Amsterdam Was Enlightening!!!

What a very long day!!! We woke at 5:30 in China got on a plane at 9:50 and arrived in Amsterdam at 2:30pm after an 11 hour flight. We caught a train to the Central Station and walked for 20mins to our Hostel. This time we were in a much bigger room, but our first impression was of a clinical ward like dorm filled with 10 tubular steel bunks. After off loading all those suitcases we headed off into the heart of Amsterdam. I had heard of the loose moral values of the Dutch, but hadn't expected to be confronted with stores selling marijuana plants, seeds, hemp biscuits, bongs, sex toys etc. We accidentally found ourselves in the red light district after having wondered all day where it was. We knew we were in the right place – or should I say the wrong place – when skimpily clad ladies started to appear in the windows along the sidewalk. Just what good Christian parents want their 13 year old son to be exposed to! NOT! This is THE place.
The kids spent some of their hard earned Euros on typical Amsterdam souvenirs like T-shirts that read ‘Good girls go to Heaven Bad Girls go to Amsterdam’ and penis shaped lollies, you know the usual stuff! Temperatures in Amsterdam were a pleasant 13-17 degrees, which was unexpectedly warm.