A Tale of Two Cities

The Ommegang is a Dutch tradition in Brussels. Literally meaning "walking around," the festival celebrates the joyous arrival of Charles V to Brussels with giant puppets, floats, and folkloric groups. The iconic urinating Manneken Pis, a small statue that has become a must see in Brussels, is even dressed in Medeival costume! And this is our plan, to celebrate the ommegang by walking around these two great cities--not in July as usual, but in January, battling the blustery wintry conditions of Amsterdam and Brussels which are tempered only by their proximity to the North Sea. This isn't Dickins account of London, but a story across the Channel on the Continent, a tale of two worldly different cities.

Amsterdam and Brussels. Only 106 miles separate these cities that are worlds apart culturally. Amsterdam, sin-city itself, where prostitution is legal, marijuana and other "soft drugs" tolerated, and trash litters the streets is the home of the eternally tolerant Dutch. It is a city that celebrates the greatness of the Dutch Golden Age in colonial times. Concentric circles of canals surround the serene, laid-back, and young city that draws every backpacker on their European tour. And yet, two a half hours by train connects you to a city that seems a continent away--bustling, cosmopolitan, clean. Brussels is the foil to Amsterdam's chaos, the clean-cut brother to the rambunctious, defiant sister. But hidden under these vast differences of the two Low Countries are the heart and soul of two peoples, two countries, two histories, and two travels.

The three crosses of St. Andrew blanket the city of Amsterdam above "cafes," bridges, streets and even the city's coat of arms. Although the exact meaning of the crosses has been lost to time, many historians agree that they represent the problems that have plagued the city, namely, flood, fire, and pestilence, since its birth in the early 1300s. The city itself, 5 feet below sea level, utilizes a vast network of levees and pumps to protect its citizens from the threats of weather, tide and water. The people here, ever aware of their fragile relationship with safety and security, seemed to have built their city of fun and rampant tolerance to enjoy every day, every moment, differences put aside. From saving their city from sinking into a northern European swamp to pushing back the waves of the North Sea, the Amsterdammers have developed a stubborn yet strangely permissive society.

In line with the city's reputation as the capital of sin is the Dutch reputation as the world's most socially tolerant people. In addition to the being the world's tallest White people (the Masai are the world's tallest folks on average), the Dutch have nurtured their calling as accepting of all differences and libertinism. Although not without struggles, the Netherlands has been a haven for people the world over, including Portuguese Jews in the 1600s all the way to Surinamese refugees fleeing their South American military dictatorship 25 years ago. They struggled with outlawing Catholic services in the 1600s (forcing services to this day to be held in community homes) and later with Nazi occupation and the forced extradiction of Jews to concentration camps. But the "dam on the Amstel River" survived and flourished from its small beginning as a sleepy fishing village in the 1300s. With regular influxes of immigrants, the city's population and ethnic restaurants exploded. Amsterdam, one local simply told us, has any food the world has ever made. The pervasive drug trade has flourished too and often challenged this status quo, but the culture has not changed. Along with its ethnic cultural richness, Amsterdam has become the gay capital of Europe. Gay and Lesbian statues, monuments (the Pink Triangle representing the past, the present and the future of the Gay community honoring the gay male victims of the Holocaust), restaurants, bars, cafes, organizations, literature, magazines and museums cover the canal lined streets, and the GLBT community here flourishes thanks to the culture of openness. Amsterdam has a bit of everything--Eastern European immigrants lured by the promise of the sex trade, pot pilgrims, experimenting youth, drunken travelers, art aficionados, gay ravers, and history buffs. No wonder the rampant liberal tolerance is known the world over.

Brussels, capital of Europe, home to NATO and the European Union, is the bilingual French and Flemish capital of Belgium. Here picturesque medeival streets hide cozy cafes but also celebrate the consumer culture of Western Europe. The Grand Place and other beautiful, historic squares border H and M stores and huge malls encompassing whole city blocks. Cobbled old streets lead you to guild houses from the first unions of Europe, and seafood-filled restaurants call you to their delicacies even in the winter with heaters under tables. Mussels, fries, chocolate and waffles are must-eats in this culinary city known for its seafood and desserts.

Born in 977, little remains of this historic city, which was burned and rebuilt in the 19th century to make way for a new country called Belgium. Few tourists stop here due to its modernity, but they are missing the quiet allure of the bustling "capital of Europe." At the time of our travel, Brussels was celebrating the Christmas season with artisan and food vendors lining the Medeival streets selling all sort of holiday cheer. Despite the cold, we strolled through the maze of streets among the beautiful Palais de Justice and the Grand Place. A beautiful Christmas tree celebrated the arrival of this season with a light show that brilliantly illuminated the Town Hall and the old guilds every night. 14th century city walls encircle all that is left from the old Bruxelles (in French or Brussel in Flemish), a small compact city center is alive and vibrant until 11 PM. We enjoyed a Belgian beer and some Belgian chocolate before we headed back to chaotic Amsterdam.

Even our accomodations couldn't be more different. The lush, comfortable, clean, spacious 4go2000 hostel in downtown Brussels was welcoming, cosmopolitan and stacked with all modern appliances and amenities. Meanwhile, the Flying Pig, a stop on every pot pilgrim's Europe itinerary can't be more laid back and hippy. Guests lay around on old pillows playing cards or staring out into space. What attractions have you seen, I asked a few folks I had seen around for a few days. Well, no tourist attractions, but a lot of cafes. Indeeed, a blog that does not discuss Amsterdam's drug history and legalized prostitution would be amiss.

In 1976, the Netherlands decriminalized the possession of all soft drugs, such as cannabis, hash and mushrooms. The tolerant Dutch discovered that users of soft drugs do not commit violent offenses for the most part (which is true around the world according to criminal scientists). Although the illegal black trade of drugs is dangerous and still illegal even in Amsterdam, users are classified as victims not offenders. This practical thinking about the use of the law, crime and jails also covers prostitution, whereby prostitutes are considered victims, selling their bodies to make a living. And so we come to the coffee shops and their non-cannabis counterparts, smart shops. In order to be discrete, coffee shops appeared across the country starting in the 1970s, with such creative names as the Grasshopper, the Canna, Pink Floyd and Stones Cafe. Since the sale of wacky tobaccy is illegal, patrons must find these locations through hints and ask for a marijuana menu, deciding their poison. With their free time, police and government authorities can devote more energy to cocaine, heroine and other "dangerous" drugs with rehabilitation programs and going after the big, violent pushers. Folks who smoke can buy up to 5 grams of pot, enjoying their joints on the street or a bar as police walk idly by. By the way, you must be 18 years of age! Oddly enough, when you consider marijuana usage rates around the world, the Dutch are the lowest (less than 5%)! Those Americans still rank number one (45%), slightly above the Spanish (34%), the British, and the Canadians.

Sex is also for sale in Amsterdam in the Red Light District, made famous by the women dancing behind the class "stores" along the streets. Since 1996, and supposedly worth over $1 billion US every year, the industry is regulated and legal throughout the country, provided you can get a start in a window. Health care, regular check-ups and a union are included! Window-doored rooms are rented to free-lancing women for 100-500 euros a day for 8 hours (imagine the business they're doing!). However, the trade is not without its problems, like the drug business. Recently, the city of Amsterdam took the European Union to court over the forced closure of 34 windows near the Old Church in the Red Light District. Not only has this sex industry been alive and vibrant for the past 5 centuries, but it also has become a haven for the Mafia, who ship young attractive women from East Europe to pleasure the Western Europeans and tourists. For women from Poland and the Ukraine, the potential lure of making it rich selling sex is a rich one, but a risk fraught with danger such as illegal human trafficking and dangerous, controlling pimps (often from Albania). Here in Amsterdam, you can find it all--sex shows, toy shops, and even sex itself. In addition, Amsterdam experimented with male prostitution but saw a rise in crime and quickly shut down the windows. When it comes to pornography, prostitution and cannabis, the Dutch are leery to criminalize common vices, especially when there's a profit to be made!

If Brussels is the melting pot between the Romantic cultures of the South and the Germanic cultures of the North, then Amsterdam is the tossed salad of all the worlds' cultures for Europe. The cosmopolitan, bustling Brussels stands in stark contrast to the chaotic, liberal and tolerant Amsterdam 106 miles to its North. Despite their proximity, we enjoyed our "Ommegangs" in both cities immensely. The beauty of Europe, and indeed the modern success of the European Union, stands and relies on the proximity, collaboration and triumpth of the myriad of peoples of this great Continent.