I'm not thrilled with the Netherlands at all. If by light years ahead you mean dreams of some drug-using culture perfectly enlightened and turned on and enjoying themselves?

One of the worst countries I've ever experienced was the Netherlands. I don't mean their arrogance or how gloomy and wet the place is but I mean the shithole of prostitutes, drug addicts and panhandlers and dirty hippies that was awaiting me when I arrived. What a filthy pathetic scene. If that is 'light-years of enlightenment' then we better swerve before we get there.

but at least I just needed to get through crowds of hookers and drug addicts and potheads and eventually was on my way. Some of the guys who were working there full-time told me I was lucky because I just see the 'tourist' or visitor view. These coworkers were actually doing the construction work in Amsterdam and would get to the site at dawn every morning. They'd take a quick route walking through whatever that famous park is. The one American college people think is so crazy cool because you can totally smoke weed and the cops don't bother you!!

Except they saw the 'park behind the park'. Tourists dont see that park. Its why cops walk around the park 'not arresting' you for weed. In fact, they are making sure you American high-fiving white guys stay OUT of the real drug park. Guess what our guys saw first thing in the morning? These people in Hazmat suits with those 'litter sticks'. Poking around the bushes.

After seeing this every morning they finally ask a Hazmat suit wearing worker whats the story? He explains they are collecting the overdose bodies. this is their daily job as a crew. they even explain they use the sticks because in fact some heroin junkies are so drugged they actually can be mistaken as dead but basically they poke he bodies and if its a dead body they remove. If still alive the have an ambulance nearby.

Wow, just as routine as anything. light-years!