Sensory overload- Amsterdam, Netherlands

What an intense city! There are sights, sounds and smells in every direction. It's hard to take it all in. We walked through the three main canals, Herengracht, Prinsengracht and Kiezengracht. They have buildings all along them that lean in all directions. A local told us the city is 700 years old so overtime they have sunk. There are also really modern house boats along the canals making them so beautiful and interesting. It is a beautiful city full of history. We also saw Anne Franks house, Heineken factory, the flower market and of course, the Red Light District. Prostitution and smoking Marijuana are legal in Amsterdam. As you walk though the red light district they have red fluorescent lights above the glass doors. Inside are half naked women waiting for their next customer. It's actually really sad because most of the girls are young and almost all look like foreigners. We walked through one section of the streets and its so quiet it gives you the creeps, then we got out of there. To really see the whole city of Amsterdam you would need to spend a few days at least. There is a huge biking community but the bike paths are not well distinguished from the walking paths. Every time you cross a street you have to look in 20 different directions or you will get taken out by a biker. Yikes. You have to constantly stay on your toes in Amsterdam.