Heaven

Just a simple view...nearish a fancy hotel here. People love bikes.


Yes, people LOVE bikes. There were literally thousands here. Unreal.


Even the construction appeals to stoners. Note the pink...cracks me up!


Just a shot from near the train station towards where I've been hanging out. Those tour boats are constantly crusing around.


Another random view down a street. You may be able to pick out the Bulldog in that shot on the left middle of the way down.


The street where my craptastic hotel is. It's a pretty busy place...I dig it.


See? Munchie HEAVEN. All you could want and more. Yes...more.


My bad ass hotel room. It's huge isn't it?


A shot from the train station in Sierre before I left. Note the odd angle. I was very tired yet excited. Tired and excited results in odd angles.


The view out my hotel window down into the alley thingie. Classy. Classic. Nasty. Rad.


A view from a bridge across from the train station...beautiful place. I'm loving it here.


Amsterdam is awesome. Awesome. I need a better word for that though…it’s just so damn cool. On a Saturday night during peak tourist season…whoa.

There is every walk of life cruising around here. I saw Asians in business suits, a gang of American looking business men (all 5 wearing tucked in polo shirts, all 5 wearing leather belts, and all 5 wearing a variety of khakis). There are upper middle aged British laughing couples, American upper middle aged ex-party animal couples, stoners, kids, beautiful women, gay men, a few beggars, and an overall sense of comfort with a hint of awe.

And the stores…my god the stores are amazing. Sure you’ve got your usual tourist stoner stuff…knit hats, stripped knees socks, Rastafarian style shirts, and more shot glasses than I think there is liquor in Europe. And of course there is a TON of smoking paraphernalia…bongs, pipes, rolling papers, grinders, everything and anything you could possibly use to smoke…well…anything. One shop has a GIANT marijuana plant growing, and I’ve seen at least 5 places that sell magic mushrooms (buy 3 get 1 free!).

I even got myself a Boddingtons Pub Ale. It’s heaven.

And last night…hookers. Hookers in the windows. You see a red light oozing out onto the sidewalk and just have to look…you’ve got to look. They come in every shape and size…all in fun lingerie. Some are wicked hot, some curvy ones, some skinny ones, some tired ones, some bored ones, some that smile and giggle. It is (and I’m sure this saying is used a LOT in the description of this place)…it is sensory overload.

I couldn’t imagine it on drugs.

But beyond that the place is very pretty. Yeah it’s fairly dirty, and pretty beat up. My hotel is an absolute shit hole…but it’s cheap, the bed is comfortable and I’ve got hot and cold running water. Just don’t ask about the shower. But the buildings are ancient, the canals add a huge level of charm, and the streets wander and turn and the little stores are so freaking cool.

It isn’t the cheapest place I’ve been (hell, what part of Europe isn’t expensive?) but if you spend a little time looking around you can find a fairly good deal. Sure this hotel is crappy but I feel safe and it cost me ½ of what was quoted to me at the airport. Sure you could sit down and eat a steak, fries and salad (at a nice looking place) for around 18 euros but just down the street is a corner kebab stand with food that is probably just as delicious for less than 1/3 that price.

This reminds me…this is stoner food HEAVEN. I couldn’t throw a rock without hitting some place that sells sandwiches, fries, overstuffed pastries bursting with strawberries and cream, energy drinks or flavored rolling papers.

If you took San Diego…took Mission Beach and Pacific Beach, squished them into the Gaslamp and aged it for about 1000 years…you’d have a pretty good idea of what Amsterdam is like. Sprinkle in a good dose of Haight Ashbury and poor slowly on a city. Stir softly (softly is key) with wood from an ancient tribal tree and there you go.

It’s the sort of place you want to write “Neil was here…October 2005…Bluche Switzerland via California” and know that some wacked out freak will stare at it for 20 minutes 20 years from now.

I mentioned prior that I’m glad I’m only here for a couple days. That is true. I could see myself getting Las Vegas beat down or just plain sucked in. Thankfully my drug days are behind me or I just might have melted into the populace and opened a marijuana induced ultra fusion restaurant and hotel.

Remind me not to think thoughts like that again. Those are dangerous thoughts.