Let’s have an urban adventure together! A crazy, fun, over the top time in a crazy, fun, over the top city!
Welcome to the world of CrazyCamp.org!
Amazing Amsterdam without the tourist traps: That’s the Crazy Amsterdam Camp!
Activities
We will be staying in a repurposed warehouse at the water side in the port of Amsterdam, in a quiet corner yet at walking distance from the city centre of Amsterdam. We will experience the things that make Amsterdam famous: art, architecture, freedom, kink, water, coffee shops and tolerance – while avoiding the cheesy tourist traps. In the evening we will organise crazy group games, we’ll cook and eat together etc. and enjoy Amsterdam’s cultural offerings.
Location
Our accommodation is in a quiet corner of the Amsterdam Noord upcoming bohemian area. Most of the interesting parts are at a ferry and a walk away from our place. Amsterdam is a lot smaller than most European capitals (some 800.000 inhabitants) but it is very cosmopolitan (people from 178 different nationalities live here) and one of Europe’s cultural epicentres. Architecture from mediaeval till extremely modern; design, theatre, modern dance and fine arts make this a very visit worthy city. But let’s face it, many visitors are also interested in Amsterdam’s more edgy sides and we will not ignore the feeling of freedom that one can have in Amsterdam. Even though it is virtually impossible to always avoid the yearly several millions of tourists that visit Amsterdam, the Crazy Amsterdam Camp will be your chance to experience this amazing city in an alternative way!
Accommodation
The Crazy Camps have a reputation for spectacular accommodations and the Crazy Amsterdam Camp is no exception. From the outside it looks like just any small warehouse in the port of Amsterdam, but behind the doors it is a very unique group accommodation. A very inspiring combination of kitsch, steam punk and square. There are several sleeping spaces (double beds and folding sofa beds) and a bathroom with toilet and showers. An open kitchen where we will cook together; a big diner table and a living room. There will be max. 12 people in our group. In the house clothing is optional (faq). In general you will have very limited privacy. You will be surprised how fast you will feel at ease with everybody, in a place where you can simply be who you are, far away from your day to day environment and habitudes. No smoking in the house – apart from an occasional spliff without tobacco.
The other side of Amsterdam
The Crazy Amsterdam Camp will stay away from mainstream attractions. If you want to visit them, you can do that on the one day that no program is set up. For all other days, we will mainly visit alternative / underground / less well known yet very interesting areas, events, exhibitions and architecture. There will be guided tours of historic areas, the famous ‘Amsterdam School’ expressionist architecture (and ideals behind it) and modern architecture. We will be visiting exhibitions and/or performances in squats and other cultural hives. That will also be the kind of place where we will be looking for a dance floor. Instead of going for the tourist trap coffee shops in the city centre, we will go for one where the locals go. Expressions of gender-related or sexuality-related freedom that we will research can be for example drag and prostitution but instead of visiting the sad red light district, I will try to arrange a meeting with a prostitute so that she can tell us about the world of legal prostitution.
The precise program will be established in a later stage when the cultural programs for our travel period are known. A sauna visit in a surprising setting is also included.
Crazy Camps are all about participation. For example: surely some of us will want to smoke a joint or eat a space cake. That is something that we can perfectly do in the group. But there is no obligation to cross borders that you don’t want to cross. If you pass the joint to the next one in the circle without having smoked, that is perfectly fine. One of the magic things in Crazy Camps is that there is always a high level of trust. The Crazy Amsterdam Camp provides a safe place for you if you want to experiment – and it provides an equally safe place if you want to pass on something that you don’t feel comfortable enough with.
Now that we are on the subject of drugs: Alcohol and cannabis are legal in The Netherlands – other drugs are not. Even though it is perfectly fine to have a beer or two or to share a spliff, the Crazy Amsterdam Camp is not the right place for you if you are a hardcore drinker or a hardcore stoner.
Amsterdam is a fairly compact city. The advantage of this is that we can get everywhere walking. But it does imply that we will be on our legs a lot!
Workshops
There is space and time for workshop-like activities, so if you would like to share some of your knowledge or skills, feel free! Maybe you want to teach us some capoeira, do a photo session, or make us sing the traditionals of your native culture? Just some ideas… it really can be anything.
The deal
If we complete 10 people, price for these 5 days and nights is EUR 495 per person for accommodation, food (that we will cook together) and several other includes (see below). Not bad for an amazing week in Europe’s most exciting capital! However, don’t come if you are only interested in an affordable holiday. The Crazy Amsterdam Camp is all about the group, spending fun evenings together, doing crazy games, and enjoying the city together!
Early Bird reduction: you pay 5% less if you sign up and pay the advance payment before June 14, 2015!
What is included/provided and what is not?
✓ Accommodation
✓ Breakfast
✓ Simple lunch (sandwiches, leftovers of yesterdays dinner)
✓ Dinner (we will cook together)
✓ Coffee, tea, milk, water, juice in the accommodation
✗ Snacks, fruit, energy bars, energy drinks, soft drinks, alcoholic beverages
✗ Any drinks and snacks that we might have while exploring the city
✓ Tourist taxes
✓ Entrance to one performance (theatre that is suitable for non-Dutch speakers, or music, or modern dance; to be decided when autumn 2015 programs are known)
✓ Entrance to one exhibition (to be decided when autumn 2015 programs are known)
✗ Entrance to other performances, exhibitions etc. if they are not free
✗ Public transport (we’ll probably not use it anyway)
✓ One sauna session
✓ Daily guided city tours away from the mainstream
✓ Bed sheets and covers
✗ Towels
✗ Parking fees if you come by car
✓ Unforgettable fun
Couples
If you are a couple, please understand that in the Crazy Amsterdam Camp you can not behave like a couple. You can get a double bed if you want (in general the beds are allocated through a lottery (faq)) but apart from that, you are expected to participate in all activities and group life as individuals and not as a couple. Yes you will be hugging – in the numerous group hugs! So be prepared to sit each at the opposite end of the group table during dinner, and accept that someone else than yourself might be giving a massage to your partner’s sour muscles.
How to get there
Meeting point will be around Amsterdam Central Station, with direct trains from Paris, Brussels, Cologne, Frankfurt, Berlin and Basel and with one change connected to most European capitals. And also with direct trains from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport – one of mainland Europe’s main air transport hubs. Easyjet is the main low cost airline serving Schiphol but there are many other, such as Air Baltic, TUIfly etc. Check out also Rotterdam The Hague airport (bus & train to Amsterdam will cost around EUR 18 one way) and Eindhoven airport (bus & train to Amsterdam will cost around EUR 22 one way) and Düsseldorf Weeze (bus to Amsterdam: around EUR 35 one way). Another option are Eurolines buses from/to lots of destinations.
Join!
If you want to participate in this event, then please use this application form. After review of your application, I will send you instructions on how to make the advance payment (faq) and about cancellation policies. The advance payment is EUR 295. Until you pay the advance payment there is no commitment – not for you and not for me. If you can not participate in this specific Crazy Camp, then please sign up for the newsletter and I’ll keep you updated about the other upcoming Crazy Camps.
