Do’s and don’ts in Amsterdam: drugs, bikes, and angry Dutchies

So yeah, here we go. For my first real blogpost, I’ve decided to address an issue close to my heart: the city that I live in. Though Amsterdam is probably mostly famous for legal weed, hookers and party-time, it is so much more than that. To me, it was the first big city I called home when I started studying and living here 5 years ago. It’s a metropolis with a cozy, village-feel that I find unique. I can’t see myself feeling this at home anywhere else for now.

So of course, #Amsterdam attracts tourists for many reasons that I completely understand. But as a citizen, I feel like it is my duty to inform you a little bit beforehand. Read this #blog as a guideline before your next trip to my beloved city. And of course, to show you guys I can be nice, I’ve included some actual fun suggestions for you to do at the end of this post.

YOU’RE A GUEST
The first thing to realize when visiting any place really, is that it’s not just a museum for visitors to dance around in. People actually live there. Yes, even in Amsterdam. That means that not every girl will have sex with you for money, not every citizen smokes weed on a daily basis, and people have families and jobs and schools in the city you’re visiting. It’s not some exceptional place where you’re allowed to do anything - and this is probably the biggest misconception about Amsterdam. Though you may be legally allowed to use a little more substances than you’re used to, other general rules still apply. So behave. Don’t go peeking through windows, ‘cause not every house is a tourist attraction. Don’t harass people. Don’t throw your sh#t into our canals. Don’t vandalize.

IF YOU WANT TO RIDE A BIKE: DON’T
For the love of god, don’t be one of those people who thinks it’s really fun to rent a bike in Amsterdam and then go riding around it, looking at stuff, not paying attention and almost dying. You have to realise that citizens of Amsterdam do everything on their bike. They use it to go literally anywhere, because the city is pretty small and it’s an easy and environmental-friendly way to get places. Plus, the Dutch are always in a hurry. We’re very down to earth, so if we’re in/on any type of transportation - it means we need to get somewhere, and we're not riding the thing to look at buildings.

You might think you know the rules of the road, but you don’t. You might think you have seen a bicycle lane, but you haven’t. You think you’ll be careful enough, but you won’t be. Believe me - walking around the city is easier and less risky. And you’ll save me the trouble of having to murder you. (kidding)

Riding a bike: an efficient way of transportation.

IF YOU REALLY REALLY WANT TO RIDE A BIKE: MAKE SURE YOU CAN
The biggest problem with tourists riding a bike is that at home they don’t ride a bike often, and then decide to do it for the first time in months in Amsterdam of all places. This is not a good idea. It is dangerous for someone who can’t ride a bike properly. Once again: please stick to walking or public transport if you’re not that good at it (and just admit it to yourself. It’s no biggie), because walking is easy (just stay on the sidewalks please) and our public transportation is fine. If you’re a good bike-rider, please just pay good attention to the traffic and don’t use your bike-ride to watch the 'scenery'. Because people get distracted, and that’s how accidents happen in our streets. I’m not even kidding.

Extra tip: don’t ring you’re bell for fun when biking with a group. I know it must be hilarious to you, but Dutch people actually use the bell to alarm others that they’re passing by.

You're only allowed to do this when you're Dutch.

IF YOU WANT TO DO DRUGS: GET INFORMED
Do you want to know how many times I've seen a tourist pass out? Hundreds of times. This is mainly because foreigners get so excited about legal soft drugs, they decide to mix everything together. And well, here’s some possible outcomes:
Alcohol + weed = definitely barfing.
Alcohol + (legal) shrooms = barfing and a bad trip.
Alcohol + cocaine (not legal guys) = aggressive cunt.
Alcohol + XTC (also not legal) = pretty amazing but you might barf and/or lose the ability to understand what’s happening around you.
Alcohol + weed + XTC = passing out.
Alcohol + weed + XTC + cocaine = hospital.
Alcohol + weed + XTC + cocaine + shrooms = hospital. You might be able to fly and you'll believe you are the sun.

I’m not necessarily telling you not to do any drugs. But before you do anything you haven’t done before: get informed about the effects. Don’t mix different drugs and/or alcohol, and don’t go all the way. It won’t be fun for you, and it won’t be fun for the people around you.

DON’T BE A CREEP
Holland is a pretty tolerant culture when it comes to gay rights. Of course there's always room for improvement, but generally we're proud of our gay community and open mind towards any type of queer. This also means Amsterdam has a couple of gay bars. I've been to a gay bars for girls, and aside from the lesbians you'll always find male tourists (who are definitely not lesbians) sitting at the bar, not saying a word, waiting for some action to happen.

Don't be that guy. Not in a gay bar, or in a regular bar. Don't wait for girls (or guys) to get drunk and take advantage. If you offer a girl a drink, asking ‘so you want to go somewhere quiet?’ immediately after you’ve paid is NOT accepted behaviour. Not in any city, and neither in Amsterdam.

TRY SOMETHING ELSE FOR A CHANGE
Sure, visiting the red light district and going on a canal cruise are things you want to do when you visit Amsterdam. But don’t just go for the tourist attractions. For starters it will be very crowded, and you won’t get a good realistic view of Amsterdam either. Take a day to just stroll around the city - again, it’s very small, so walking places is easy - explore the lesser known parcs, take the tram outside the city centre to the areas surrounding them (though I advise you to stay inside the ‘ring’). Why not:

• Drink beers at one of the local breweries. Or at least, find a terrace outside the city centre and definitely FAR away from Rembrandtplein.
• Visit a show in the Royal Theatre of Carré, located at the Amstel river in the city centre.
• Rent your own small boat and travel around the canals doing your own route. Be careful around other boats, though.
• Go to a supermarket, buy some wine or beer, baguettes and garlic butter, and have a picnic in Westerpark.
• Visit one of the many markets. The most central one is on Waterloo, but why not try the Kinkerstraat and de Hallen?
• Wander around het Amsterdamse Bos (forest).
• Take the ferry and hang out at the water at one of the popular spots among locals (like Pllek).
• Visit the gigantic flea market de IJhallen. This event happens on certain weekends. Check the dates online.

And believe me, guys - these are just a few suggestions. Got any questions, or do you feel like adding something? Leave some comments for me and/or other readers!

Love,

@emma-anna