Should have looked on this site's Virgin Guide's B4hand...

[Alf Hookham]

Hopefully this note may be of some help to the First-time fellow trippers...

My Lady & Moi have just returned from our first visit to the 'Dam's Green Light District & have made a definate promise to return in about 6 months.

A few pointers we learnt on our Trip were....

(1) We needed a better map...One with big bold street names, as when the Trip rolled on, the print got very blurry on the standard tourist maps...Noticed some coffee houses gave out free maps which only listed the shops subscribing, but, you easy mark on points of interest to revisit & were an excellent Smoker User Friendly guide to not getting too Lost....

(2) The 'Dam is not a cheap place...Coffee Shops sell that essential liquid at some weird & wonderful prices eg bottle of Green Tea = 3.5 euro's...The Bars, if it's Lager or Cider you need to quensh that thirst, is roughly 4 euro's...I had to swop to Guinness, which cost about 4.5 euro's, as Dutch lager seemed to transfer my bottom into a Japanese Flag....(...Must take some Pile ointment next time !)..But saying this, if you manage to keep a your Wits about you, you'll find most bars have Happy hours etc....

(3) The prices of the Blow seemed a little steep..But what you are getting is Pure Fresh blow..You pay what you want..On average a block of resin costs about 15 euro's (which gives roughly 7 joints if you are mixing....so if you work out 2 days quality trippin, it's not a bad price...The resin in the UK, I sometimes have to use my cheese grater on to break up, this stuff was like putty to handle...very easy to crumble)....On the second day, I pre-rolled 4 in the hotel room, which saved on Concentration time....

(4) Hotel or Room...Pick one Central to your needs, recommend one in the Green Light Area or near a decent Coffee shop...We picked one not too far from Central Station...The weather is very similar to Northern England & it is advisable to check the 'Dam weather before hand...If it says Rain, then believe it, it'll be raining...Dragging a suitcase is no fun after so some much relaxation...Very glad i did not do this trip on my own, seriously think there should be 2 or more....

(5) Tippin' Hazards....A couple of the bars & Coffee houses were not as comfortable as what this Paranoid Couple needed....Some have a 24 hour Web Linked camera pointing at You....Also Amsterdam houses are very Narrow & Tall...Hence some very steep stairs ie..What goes Up..Must come Down....Also the seating may be very high stools or the room is full of tripping hazards...Again what we learnt to do was first inspect the Place for Comfort, Ease, Music, House Prices & Clientele, before we purchased the drinks & sparked up...The Coffee House business is a major industry here, so shop around for what suits you....

(6) Other attractions we enjoyed over the Weekend, apart from People Watching, were sitting on a bench's overlooking the canal's at a tight barge turning point & giving the Skippers marks out for 10 for Seamanship, the DVD booths in the Red Light area's were a pleasing break, but some will not allow couples, then you pay by the minute @ approx 1 euro a minute...For me it was a very pleasurable 3 euro's...For my Lady...very frustrating that I run out of change & juice...Remember to pace yourself, & keep the bodies energy & fluid levels topped up with sleep, sugars & proteins....

(7) Cig prices were the same all over, including the Airport, approx 4 euro's for 20 cigs...In the vending machines you needed a coin that looked liked a washer with a hole in, these you got free from the bar....

(8) Munchies...again like the Liquids...a bit more expensive...So stock up from other places....Breakfast's, Snacks, Late night takeaways...I'd advise shopping around, as some Food places near certain coffee shops & bars took advantage of the clients state of mind...Remember like most major cities, the Pickpockets etc are working the crowds..We locked the valuables, like the passports etc in the hotel safe & only took enough cash that we'd need on that day's Jolly with us..I bought one of those slim bum belt travel wallets that you took down the front of your jeans...The first day we took a backpack holdall for juice etc, but this became a nightmare to carry around & Remember...So, only take what you are prepared to lose or leave behind...Like your Mind..LOL....

(9) Peeing...For the Fella's, not a problem as they have the standup Peeing stations near canal's etc...For the Ladies not so easy...A lot of the Shopping Malls etc have a small surcharge...eg Burger King was clean with an attendant & cost 30 cent...Small price to pay for a bit of Comfort....

(10) Getting to the 'Dam from the Airport....The Railway station is in the Airport to Central Station, just follow the signs, a single fare cost 3.5 euro's & the double decker trains run every 8 minutes & take about 15 minutes journey time...You pay an extra 50 cents if you buy from a manned ticket booth instead of a machine...Remember to purchase your ticket before going down the escalators to the Platform...Returning, give yourself plenty of time, as listening to the tannoys, if you are a No-Show @ the gate, then you get quickly bumped from that flight....

Finally....Enjoy....Chill & Relax....There's No place in Europe like it...Hope this Info helps !

[Rez]

Again what we learnt to do was first inspect the Place for Comfort, Ease, Music, House Prices & Clientele, before we purchased the drinks & sparked up...The Coffee House business is a major industry here, so shop around for what suits you....

Hey Alf, Thanks for posting, I'm sure your info will be used by many...

I've never been like you described about going into anywhere... like a bull in a china shop me, I'm just eager to get through the door, get some bud, get some coffee, get seated and get wasted... unless the place is terrible, I'm going to pretty much enjoy my time wherever I am.

However I did say in my last report that I'de never go back to one particlular CS.

Stay cool,

Rez

[Doog]

That should be useful for all the first timers heading out there (guaranteed to be some on this site).

I found that the ACD map was pretty good for street names and stuff and there are plenty of internet cafes you can hit to get one printed out if you forget to bring it with you when you leave home.

Pretty much spot on with the prices and other advice.

Nice one

[Miette]

Nice report! I am sure some visitors will benefit from your comments.

Oh, and since you were kind enough to give the info on the women's rest stop needs, I feel compelled to mention another little helpful tip for the women -

bring along some of those personal packages of tissues (the ten tissue mini-Kleenix packages).

Europeans probably do this automatically, but other folks might not know about the [sarcasm] severe toilet paper shortage [/sarcasm] over here.

[Space Boy]

Quick Map Tip

Pick up a copy of Boom! - Free in a lot of places - there's a map on the back which has all the street names clearly marked. Rip it off and put in pocket, job done! Also the magazine is a good read (first time around, more or less the same copy in it as there was 10 years ago) plus the eating guide will give you pointers to some real gems.

Out of interest which Coffee Shops did you and didn't you like?

Also I know what you mean about being a bit paranoid but I've never had any real hassle over there. Besides, nothing wrong with a little paranoia - keeps you on your toes

Good guide btw!