Through the red-lit alleys of Amsterdam, photo essay by Rajarshi Chakraborty
Architecture, Canals, Bicycles, Cannabis, Prostitution… yes, the only name pops in mind is Amsterdam, the capital of Netherlands. Though this 17th century old-world city is teeming with high culture, many people visit Amsterdam for the marijuana scene and perhaps to peek at the legal prostitutes in the Red Light District.
Red Light District, being so close to the central train station and in the city’s oldest and most historic neighborhood, is really hard to avoid. The best way to experience the sin city is to take stroll through the narrow alleys where girls rent small rooms with literally red-lit windows along the canals and side streets to flirt with passers-by. The lanes along side the canals in Red Light district are colorful, quirky and charming with a constant sight of bicycles whizzing by. The Red Light District is also home to many bars, restaurants, night clubs, coffee shops,hotels, and hostels so there is much more going on than just a bit of prostitution. And that’s the reason not to feel like a pervert.
Spent some time in an Amsterdam coffee shops and understood clearly why it’s called Smokers Paradise. Surprisingly you’ll get one well designed menu of various quality weed, marijuana, hash along with tasty juices and smoothies. You’ll also get very good quality space cakes and hash brownies. The actual Amsterdam experience begins once you are back on the street spending few hours within those cannabis clouds. With a blurred vision, you’ll be roaming around in the streets of Red Light district watching kinky sex toy shops, sex clubs, live sex shows etc. With your red eyes you’ll be checking out hot girls smiling and waving at you from those magnetic and dreamy red-windows as you walk by.
At some point of time this hallucinating trip ends. But love for this amazing place remains in the form of hangover.
This photo essay is to depict the experience of visiting Red Light District of Amsterdam from a travelers perspective. (by Rajarshi Chakraborty)
