Amsterdam

Church bells ring. Trams growl over tracks. Coffee shops exude conversation and wafts of weed. Women ride side saddle on double-seated bicycles steered by boyfriends. Boats glide under bridges in canals past leaning brick houses. Men negotiate prices with the prostitutes in red light district windows. I must be in Amsterdam!

I take the train from Schipohl airport to Centraal Station then walk around the city. I see a couple with backpacks studying a map and strike up a conversation. ''Are you looking for a hostel too?" I ask."We are just trying to find the one we already booked" the guy replies. "You can follow us and see if they have any beds left. I think it's this way." The three of us walk towards the Nieumarkt area, passing the beautiful Waag building until we arrive at a place called The Shelter. The Shelter turns out to be a Christian hostel right next to De Wallen--otherwise known as the red light district. Too hilarious. Actually, the place is pretty great with a spacious kitchen, cute courtyard, and a friendly staff. Some ingenious ways of getting Jesus into your life include the ''God mail box'', Christian music videos, and a Jesus computer program. Pretty soon it feels completely normal to go for a run past prostitues shimmying in their windows then returning to the hostel to find a bible study taking place.

In Amsterdam you can:

• Learn from the scholars at Cannabis College where their mission is to offer ''free advice on safe recreational cannabis use in addition to educating the public about the many uses of the hemp plant."
  


• Legally smoke a joint or consume a space cake inside a coffee shop. However, smoking tobacco cigarettes indoors was banned in 2008. Interestingly, only about 7% of the Dutch population smokes marijuana.


• Visit the sex museum which contains art, photos, and information about sex through the ages as well as animatronic mannequins engaged in a variety of debaucherous activities


• See the World Press Photo 2010 exhibit at the Oude Kerk.
  

• View photos of a professor's strange anatomical specimens at FOAM, marvel the world's largest collection of Van Gough paintings at Van Gough museum or take in some Rembrandts and Vermeers at the Rijksmuseum.
  


• Chillout in Vondelpark and climb on the I amsterdam sign


• Listen to street performers playing music near the National Monument.


• Interact with colorful characters such as a celebratory guy in the skintight red sequined nurses uniform or a wandering guy talking to himself about Saddam Hussein.

• Eat amazing Indonesian food at places like Toko Joyce

Amsterdam was the last stop on this 'round the world itinerary. Time to fly home!