Amsterdam

Wow, what a city. My trip to Amsterdam was both relaxing and fun. First off, the city reminds me a lot of America. I literally walked off the train knowing nothing and no one in the city and had the time of my life. Everyone there speaks English and is very friendly. They smile at you and are more than willing to help you out with anything you need, much unlike the Parisians.

The hostel I stayed out was very nice, which was good because I was nervous. I had never stayed in a hostel before that, but I ended up with one where the staff was very friendly, the residents were very quiet, and it was close to the city center. Amsterdam is not a very big city and one can pretty much walk anywhere if you know where the Dam Square is.

Of course, there are marijuana coffee shops everywhere. I don't personally smoke but I think it was cool that I was in a country where it was legal. You will be literally walking down a random street and smell weed. The red light district is interesting as well. Amsterdam is a very liberal city and there are sex shops everywhere. The district is cool at night when all the red lights light up.

The buildings have a very unique style and they fit really well as a backdrop against the canals, which the city is built on. There is a lot of history in Amsterdam and it is neat to see the Anne Frank house and other monuments. Of course, there is also the Heineken factory which is cool. It is really a hassle to find anything other than Heineken in Amsterdam though.

There is a really cool square called Leideseplein where all the popular bars and clubs are, which is another thing that reminded me of America. In Paris it seems like the all the bars young people go to are spread out around the city. In Amsterdam there is a huge crowd of really attractive and lively young people that gather at the bars at night. I met some really awesome friends at the hostel and we went out every night and had a really great time. After dark, the city is really safe and taxis to just about anywhere are really cheap.

I would definitely recommend Amsterdam to anyone who wanted to visit a cool European city without the hassle of learning a different language or navigating a complicated metro system. The Burger King alone is definitely worth the trip.