Pre-420 Trip report

[Not_the_monk]

Usually I just post reviews in the CS threads after trips but this time I thought I'd try a semblance of a proper report, Apologies for gaps in memory and having forgotten to take photos very regularly!

So this trip was initially conceived as a pre-420 scouting mission after some minor success last year (awkward holidays make actual 420 tricky so I always seem to go the week before) travelling with my mate JB, the pair of us having developed by now into a relatively well-functioning unit in the city. However the group soon grew to include another friend (who we'll affectionately refer to as the Falafel Monster (FM), and then at the last minute, with a rather decent 4 bed apartment just off Leidseplein booked, a mate of FM's who JB & I hadn't seen for a decade (S), who was going to be in the city anyway, decided to stay with us.

These additions changed our agenda slightly as neither FM or S are that heavy consumers, with the aim becoming just to have as chilled out a break as possible rather than trying to get through a long list of shops etc.


Saturday - Arrival day

Flights were booked for midday but Flybe decided to move our flights back to late afternoon. At least they moved leaving-day time back a few hours too so no real time lost. Flying from Doncaster this time, easy drive & flight with JB & FM (S meeting us there later) followed by the usual semi-jog through Schiphol onto the train and out through Central Station into the air. That momentary stop and breath feeling of arrival I think almost everyone takes at that point with the city in front of them never feels old. Weather is decent, warm even, bonus. Straight to GVB for 4day tram passes then phone the apartment people. No answer. Gah, really? Oh ok they phoned back, phew!

Quickly we pop to Voyagers for a b&f, not that I ever do anything else here really. Service is fine and the weed usually good but it isn't my favourite place to chill at all.

- Lemon Bubble (€12/g) - Nice, lemony, pretty standard Voyagers fare. I find this strain pleasant but unremarkable.
- Fromage Bleu (€12/g) - Occasionally this has been THE cheese. This time it was just A cheese, fine but nothing more than that.

Quick bimble down the shell of Warmoesstraat (long since stopped spending much time here but still, so many shops down *cry*) so FM can pick up a pipe, then we shift it across to catch a quick tram to Leidseplein. Apartment is just around the corner from the chaos yet somehow mostly out of it, on the Jordaan side so with a calmish escape route, looking good. Turns out we check in over the phone, some faff with keysafe codes being forgotten but otherwise exceptionally painless and the place is exactly as described, 3 floors, 4 bedrooms, smoke-friendly and not too cronky.

Arrival joints battered and we're off for our semi-traditional chaos-shop at the AH on Elandsgracht to stock the apartment. Carried off with much amusement and absolutely no organisation whatsoever but also no significant loses of points, and for once I even field "haveyougotabonuscard?" with a blink let alone an uncomfortably long and clearly stoned pause, go me!

I take the opportunity as we leave to pop into a coffeeshop I've not been into in maybe 2 decades, Johnny. Tiny place that's had a modern refit, seems to have some link to the DNA/Boerejongens shops from the menu, which had some interesting things on it however the service was very unwelcoming so after I looked at & rejected the scraps of Banana Kush waved in my general direction I grabbed some of the slightly better looking Cheese Fruit and beat a retreat.

- Cheese Fruit (€)10.50/g - Not an unpleasant taste, a bit fruity & a bit cheesy but not very strong. FM quite liked this as a milder smoke.

Back to the apartment for food, smoke and S turning up. With him and FM firmly ensconced and it starting to get quite late JB & I take a run to Utopia on the tram to stock up. I can't speak highly enough of this place, sure other shops are blessed with better spaces and the menu does tend to the more expensive side even if it is consistently good, but as always I'm made to feel more comfortable in here looking through every single tub, actively encouraged to do so even, than anywhere else in town. After my earlier experience in Johnny the contrast is even more jarring. We stocked up with;

- White Fire Og x Gorilla Glue (€16/g) - Clearly won the eye and nose test next to the Rolex Og which we never tried. I'm not familiar with GG but I am White Fire and it definitely had an edge I recognise. Strong and stinky, this was our most expensive purchase of the trip... and we came back for more on two further days.
- Shoreline (€15/g) - Not the same pheno as 137's last year for sure. No purple and a less floral smell than I usually associate with it, though it did have an intriguing aroma. When I broke the buds up I got a strong burst of red fruits, like concentrated fruit juice almost, that sort of came through when smoked too. In the end I thought "nice, but not quite what it can be."
- Citral (€13/g) - Looked at the lemon haze for the morning but nope, this knocked it out of the park in lemon and in tub appeal. Smoked like it smelt and looked, superbly reliable strain.

At this point nothing much happens rather than a slow return to the apartment where JB & I primarily work through the Utopia stash. Saving some citral for waking, bed is achieved at a relatively sensible time of the early morning with the only plan for tomorrow morning being Sunday lunch at Batavia...

TBC shortly

[macky]

Nice read ,look forward to trying a few in a few

[spidergawd]

Nice one, definitely be down utopia sunday for some citral to keep me motoring.

[macky]

Nice one, definitely be down utopia sunday for some citral to keep me motoring.

I,lol be there between 630 and 7 Sunday see you then Bud

[Not_the_monk]

Day 2 - Sunday

A slow start to the day for everyone other than S who heads off on the last day of his alternative activities. Several coffees and highly enjoyable citral joints later, plus a definite loss of points by JB whose lost tram ticket is recovered heroically by myself from the bin where he'd "tidied it", and we're finally off out into a lovely sunny spring Amsterdam afternoon and head straight to Batavia's batcave for lunch. There are times when this place is just perfect, and today sitting with a drink and a smoke digesting an excellent Sunday lunch (€15, well worth it) while looking out the window at the canal boat carnage outside, yup this is one of those days. Unfortunately ManU were winning on TV but you can't have everything.



Someone nipped over to Voyagers for more supplies

- 24K (€15 iirc) - One of the strain highlights of our previous jaunt 6 months ago from Utopia, Voyagers' offering was pretty similar and went down well enough if without perhaps an equivalent impact this time around.

At this point JB and I realise the FM has sneakily adopted something of a snoozing position and is in the process of topping JB's earlier points loss by audibly snoring, much to the amusement of several new entrants to the smoking room. It appears a constitutional to walk off food is required and after not inconsiderable herding of cats we're off on a stroll in a vague loop down to Niewmarket, past Bluebird which seems busy then over the Amstel and around Rembrandtplein. I vaguely check out a couple of places we walk past like New Church, not been in since it moved but today it is rather yoof-filled and nothing jumps out of the menu on the price/interest scale so we mooch on. It really is a lovely day



Running a bit low on pre-rolls & with the FM still looking sleepy we eventually head back to the apartment to regroup. He decides to have his second nap of the day while JB & I head back out and end up in Mr K's where we're pretty much the only people in the shop. I still miss what this place used to be for uniqueness, but what's here now is pretty chilled out and has a reasonable menu. Service is adequate without ever being more than that, and I quite like the little smoking room with its random assortment of makeshift seating in corners.

- Exodus Cheese (€13/g) - I had some hope for this after a glance at the tub, although the smell didn't hit me in the face like I'd want. Pleasant smoke but again, not THE cheese.
- Gorilla Glue #4 (€15/g) - Heard a lot about this strain but don't really have anything to compare this offering to so far. Strong enough and flavoursome but didn't knock my socks off.
- Mango Haze Hash (€14/g) - Soft & crumbly hash bought on a whim. Used to boost a couple of joints rather than smoked in isolation so harder to comment on but it seemed pretty nice



Back to the apartment where we find it looks like there won't be much movement tonight and a plan is hatched to play Risk of all things, so I nip out to properly stock up for the evening. Feeling unadventurous I jump on a tram to Utopia again. Aside from more WFOGxGG I opt for

- Blue Dream (€14/g) - I never really seem to get on with this previously, which is weird as Blue Haze c. 2003 is one of my favourite Dam strains ever and is virtually the same thing. JB wanted some for the morning though, and to be fair I enjoyed it more then than I have previously, nice high.
- Kandy Kush (€12/g) - New on the menu since the previous day and looked nice. I think I've had better KK previously but as a middle of the road sort of smoke it was decent actually. FM really liked it.
- Caramello (€10/g) - Jess points out I'm 1g short of the €5 discount so I grab this instead of the more expensive Amnesia Cream at her suggestion. Usually the AC has been a staple but apparently not right now; Ingi says the same on a later visit. Have to say the recommendation was a good one, the caramello is soft and rich with a decent kick to it.

Predictably, by the time I return I find people in various states of half-slumber and definitely not capable of playing Risk. Match of the Day and much smoking it is before bed then.

[Devore]

Nice report man. Loving the style.

I actually enjoyed the AC from Utopia on my visit. But then again I've not had much else in the way of Hash b4.

[Not_the_monk]

Nice report man. Loving the style.

I actually enjoyed the AC from Utopia on my visit. But then again I've not had much else in the way of Hash b4.

Cheers dude, I'll get the rest finished tomorrow.

Oh I've always loved the AC before and it has been consistently good for quite a while, but the intel was that it was end of batch / not quite as good on this occasion and the bit I saw did rather look that way, while the Caramello at €2 cheaper certainly was nice

[CopenhagenCouple]

Haven't checked myself, but reports are that the AC is not was it once was....

Kandy Kush ice and Caramello deffo on point!