Red Light in Amsterdam

Everyone is typing around me, everyone is so darn focused; as for me and my colleague, we rarely get these times, when there is nothing to write for the whole day. However, I suddenly found her tapping the keyboard as well; she caught me staring and said, “Got a chance to write my blog!” She grinned and started typing again.

Being a travel blogger myself, I know how it feels to write your own thoughts rather than doing something instructed. So I smiled back and fixed my gaze on an interesting blog, which I suddenly came across, searching God knows what in Google. 

While reading the travelogue, I realized why I love this genre. It is here that I can be myself; I can explain my feelings without thinking about the various saintly concepts. I can use words, which actually describe my state of mind. I am more myself when I am writing about traveling. 

Adam AKA Chirpy, the travelogue’s writer shared all his travel experiences using the utmost funniest tone in the blog. His trip to Paris and the amazing rendezvous with an Indian is hilarious. While going through other write-ups, I suddenly came across a blog on the Red Light Region of Amsterdam. His memoirs took me down the memory lane, when I visited this enchanting city of canals, back in 2011.  

Never would I imagine walking through streets filled with prostitutes in Kolkata. The eerie feeling along with sad reality shakes me, every time I pass that area. But things are pretty different in Amsterdam.

First when I was told about the region, with dazed eyes I said, “People stroll around the area as a part of their trip; insane or what?” But l must confess there was a bit of excitement too. After all, who gets to visit a country everyday, where prostitution and drug is legal! 

P.S: Photography not allowed, so we took it, legally of course!

And then those houses with red lights come, where girls stand in the glass window wearing bikinis. They don't look poverty-stricken rather in good shape (looks are always deceptive, I know and they of course need to maintain). Men were nearly pounding on the doors, mostly to have a talk with the good looking ones or to make a bargain. Some might enjoy the legal right whereas some only enjoy the mood of window shopping. As per me, I found my blood pressure rising. What the hell! There were bikini girls everywhere and after a point of time I found it boring. Western culture is always very receptive about all these stuffs; so what's the big deal about an area specified for sex. Stupid dramatic fuss!!! (Nautanki sala!)

But then there was another surprise, shops selling drugs openly. Yea I know it’s legal, but a huge shop like that selling only substance was shocking. There were even museums of sex!! I feel enlightened and saw what Red Light Region actually is as well as learnt the real meaning of the word. 

As I stand on the small bridge facing the canal, the entire region was lighted with red or pink lamps. Red happens to be a color that symbolizes love but to be more precise, it is the color of temptation here in Amsterdam.