The White Bicycles (Witfiets) can be found at various locations in Amsterdam. They represent a revival of a concept that was tried in Amsterdam in the 1960s. Back then, Luud Schimmelpennink an environmentalist, along with an activist group dreamed up a plan to put free bicycles on the streets of Amsterdam. They figured if there were enough bicycles people could just grab one wherever they were and leave it at their destination for someone else to use. So a number of bright white bicycles were set out for the public.

Unfortunately the bikes were quickly stolen, and the program was cancelled. Yet the idea caught on and many other cities, especially in America have experimented with similar systems with mixed success. A battery powered vehicle program called the WitKar was tried in 1986, but there were so many problems with the vehicles, that unique experiement was quickly abandoned.

Then in 1998, this idealistic vision was once again revived by Luud Schimmelpennink, and with the help of new technology and corporate sponsors, the white bike is back! Electronic locks and hidden microchips in the bicycles help ensure they don’t get stolen.

There are now 19 depots around town, with 26 more planned for a total of 450 bicycles. Some of the places you’ll find them are: The Waterlooplein, Kerkstraat, the Artis, Nieuwmarkt, Westermarkt and Korte Prinsengracht.

It seems they’ve avoided the most touristed places, as the system is geared more to locals than visitors, especially since the Depo system requires you use a smart card or “chipper” to get a bicycle. The way it works (as far as I can figure) is that you insert a card, enter your pin number, then a bicycle is released to you. You then have a half an hour to get to your next destination. You may have it out longer, but if you keep it out too long, you’ll risk being denied the use of the bicycle next time!

Update: As of now (March, 2002), I no longer see any of these bicycles at their stations. There goes another great idea, down the tubes!

1. There are many reasons to smoke hashish and marijuana, such as to have a good time or to release your creative energies or for meditation. But don’t expect a joint to solve any problems for you.

2. If you smoke hashish or marijuana everyday, try to skip a couple of days now and then. It’s not only healthier to take a break, but it lowers your tolerance so you can again get high on just a few hits.

3. Smoking hashish or marijuana affects your ability to concentrate, so don’t smoke them at school, at work or when you are driving a car.

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There are many ways and places to change money in Amsterdam. Here’s some tips to get the most from your foreign currency.

The best exchange rate is going to come via your ATM card. You’ll probably be charged a couple of dollars (or whatever your equivalent) by YOUR bank in your country for the transaction. Usually you’re limited to about 300 Euros per day (you can ask your bank to increase your ATM limit before you go or even while you’re here!). But the good news is that is the only charge (the Dutch banks don’t add a charge) and you will get the best exchange rate (although they may now be giving you slightly less than before). Getting money this way cost you less than one percent.

Another way to get this top exchange rate is to use credit cards for your purchases which will be calculated at the market rate. With credit cards, you also have less cash to carry and possibly lose. This used to cost you ZERO in terms of exchange fees, but they may be changing this and giving you a slightly lower rate now.

The next best exchange rate is from traveler’s checks, and if you have American Express, you can get a good rate at their offices or any bank or currency exchange. This rate is higher (for some reason) than real money.

If you have real currency to exchange you should be very careful because the rate can vary several percent depending upon where you go. Banks are not the best because they’ll charge you a commission of about 2 1/2 percent in addition to a flat fee (like 3 Euros or so). This can add up to a lot if you have a lot to change. But of course they calculate this based upon the official rate of exchange. But let’s say you change $100, you’d pay $2.50 plus 3 Euros to the bank for the transaction, which would work out to about 5%!

Many money changers work the same way, charging you two fees for one transaction. They also use some deception to make you think you’re getting a good deal. But their rates are never anywhere near the “official rate”, so you’re getting a lousy deal all around.

Thus far we have found only one change place we can recommend, and that is Lorentz change. They charge no commision or fees, so you get exactly the rate posted, which is usually a few cents below the “official rate”. That’s it. Sure makes it easy to figure out, AND it happens to be the best deal in town, just as their signs claim. The second best place is probably Pott Change. Avoid the Thomas Cook as these seem to be the worst and surprisingly the busiest!

Notice: As of Jan. 28, 2002 the Guilder is no longer legal tender in Holland! The conversion rate for Guilders to Euros is 2.203 guilders per Euro.

For current exchange rates check out the Universal Currency Converter.