Please refresh the page and retry. Louise and her twin sister, Martine, who also accompanies us, have the dubious distinction of being the oldest sex workers in Amsterdam. The years-olds have racked up more than a century in the trade between them and are estimated to have pleasured some , men, which is greater than the population of Iceland.
Despite their advanced years, it seems Martine and Louise Fokkens are still capable of turning heads. All matching, of course. Though they have flirted with retirement , Martine and Louise are still active as prostitutes; the oldest girls in the oldest profession.
They no longer sit behind the windows, but they keep a handful of regular clients. Some of them have become friends. And she seems to practice what she preaches, claiming, with an enthusiasm that seems entirely genuine, to enjoy her work. You feel young. Contrary to what people think, claims Louise, prostitution is not always about sex.
SM maybe. Why not? The Fokkens know that retirement is just around the corner; the girls have to hang up their garters sooner or later. During our tour the girls, who starred in a documentary called Meet the Fokkens, are frequently interrupted by passers-by asking for photos. Ever the businesswomen, they use these interruptions as an opportunity to peddle their merchandise, which they haul around in a bag: those not willing to part with cash are denied a photograph and dismissed with a wave.
Martine and Louise tell me of the changes they have observed in the red light district. The Fokkens were among the first girls in Amsterdam to open their own bordello, where they made good money in what were challenging economic times. Opening their own brothel relieved the Fokkens of pimps, which the girls talk surprisingly highly of.
