This year I'm staying in an apartment on Kloveniersburgwal.
J (my partner) and I have stayed here several times before but not for a few years. This year I'm arriving alone with J due to join me on Friday.
My flight was delayed by about 30 minutes but I got through Schiphol quite quickly and caught a fast train so I'm only about 10 minutes later than anticipated as I emerge from Centraal Station. I must look quite a sight with a large rucksack on my back and a smaller one backwards on my chest.
The adrenaline is pumping with anticipation so I pause only briefly to take in that wonderful vista from the station then fly past Voyagers with a smile and rush down to Kloveniersburgwal. I'm taking in all of the sights, sounds and smells of my favourite city as I march quickly past on a mission.
Once I've detached by bags inside Hollywood I get a fantastic welcome home and a big hug from Mo, the landlord. Looking around it mostly looks familiar. It does very much feel like home and I'm very much looking forward to my week here.
Having connected my tablet to the wi-fi and typed a short post to celebrate arriving, my next task is to do some shopping. I set off for a coffeeshop and a supermarket.
Crossing the Amstel river at Halvemaansbrug, Bushdocter Amstel comes into view. With my little camera around my neck, I feel it's time to start another mission I've been building up to for months - taking photos of as many coffeeshops as possible for the site.
Bushdocter AmstelHappy to have got a clear shot of that one without a car parked in front of it, I decide to make a short diversion to take in a couple more.
The Saint
Old Church 2Turning around, I head up Halvemaansteeg, still snapping away. I don't have my glasses on so I can't see whether the pictures are in focus. I just fire off a few shots from the hip, as it were, of each shop as I walk past and hope that the camera will do the rest. The light is fading but, with my clever little Sony RX100 mk1, it's still worth a try.
Andalucia
Balou
Tatanka 2
The place I'm aiming for is Greenhouse Namaste. Macky once mentioned how much he likes the cream hashes from Greenhouse so I have this idea of wrapping some up to go with the t-shirt I've got him for his birthday tomorrow. When I get there I find they're out of stock so I'll have to try again tomorrow. I get some SS Haze anyway.
Next destination is the Albert Heijn supermarket on Nieuwmarkt. That takes me past Bluebird so I pop in there for some more stocking up in passing.
Shopping completed, I return to the apartment with my weed and provisions. I'm now ready for the important business of the day - going to Batavia in search of ACDers.
Through the RLD and down Oudezijds Kolk, past Voyagers, feels like the right way to go on my first night. I think it will have the best vistas for the senses. It's like Groundhog Day, I want to repeat the best bits of previous experiences. That brings me to this view that I've photographed identically for a few years and still can't resist doing again.
Batavia
That view into the Bat Cave is so inviting. It just draws me in. Excitement, anticipation, apprehension, all at max. I've got a few bags in my pocket so, even if nobody turns up, I'll soon be wrecked. Stamina is a characteristic of lemmings, well, this one at least. Can't speak for all lemmings really. Nevertheless, first night in Amsterdam is always a wipeout. I always smoke too much of higher grade stuff than I get at home and that's without meeting any ACDers out to kill me, in the nicest possible way, of course.
Round the corner, slide open the door, up to the bar. "Large beer please". "Which one?" asks the barman.
Shit! Everything freezes just for a moment.
Now, dear reader, please understand that I have a taste for good ale when at home. Just now, though, a large measure of watery crap lager is what I'm after. I want something that will keep my throat lubricated without requiring returning to the bar for a while. I'm not here to get drunk, I'm here to get high.
The proud barman sweeps his arm across the bar, gesturing the wide range of quality beers available. Somehow I manage to convey my requirements without causing an international incident, which would be bad so soon after landing.
Now armed with large glass of yellow liquid, I descend the stairs to find out who, if anyone, is in the house.
There they are! They're here! Loads of them!
I immediately recognise Macky, OneHighMofo, Smirks, Drugsbunny, Spidergawd and Gapie. In time I'm introduced to Miss Muffett, Rickydude and the CopenhagenCouple. Considering it's only Monday and several more people are expected before Thursday, this is a fantastic turnout.
Macky hands me a lovely Weed Maps t-shirt with 'Lemming' embroidered on the sleeve. I also get my 2017 souvenir patch. Thanks Macky!
A quick circulation of the table saying hello to everyone, hugging and handshaking, and then I slot into a space that's been cleared for me in the corner. With that the massive session that I've briefly interrupted resumes with a vengeance.
The table is covered in an assortment of cool paraphernalia, including Smirks' trademark stash stack and at least one dabbing rig. Several joint rolling factories are operating at full capacity.
My first few attempts at rolling joints are not very successful. They look the part, very neat and tidy, but they're too tight to smoke. Clearly it's too long since I last rolled with fresh weed. I spend more time rolling the joints between my fingers and re-lighting them than smoking.
Meanwhile, countless joints full of all sorts of exotic goodness are being passed around. For exactly what was in them I'll have to refer you to the expert reports from the likes of OneHighMofo, CopenhagenCouple and DeLekkersteNUGS16 but I can confirm that they were all very nice.
After a while there are so many joints in circulation that they start to get abandoned in ashtrays as we can't find anyone to pass them to. First my unsmokable efforts and then others start to pile up. We're all coughing and generally sounding unhealthy.
In amongst all of this consumption I hear that Cisco has been seen upstairs. This is unexpected. In time he joins us and, even though I don't recognise him at first, I manage a brief chat. It seems appropriate that the man who originally coined the word 'epic' in anticipation of a previous 4/20 is here for a year which, if the plans come together, could prove to be particularly epic.
I've been building up to this first night at Batavia for months and, as expected, I'm soon destroyed. Mr CC gives me a small glass of some very nice beer. He clearly impressed the barman more than me. I'm very appreciative of the generosity and it's tasty beer but I'm slightly concerned that the alcohol content might finish me off.
As I'm finishing off my beer the night is drawing to a close. People are starting to head home and the bar will soon be closing. I stagger off with J's last words to me ringing around my head - "try not to fall in any canals". Good advice I feel.
Despite my stupor, I'm still snapping away and later find this amongst the shots I don't remember taking.
Feels GoodSafely back at the apartment I attempt to post an account of the evening in the live thread. After typing one sentence, exhaustion suddenly overcomes me. The adrenaline has stopped pumping and I realise that I need to sleep right now this minute.
Almost running into the bedroom I manage to remove my clothes and lie down before instantly losing consciousness.
Big day tomorrow and I haven't set any kind of alarm. Hopefully I'll wake up in time in the morning. Stay tuned to find out what happens ...
