at the sealing if that's what turns you on. However, most coffeeshops will not tolerate behavior that may be annoying to others. It is also not uncommon in Amsterdam as well as in other EU countries to share seats at tables with other guests, especially when establishments are crowded. And yes, there are things one should remember not to do in Amsterdam. Some are taking pictures of women in the windows of the Red Light District, urinating in public places or smoking weed in public places such as restaurants of on streets. There are also fines for littering and smoking in public places. And there is also a garbage Police that has investigators scrupulously going through people's litter in search of wrongly segregated litter and evidence of their identities on bills paid with ATM cards, for example. I'm just waiting for the making of the first part of "The Garbage Police" TV series :)

There is a large selection of weed and hash in coffeeshops. So, ask to see the menu before ordering. You should also remember that unlike the stuff you're used to back home the stuff you get in A'dam is often of high quality and can really kick-ass. Some is listed as "hydro" meaning that it was grown hydroponically and other as "bio" meaning it was grown in soil or organically. Whatever you do, do not buy anything on the streets because you will probably get ripped off at the least. In spite of such an easy access to cannabis, "studies have shown that the average use of cannabis in Holland is lower compared to most of the surrounding countries." (from: "Prohibition open to be challenged" by J.S. Van Der Stad, Summer 2008)

Amsterdam is also more tolerant of gays and lesbians then any other city in the world. There are many gay and lesbian bars in A'dam. The popular cruising areas are in Vondelpark by the rose garden after dusk and the wooded Nieuwe Meer area in the southwest of the city. Amsterdam also has very liberal prostitution laws. However, caution is strongly advised in terms of safe sex and personal safety particularly on Paardenstraat where there are many male hustlers. There are also new boutiques being opened in buildings owned by one of the city's leading developers in the Red Light district where one could buy a gift for the Wife after visiting a prostitute next door.

We Are Proud!

You should also remember that space cakes, cookies or bonbons containing weed or hash that are sold in some places kick in after a few hours. So don't hesitate to ask the staff how many you should eat. And do not eat more then required for a high because they are very powerful and the high you get on those is like on acid. Some unknowing tourists sometimes overdose on those and later are found lying around wasted on pavements giving A'dam a bad name. Also remember that no one under 18 years of age is allowed to enter coffeeshops, and IDs are checked. The cannabis products sold in gift shops and grocary stores have little THC content and will not work like the ones that have a high content of that substance.

Here are some last words of advise for a pleasant stay. First of all, avoid walking along bicycle lanes. When you hear a bike bell, quickly get out of the way. Also, in A'dam as well in other metropolitan areas of the world you should avoid staying out late. So it is advised not to stay out after 1:00 AM in the center of Amsterdam. One should also lookout for pickpockets on side streets around Nieuwendijk, the Southern end of Zeedijjk, the streets off the Damrak, all other popular tourist spots and the public transport routs to and from the airport. Finally, a 2007 Reader's Digest test has shown that the Dutch are not the most honest people in the world (read more about it here, here and here). So like in many other places in the world, watch your bags and belongings at all times.

People in the Netherlands tend to speak their mind and thus may be taken by some to be rude. Sometimes one may also feel pushed around in shops or find people jumping in front of them in queues at grocery stands. So if that happens to you, don't let it get you down. Besides those negative points that the Dutch need to work on, Holland is a clean, safe and groovy place. And the Dutch are really very kind and friendly people. Another thing about the Dutch is that they are as conservative as their Parents were even though they may smoke pot or have long hair. Generally speaking, they are modest people and one won't find many of them smoking weed in coffeeshops or public places because they do that in the comfort of their homes. If one is to live in Amsterdam it is rather wise to belong to some subculture. It seems to me that that the largest are the hemp and gays communities.

Cannabis College

The above advice was for a carefree tourist that would be spending time more intensively then the residents - rushing here and there, asking people for directions or advice, meeting strangers, going to the Red Light or Blue Light districts, checking out coffeeshops, the night life, going to Festivals etc., etc. In other words, a carefree person with a higher profile that may attract pickpockets and other types that tend to prey on careless tourists. So most of all, please use your common sense.

Well, I guess that's all the basics stuff a hip tourist should know for a groovy time in Amsterdam. So, what are you waiting for? Hop on over and rock & roll all night and party ev-er-ee-day in A'dam!

Hippies used to gather, play music, sing, practice free love
and also crash for the night in their sleeping bags 
around this phallic shaped Monument Of The Unknown Soldier. 
It was also the place where the Provo freedom action group
used to hold its PROVOcative rallies in the 1960s.

Amsterdam Videos

These videos were made with a webcam, cameraphone or digital photo camera

Rather Live In A Wasteland
This is a music video slideshow to a song by the same title that I wrote and recorded that same day in 2008.



Amsterdam 2008
Some clips I took of Amsterdam in August 2008. Flower Market, Gay Pride Day, Dam Square and a bike ride around some streets and canals.



Amsterdam From Leidsegracht
Panorama of Amsterdam from Keizers-Leidsegracht

See all my videos

Amsterdam Music

Some songs I wrote in Amsterdam and some sounds I recorded there
Homemade amateur recordings written and performed by Adam Wojtanek



MediaPlayer My Be Required

In Amsterdam
A song I wrote live as it was performed on a Webcam.
Recorded with a Webcam in 2008. Lyrics
Dam Square Flashback
A guitar instrumental tribute to the 1960s hippie center
of the world at the Dam Square in Amsterdam.
Café In Adam - Lyrics
City Of Amsterdam - Lyrics
Amsterdam Song - Lyrics
Thinkin' Of New Zealand - Lyrics
More music...

Sounds Of Amsterdam

Chimes At Koningsplain
Amsterdam Tram

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by Adam Wojtanek