Our timing was completely off with Amsterdam. We left London and arrived in Amsterdam on some holiday which was the cause of every hotel and hostel in the city being booked. (Note: if you go get there early in the day or make reservations ahead)
The train station in Amsterdam is pretty sketchy. Everyone we had talked to up to this point had warned us about Amsterdam - the pickpockets, the Red Light District, sketchy drugs. It's really not as bad as people tell you - I'd rather have someone pick my pocket than murder me any day (we don't waste our time w/ pretty theft in the US). In any case, we got off the train and wandered around for hours (with those damn backpacks on no doubt) looking for a place where we could spend the night. No luck, although we did randomly run into WRT400's very own Will Pennartz. Anyway, we eventually broke down and went to a travel agent who, for a sizable amount of Guilders, set us up at a hotel in Amersfoort, a suburb about 20 minutes away.
We were only in Amsterdam for two days. The city is beautiful - more canals than Venice. As most know, marijuana isn't absolutely legal (legal to have, illegal to smoke) but due to "tolerance laws" the government doesn't really crack down. As for your drinking needs, Amsterdam is also the home of the Heineken brewery.
The one and only thing I wanted to do in Amsterdam and pretty much all of Europe was to go on the Heineken brewery tour (which everyone raves about), but due to lack of poor-planning we missed out (we arrived 10 minutes after the place had closed for the day). Blah. I also wanted to take a bike tour, but, um, no (I hear it's pretty awesome).
If you ever have the chance to visit Amsterdam, make sure to (a) get fries w/ mayo and (b) visit the Anne Frank house. They have her actual diary behind a glass case - right there in front of you. Add that to the top 3 best things in all of Europe - seeing the diary you've known about since 3rd grade inches from you.
And go on the Heineken brewery and send me a postcard (sniffle, sniffle).
Next - on to Berlin.