Red Light District

At night I walked through the red light district. Prostitution is also legal in Amsterdam. The red light district has windows full of girls trying to solicit customers. It is actually much more of a tourist spectacle than you would think. Most of the people are just here for the spectacle. I didn't see too many johns going into the rooms. The thing I disliked the most about the Red Light District was that there were a ton of really shady people wandering around. They all looked like they were just waiting for an opportunity to steal your wallet or try to sell you fake drugs. All of these things like drugs and prostitution that are legal in Amsterdam are kind of culture shock for Americans because they are all considered illegal vices in the U.S., but here they are not only legal but normal.
One thing I saw in Amsterdam that I thought was a great idea were public urinals. With all of the drunk and high people who came to Amsterdam to party, public urination was becoming a problem in the city so whoever was in charge decided to do something about it. They put up these urinals on the street which are basically a hole in the ground that connects to the sewer and there is sort of a metal enclosure that you walk into for a little bit of privacy, but the top is just a metal mesh, so you can still see people walking by. It is just right out on the street, so you can stand there peeing while carrying on a conversation with someone. They aren't the cleanest thing in the world, but it is a pretty good idea and better than the alternative. Not so great for women though. Here is a picture of one (I'm not sure if I should be surprised that there is a website devoted entirely to urinals).