[travel] Amsterdam Red Light district tour

I ws lucky enough to be able to attend the twice-weekly Red Light District tour and Q&A organized by the prostitution information center. It's ironic that I'd never pay for sex, but I'll eagerly pay 12 euros to have a former prostitute show me around a brothel and have her answer my questions. Anyway, here's what I learned:

( There'll be aa quiz on it later. )

Real STD transmission data

While the transmission rates per sex act for HIV are roughly known, they are not known for all the other lovely STDs out there (herpes, gonohhrea, syphilis, HPV etc). This knowledge would be really valuable in fighting the spread of these diseases. But hey, I know a place where I can gather a ton of data. If the prostitutes in Amsterdam are having large (and meticulously recorded) amounts of regular always-protected sex, we can get a good sense for the transmission rates of various STDs with a condom. If we assumed that the clients had STD infection rates similar to or greater than the general male population (a reasonable thing to assume) then we could get an upper bound on STD transmission rates per sex act for all the major STDs. My guide on the tour thought this was unliekly – prostitution is still heavily stigmatized in Holland, and most prostitutes do not like any invasions of their privacy, especially an expiriment that tracked them over time.

[travel] People-watching the Amsterdam red light district

Amsterdam's red light district makes for some of the most interesting people-watching in the world. It's a multinational human carnival full of people from different backgrounds, all reacting to the base reality of human desire. Strong stimuli bring out strong reactions. People are confronted with their prejudices and instincts.
( You are about to view content not appropriate for whiners. Lots of observations and people-watching. )

(not) moving too fast

A lot of people claim I'm moving too fast. Throughout the trip, Ive only spent a little time in each country. Its true that this approach is more logistics-heavy and more expensive. However, if I don't know when I'll have four months to spare for a trip again, it's worth seeing as much of the world as I can so I'll know what I most want to come back to. I'm basically running around this huge lovely buffet having a taste of everything.

I like contrasts. I like being in Switzerland one day and Italy the next. I like how Cairo can make Athens seem quiet, clean, and peaceful.

I also like seeing themes and trends. I've watched the British Empire, Islam, Buddhism, Christianity, Alexander The Great, World War II, The Roman Empire, building techniques, aesthetic styles, the desires of Western tourists, and various other forces affect vast swaths of territory.

I do tend to be options-oriented as well. I prefer knowing a little bit about a lot of places as opposed to knowing a lot about a few places.

However, given that packing and unpacking has a fixed time cost, and getting to know a new city's transportation network and a new country's language, money, and basic customs also has a fixed time cost, it seems like an excessive hassle to switch locations more than once every couple of days. I've done it many times, but I seem happiest spending 2-3 days in each location.

[travel] The city of Amsterdam

Amsterdam is one of the most impressive cities I've been to so far. It's architecturally picturesque, with long rows of pretty but not overly ornate brick house, . The construction of its extensive canal system only adds to the beauty and gives the city a unique, quirky, and romantic charm. While the canals were initially strictly practical, they now give the city a great deal of character. Amsterdam is also extremely international. It certainly helps that the Dutch have a very open society. People of all races, beliefs and cultural persuasions can feel comfortable here. (There are many benefits to a diverse multicultural society, though the one coming to mind at the moment is the access to good food.) Progressive cultural forces have a strong voice. Unlike other countries, the Netherlands is too small to get pushy about having everyone speak their language, so it's relatively easy for English-speaking foreigners to settle here. The government is also highly generous with art grants and invests heavily in education. Overall, it's the perfect formula for success. I definitely will return to the Nethetlands.

[travel] More reports from the land of Couchsurfing

I had a wonderful time with my second and third couchsurfing hosts. I got a lightning tour of Utrecht from one, and some great experiences in Amsterdam from the other. My Amsterdam host is an Iranian-born Jewish family man with a passion for filmmaking, traveling, and intense life experiences. He's currently doing a documentary on Couchsurfing. As part of that, he took me to a party at a shared open house on the western end of town, and I got to meet the eclectic blend of inhabitants it attracted. This is the real way to experience a city... tag along with an interesting local for a couple of days.

Since maor cities have over 1000 active couchsurfing hosts, I can pick people who will be good matches for me. So far I've met up with a futurist/entreprener, a new media artist, and an experienced traveller. I may soom neet a woman in Germany who's an art professor. I like this service.

[travel] Maximum extreme day

I'm back in Interlaken, Switzerland. This is one of the most beautiful places in the world. The Swiss have more or less lovingly turned the mountainous regions of their own country into a giant nature theme park. There are scenic train rides, cable cars to amazing vistas, bike trails, walking trails, and support for a wide variety of extreme sports. It's all very well maintained and appears to be minimizing environmental impact. It's probably one of the most successful ecotourism operations on the planet, and has been for much longer than the word ecotourism.

Anyway due to the timing of an incoming storm, I will be doing both the extreme advanced canyoning and the extra-long 134m bungee jump tomorrow in a combined extremaganza that will deplete my cash reserves by more than a week's worth of travel in Vietnam. If you don't see any more entries for a while, it means I'm probably in a hospital somewhere. :-) But seriously, I think it will be fairly safe doing canyoning with experienced guides and a reputable company.

The paragliding is very tempting too.