Couple of years ago I went to Madagascar (pictures here). Felicia and I were trying to decide between Europe and Africa, and one of the reason we chose the latter was because of the deforestation and other environmental problems in the region. We figured that it would be a long time before we could take such a long travel vacation again, and that by that time the Malagasy nature might be destroyed. On the other hand, Europe has been around for thousands of years and will probably be around forever without much change, or so I thought.
Newsweek reports that the Amsterdam city government has started a plan to close down the red light district. Most of the of the brothels will be shut down, and those pimps and prostitutes who remain may be forced to be licensed. Furthermore, the city has adopted a stricter policy for selling marijuana and banning hallucinogenic mushrooms later this year. All of this is being done in an attempt to reduce crime and violence in the city and turn the red light district into a booming commercial center. Many are protesting, but the majority of the city is supporting the plan. I may just need to travel there before the city changes too much.
