Roxanne

Amsterdam. Many things may come to mind when we hear this name. The capital of the Netherlands, a bustling metropolis with cycling at its core, winding canals, art museums with works of Van Gogh and Vermeer, one may even think of iconic farmer's wooden shoes. But, yet another dimension, and indeed major tourist attraction that does not go unnoticed in this cultured, multi faceted country, revolves around the world's oldest profession.

The red-light district of Amsterdam, in an area called De Wallen, attracted 18 million tourists in 2016. Littered with canal crossings and winding alleyways, lined with bars of all kinds, ladies standing in their designated windows, even with the temperature at 3 degrees, I felt oddly at ease walking down these icy cold streets.

It may be an interesting, even shocking experience for those only just visiting for the first time, however for those standing, watching on the other side of that window, it's clearly just living another day and conducting business as usual. I also had the opportunity to visit Red Light Secrets, a museum with many interesting facts about the industry.

There's no denying its perverse nature, but I was still able to glean some interesting facts about what a day is like in the lives of sex-workers living in Amsterdam and no doubt came away with interesting details I would never have known before. The museum is housed in what was once a famous brothel, and Inga the famous Russian prostitute is your mobile guide who tells stories in your ear as you walk through, viewing the rooms and photos/objects inside. She has been working as a prostitute in Amsterdam for 15 years, and what she has to say will shock as much as fascinate anyone; you even get to sit in front of a window so you can feel what it's really like to be, well, a real-live Roxanne.

Everything from how many prostitutes there are working in Amsterdam at the moment, to how much money they make, how many clients they see on average per day, and even the average amount of time each session takes. Thanks, but my profession is dangerous enough thank you.

Another day, another stone not left unturned. Thanks for the experience and the pointers, but this is definitely one of those I will never quit my day job moments.

Bailey Sue