I AMsterdam

Amsterdam= freedom.

As hour couchsurfing host told us, the way to control the illegal things is make them legal. And it's true, if the people can feel free to do what they want, they don't have a need to complain, and they don't become radical.

Sometimes we want to do things only because there are illegal. When this things become legal, they stop being interesting, because there's no risk on doing them.

But there's no need of smoking joints or "sleep" on the red light district to feel this freedom.

The freedom is in the air, you can feel it. Riding a bike or siting on the dock of the bay, watching the sunnset. Watching the big number of touristic boats, full with bored japanese tourists, crossing the chanels or sitting in Dam square full of stoned backpackers.

But the real freedom, the freedom of spirit and soul, you can feel it when you walk alone the desert streets of areas near the center, like Molukkenstraat or Jordaan. Far from the touristic intoxication and the souvenir shops, you can feel the silence, the peace, the cold wind passing by your sandals.

Yes, I know, we are also tourists, but we try not to maintain this idea about Amsterdam (drugs and sex and rock'n'roll) we want to get to know its people, be a part of it. I guess we succeed, thank to Channah and Ruben.

And yes, we smoked. But we also walked, drank beer (Palm and Bavaria), sit in the grass of Vondelpark in the sun, watched the chanels during hours, took the tramway and the nightbus and... enjoyed.