Amsterdam: My First Time in a Red Light District

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Now don’t get excited. (Red Light District)

I’m not going to discuss an ‘experience‘ in a Red Light District because I would never—what…? Oh, you lost interest in reading this now? Haha! Can’t blame you, I did try to mislead you with the title. *pats myself on the back*

Anyhow, I hope you’d still stick around especially if you’re curious about Amsterdam’s famous and largest Red Light District (RLD) called as De Wallen. Up till now, I still remember how surreal it was and I would like to share with you the experience that I had.

And yes it really was my first time to step into such a place because in Asia, though our RLDs are equally ‘famous’, they are not the kind of tourist attractions that the general public would look out for (unless you’re a man or woman seeking for the other kind of tourism: sex tourism). Simply put: it’s a shady business, which is much like everything else in the world. For example, the ones we have back in the Philippines are disguised as bars, KTVs, massage parlors, or clubs since it’s definitely considered illegal; however, the government turns a blind eye on it since it’s ‘very profitable’ due to the sexpats.

Besides, even if I’m curious about how it works or looks like, I wouldn’t dare venture into those establishments or streets during their ‘peak hours’ because:

• I value my life, thank you very much
• I have visions of pimps kidnapping me, and;
• I also don’t want to be mistaken as one of the girls
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However, Amsterdam’s RLD is somehow different. Similar, yet altogether different.

It has a tinge of seediness—of course that feeling will always be there—but for the most part, it felt or seemed so… normal. Nothing is ‘hidden’ either; they’re as vocal, straight-forward, and transparent as they could be to the public, probably due in part to how prostitution in the Netherlands is legal: establishments have clear huge neon lights directly advertising sex shows or peep shows, and of course, there are the rows of tiny rooms with the scantily-clad girls, offering their services behind a glass door/window that’s illuminated in red.

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“IT FELT NORMAL”: I say this because it was such a ‘touristy’ place. You can see families strolling around, eager to see the ‘oddity’ of this nightlife spot—and yes, there were even families with kids — which still baffles me to this day. Of course, you will also see the occasional man negotiating and talking to a ‘window girl’ (he gets in, a red curtain will be drawn over the window, once done, he gets out in a rush). BUT the number of curious couples and groups were far more rampant, that the place becomes a mystifying thing on its own. Groups of girls during their ‘hen night’ or bachelorette party are common here too; most likely giggling around and daring one another to watch the sex shows.

There were even police people stationed at certain spots to ensure that public order is maintained. In fact, it can be said that the RLD here is one of the safest areas in Amsterdam because of the number of policemen, as well as the bodyguards (pimps?) that the girls personally have.

But naturally, if you’re the kind of person who hates these kinds of things in the first place, then surely don’t go; you’ll definitely end up loathing it.

Also, if you’re a family, please don’t bring your kids to the red light district; let them discover this place on their own when they are older. But I guess… okay, whatever floats your boat. Society is becoming more open-minded than before and I could understand if some parents want to expose their kids to the realities of this world; but I do hope to goodness that you guys are mindful of what you’re doing.

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“IT IS LEGAL”: Prostitution was legalized in Amsterdam back in 2000 in an aim of regulating the business, protecting the women, and ensuring that organized crime, human trafficking, or money laundering are kept at bay.

With this, prostitution became some sort of a ‘legitimate business’ wherein all girls have to be registered in the government with a self-employed status (to also ensure that they are not younger than 21) and are positioned in the same tax bracket as that of a tour guide. So yes, they do pay taxes and they have to be officially licensed.

The girls also have the right to choose which customers to take in, and if ever there’s trouble—money dispute or a bad customer—they always have an alarm button in their area that would connect them to the police who are just minutes or seconds away (remember how I said that they’re scattered around the RLD?).

However, I understand that we can never know, despite all the efforts of the government to regulate this business, if there are girls who are still involved in human trafficking (there’s a high chance that there still are). But for the most part, this appears to be seasonal work for some girls who leave their European countries, looking for profitable work in a short period (like 6 months or more) so that they can return to their country with a small fortune.

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» Where is De Wallen?

De Wallen or De Walletjes is located in the oldest part of the city, covering several blocks to the south of the church ;Oude Kerk and a 10-minute walk away from the Amsterdam Central Station. (There are no tram stops nearby but the nearest station is Nieuwmarkt).

This RLD consists of a network of alleys containing approximately 300 tiny one-room cabins rented by prostitutes and that together with the other lesser-known prostitution areas Singelgebied and Ruysdaelkade, form the Rosse Buurt (red light areas) of Amsterdam.

The old canals Oudezijds Voorburgwal and Oudezijds Achterburgwal passes through this RLD as well, giving the place a distinct charm. But then again, without the sex shops, red windows, and whatnot, this area already holds a sense of glamour as it is the most medieval part of the city—what with its old buildings and 14th-century architecture. (It’s actually along these canals where you will find the main part of the RLD. It’s easy to spot because you’ll see all the establishments who hold sex shows. To see more ‘red windows’, you will have to go through the side streets and alleyways.)

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» What to remember when in De Wallen?

• Do NOT take photos of the occupied windows at the Red Light District – this is prohibited and any attempt to do so have consequences. Every girl will get mad and they will run after you, or worse, their bodyguards or ‘pimps’ will come out to get you. While strolling around, I personally witnessed a girl getting mad at a guy who took a photo of her; I didn’t know what happened next but it’s likely (like what other people’s stories go) that they will ensure that it’s deleted/gone — or worse, crush the camera or phone. So it’s best that you respect the girls’ privacy.
• Mind your belongings – the place is safe with all the clusters of policemen, but still, due to the crowd, pick-pocketing can happen. So always try to go in groups or at least go with someone so you don’t attract any unwanted attention especially in the side streets.
• Don’t start a conversation with the girls – IF you don’t intend to do any business with them; they or their bodyguards will get mad at you for wasting their time. Nevertheless, it’s okay to look at them; they don’t go out of their windows to seek ‘business’ from you anyway.
• Don’t buy from dealers – sometimes there are people who will try to sell you drugs or bikes here. DON’T buy them. As I’ve mentioned in my other post about ‘soft drugs’, they are only allowed to be sold in ‘coffee shops’ so if you buy them outside, you’ll find yourself on the other side of the law!
• Go at night – though there can be girls already at their windows during daylight, it’s less lively. So to get a better feel of the RLD, go and visit during night time when it’s filled with people and the neon lights are on to illuminate the area and the canals. It’s at its peak during 11PM; though at 9PM, the atmosphere could already be busy.
• Don’t think that this is all Amsterdam is about – because it has a lot more to offer! The city has so much culture, food, and history to give you so I suggest that you wander around!

  » READ: Top 10 Amazing Things to Do in Amsterdam, Netherlands

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» What else is there?

Aside from the girls on the red glass windows/doors, there are a lot more things for you to do here in De Wallen.

By the way, before I go on, let me tell you some observations that I had while I walking around this vicinity. Other than witnessing someone getting apprehended for taking photos of one of the girls, and seeing a man rushing out of a ‘cabin room’ after finishing his business, I have also witnessed how these girls would normally act behind their glass windows/doors:

• Most of them will look bored, they are…
  • Sitting, standing, or just staring at the onlookers
  • Texting on their phones
  • Talking to their co-workers
    (if they are in single closed rooms, they would open their doors slightly, animatedly talking to one another and ignoring everyone that passes by)
• Rarely do I see girls who would really try to ‘market’ themselves, if they do they will just…
  • Dance slightly
  • Smile slightly or wave
    (one of them smiled + waved to me that somehow, I felt giddy; it happened so rarely that I had to tell my friend who was with me that “Someone smiled at me!!!“)
• I never saw a boy behind the glass doors/windows but I’ve been told that they exist. Probably they are out when it’s really late. We were at the RLD around 9PM-10PM.

Now of course everyone is wearing provocative clothing (lingerie, swimsuits, etc.) sporting different designs and whatnot; some even wear clothing that would illuminate under the neon light of their windows/doors. There were even several hot and model-looking girls near the main area that a part of me became a bit sad, thinking about how they couldn’t find another job out there for them—but then I also had to sensibly think that there are people who enjoy being sex workers so I shouldn’t pity these girls.

Moreover, given the laws and protection that the Netherlands gives plus the fact that most of them didn’t seem to be ‘caged up’ (texting away, valuing their privacy so people from back their home town won’t find out, etc.) gives me a bit of assurance that they weren’t involved in human-trafficking.

Moving on to the other things to do in De Wallen…
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For those who want the erotic stuff, there are plenty of sex and peep shows. The top 3 popular places for these can be easily identified by their distinct elements: the pink elephant sign from Casa Rosso (oldest live sex theatre in Amsterdam), the red figure signs from Moulin Rouge (not to be confused with the French show), and the yellow banana sign from Banana Bar (said to be for those who are looking for more interaction).

This was NOT my cup of tea so if you want to know what exactly happens in these places, you’ll have to discover it yourself. I noticed though that there seemed to be a fair amount of couples and groups of girls who seem to be the kind of ‘general audience’ that these establishments get.

Another observation: the ‘bouncers’ who are outside the Casa Rosso and Moulin Rouge were insanely friendly. Despite their body size and bulky appearance, it was a bit of a sight seeing them talking to people with all smiles as they try to entice them to come in and watch a show. (Well, they must bring in some business!) And oh, if I may add, they were wearing suits! One of the guys outside Moulin Rouge was even wearing a tuxedo and he reminded me a lot of Michael Buffer (that “Let’s get ready to rumbleeeee!” ring announcer guy).
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For those who are looking for goods, there are a LOT of sex shops in De Wallen! Just stroll around and you’re bound to see one. This was also the first time that I have seen sex toys so I was in a giggle fit all throughout our ‘exploration’—like come on… seriously? Some people can fit that in?

Anyhow, they were fun places! The store people don’t seem to mind if you snap photos away either and they don’t even mind if you’re a bundle of laughter (I guess they get it all the time). Actually, in these sex shops, I never saw someone going in there to buy something; it’s rather full of giggling couples and friends!

Naughty Amsterdam A photo posted by Aileen Adalid (@i_am_aileen) on Dec 9, 2014 at 6:35am PST

Anyways, there’s one interesting shop that you should visit which is Condomerie (buy some funny condom souvenirs here for your friends but taking photos inside is not allowed) and if you’re into exploring sexuality in an ‘olden fashion’, then drop by the Sex Museum!

For the other kind of ‘goods’ like cannabis or weed, there are coffee shops scattered around the RLD too.
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For those who want history, culture and landmarks, RLD has it! Remember that this is Amsterdam’s oldest part so it’s still full of interesting normal areas. There’s the 800-year-old Oude Kerk (the city’s oldest parish church), there’s even the picturesque street of Zeedijk (Amsterdam’s Chinatown), the dreamy canals of Oudezijds Voorburgwal and Oudezijds Achterburgwal.

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Amsterdam’s red light district is a unique kind of wonder in itself and it’s up to you if you want to witness it or not. Remember that this isn’t what Amsterdam is all about either; that’s why I suggest that you don’t visit this first and only. (To see the other activities that you can do, go here.)

And again, in no way am I supporting this business but as a traveler, I felt the need to see this for myself—I want to quench my curiosity and gain an understanding as to how this part of the world deals with such a business.

To end this post, remember this: “Every window and door has a story.”

So respect the girls; they may be sex workers but they are human like you. Some of them choose to work there, while some have no choice but to have that as their source of income. We wouldn’t know for sure who are those that are still forced to be there despite all the efforts of the government to stop human-trafficking; but we always have to consider the fact that most of these girls have this kind of work as their profession, whether it be because they enjoy it or that they just have to (financial reasons, etc.) so let’s try to put in some sensibility on this matter.

The post Amsterdam: My First Time in a Red Light District appeared first on I am Aileen.

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