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One of the cities with a great naked attitude is Amsterdam. Long a bastion of freedom and liberality, Amsterdam has become not just gay friendly but a festival of sexual liberation. Amsterdam is a short flight from the states. In a few hours you can be gliding down a canal, walking through the red-light district, or trying to find a naked opportunity. Finding a hotel, especially a gay one, is easy. There are lots of Web sites to help, such as Simply Amsterdam (simplyamsterdam.com) or Amsterdam.info/gay. What you'll need to know is there are four gay areas. Warmoesstraat is where the leather bars are located and some of the kinkier denizens can be found. Not a quiet neighborhood by any means, you'll find basic gay hotels as well as some deluxe accommodations. The Reguliersdwarsstraat is a trendier area (all the latest gay bars and fashions), equally noisy, and near most of the gay hotels. Just as trendy is the Amstel area, located around the Rembrandtplein, a fun plaza of outdoor cafes and restaurants. Again not the quietest area but it's lively. The oldest gay area is Kerkstraat, situated near the Leidseplein, where you'll also find the Casino and City Theatre. The Kerkstraat is a cozy neighborhood where you'll find the largest number of gay hotels. Hotel Orfeo, the largest exclusively gay hotel in the city, is worth a look. It's right near almost everything you'll want to visit. The rooms are serviceable and breakfast is included. Once situated, you're ready for some naked fun. The nude beach at Zandvoort is south of the city, about 30 minutes by train. There's a bit of a walk after that, but the naked goal is worth the effort. Gay men flock there and during warm weather, you'll get an eyeful. But fall is decidedly chilly, so where is can a naked adventurer go? Back to the city to enjoy the bars, restaurants, saunas, and more. Start with a visit to the Homomonument. It's a moving tribute to gays and lesbians and should not be missed. You'll want to eat, and there are some great places. Amsterdam has what they call "gay lunchrooms" and some are quite nice. Camp Café on Kerkstraat has a relaxed atmosphere, and lunch and Dutch specialties are served until nearly midnight. Arc on Reguliersdwarsstraat, a complete gay bar restaurant, serves lunch, dinner and drinks. Other favorites include Downtown, Old Highlander and Saturnino. There are lots of places where good food is plentiful; some lunchrooms also serve dinner. Krua Thai is a favorite if you enjoy spicy cuisine; De Huyschkaemer is a delightful, gay-friendly place that serves a literal feast of traditional Dutch treats and other dishes from around the world. But when in Amsterdam, don't miss the wonderful Indonesian places where rijstafel is king and a naked pleasure. Later, a drink might help to pry your naked self loose. April is still trendy after 24 years. With three distinct areas - the French terrasse, the Ski bar which encircles a pillar (that's not too phallic, is it?) and the Mirror lounge whose bar slowly rotates (after a few drinks you'll feel right at home) - this is a big attraction. Barderij is a neighborhood hangout as old as April and also wildly popular. Its favorite feature is a room overlooking the sluice where one can watch hunky boatsmen slipping down the water. The room is called the Tickle Garden (kieteltuin), thought to have gotten its name during WWII when prostitutes took johns there. At the Stablemaster, the naked traveler can indulge in one of the many j/o parties sponsored by the bar. If you can't see some skin here, you aren't looking. There's a full complement of leather bars, like The Eagel and the Black Tulip (a stylish place); drag bars, including Lellebel; bars which push the sleaze factor like Dirty Dick's; and more. Not enough naked fun? Try the saunas. Thermos Day and Thermos Night (don't ask): one is open noon to eleven, the other opens at 11pm and closes around 7:30am. Both are friendly and the day sauna, a five-story complex, has a pool, Jacuzzi, gym, restaurant, sundeck and even a barber shop, for the close shave you've been craving. The occasional stripper will show up to entertain. For a long time these were the only places, but they've been joined by the Modern and the Sauna Boomerang (one can only imagine). If you need more information, stop at the Pink Point (pinkpoint.org) an outdoor kiosk packed with lots of what you'll need to find your way. Amsterdam is a sexy, delight and a naked traveler's haven.  Joe DeMarco's latest projects include The Lavender Raven, an online GLBTQ mystery & more journal, at www.lavenderraven.com, as well as Mysterical-E, www.mystericale.com. Joe's website is www.josephdemarco.com Top |
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