First Day - Saturday
Landed at Schipol in the afternoon, nice quick easy flight as usual. I hate waiting for luggage as I always want to get smoking ASAP, so I just took hand luggage so it’s off the plane, through security and the adventure begins. A quick fag out the front then got train tickets and off we go! I love the train ride in, am always excited thinking about where to go for my first smoke, Lelylaan, Sloterdijk and finally Amsterdam!!! As soon as I come down the escalator and smell the food outlets in Centraal a big grin crosses my face, that smell just kicks the brain into thinking, we are home! Make our way up through the throng of people rushing past and step out into gorgeous sunshine, what a feeling. So where to go for our first smoke?? We both enjoyed Hawaiian Snow from Greenhouse a few trips back but have been unavailable when we have been since, so thought we should see if we could get some. Usually go to the one on Harlemmerstraat but as our hotel was just down past Basjoes we decided to walk to the Centrum shop on the way. Got there and all the outside seats were full, stepped inside and turned straight back around. Every seat was taken and there were about 20 people waiting around dealer counter, fuck waiting in that!!! Basjoes it is then.
Never been here before but after reading all the great posts on here about the place I had to visit, worked out great that it happened to be one of the closest shops to my hotel as well. Got to Basjoes and it was quite busy, plenty of people smoking out the front and was quite a few inside too. Stepped into doorway and could see empty table in front of window, settled the Mrs down with our bags and went to counter. Have read on this forum about James and what a great guy he is so was looking forward to meeting him, as I approached counter he gave a nod of acknowledgement and handed me a menu while he carried on with what he was doing. I said it was my first time to visit the shop after hearing about it on ACD and he immediately stopped what he was doing and brought out a huge smile, reached his arm to shake hands and asked me my name and so on. Was a nice introduction, especially as I never really converse with the dealers other than about the weed.
So anyways, onto the weed. I love Indicas and usually that’s what I get or hash, Sativas I find sends my brain into overdrive and makesme think loads and get a bit paranoid sometimes. The only Sativa I have ever really liked is Hawaiian Snow, not too strong and great taste. Was a little disappointed Greenhouse was too busy to get some, so I said to James that I was after Sativa that wasn’t really strong, he suggested Heaven Haze at €12 a gram. He pulls a bag out from the drawer and then opens and passes me a bud, looks nice, quite tightly packed calyxes to a lot of Sativas I have seen, smells amazing! Being a bit wary because I don’t like Sativas I just got gram to try, ordered a Spa Blue and Coke as well, both €2 which I think is fair compared to some places. Grab myself a paper and roach and sit myself down with the mrs to have first smoke of the trip, she likes the smell of the weed so is looking forward to it too. No grinder yet so break up about half the bud and add a little baccy, I know I shouldn’t but I prefer my joints with a little bit of baccy. As I am rolling the roach, BOOSH! Mrs tips her bottle of coke over the table! About half the bottle tipped and was running towards edge of table and my pile of weed! Bloody great, only been there a few minutes and not even had a smoke yet and things are getting dropped! Mad thing is though the coke went around the weed and run off table onto me, was mad to see the table covered with coke and a dry spot in the middle with a pile of weed sitting in it. I think some higher power really wanted me to have this joint! Anyways the Mrs gets something of James to clean up while I rescue the weed pile and continue to roll a nice joint. So finally settled now, sparks up spliff and wow, this weed tastes amazing and smoke is nice and easy on the lungs too. I kind of remembered how Hawaiian Snow tasted and instantly thought this was better, so as I puffed away and relaxed, the disappointment of not having my first choice weed completely disappeared. This was a great smoke and will definitely be heading for it on future trips. The high was really nice; I didn’t find it too intense, just a nice easy relaxed mind but not feeling tired. The mrs agreed and enjoyed as well, she not a big smoker so it was just right for her and she likes a Sativa more than myself anyway. So joint smoked and both feeling lovely we decide to get out of there, shop was really hot and we wanted to drop our bags off at hotel. Say goodbye to James and tell him I will be back later, got to get some more Heaven Haze! I liked this shop, good mix of people in there, great dealer; just found it too hot and stuffy and shame the menu wasn’t a little bigger. Definitely be back though.
Heaven Haze
Short walk down the street to our hotel the NH Doelon, about 5 mins away, great. Nice looking hotel right by the river Amstel. Finally got to our room after the typical slow service t check in, managed to get a smoking room which we hadn’t booked for, happy days. Had a room on first floor with massive tall windows which you could sit in overlooking the Amstel, we were very happy. Packed our stuff away and I was itching to get back out and try something else to smoke and decided to go to Bagheera next, wanted to try Kushdee and King Kong. Both of us were really hungry and decided to find somewhere nearby for pizza. So off we go into the beautiful sunshine and over to Rembrandtplein, place is packed with people watching the footy but find an Italian place and ordered our food. Had a a lovely pizza and a beer and was ready for a smoke so we walk back the way we came up Kloveniersburgwaal, Basjoes still busy and we walk into Bagheera which was quiet. I can’t really remember if anyone else was in there actually, dealer guy behind the counter was welcoming and had a wicked accent, I learned later he was from Suriname. Not a bad shop, another I hadn’t been in before, counter at front, seating outside with big room at back with TV. Said I came to try King Kong and Kushdee, was out of Kong but said he would check the Kushdee, when he shook the tub to see I just knew it wasn’t looking good. Was just the little pieces of bud that wasn’t going to sell in it, smelled lovely and I really wanted to try it. He suggested the LA Confidential and put the tub on counter and proceeded to get everything else off the shelf at same time. I asked what the LA Con was like and he was encouraging me to open the tubs and see for myself all the different weeds he had. Usually you go into a shop and the dealer just waves the tub under your nose and that’s it but here he was just handing them to me to open and pick buds out to inspect myself and of course I was happy to do so! Decided on the LA Con at €12 a gram and a couple of drinks, same price as Basjoes next door, €2 each. Weed looked just like every other LA Con I had seen with that great smell it has as well, I didn’t think the smoke was anything special though. Hit me good and proper but it didn’t stand out to me as something special, mrs wasn’t too keen on this one. I liked this shop, liked the dealer, weed was good as well but most of all it was nice and cool and not stuffy. Two shops visited so far and haven’t been able to get any of the smokes I had planned on before coming out, a few at Greenplace I wanted to try so decided to try our luck out there.
Hotel view
Huge Windows
Greenplace is a shop I have never visited before either but I wanted to try out some of the Kushes they had there and also the Blueberry Cheese, plus it wasn’t far to go. A nice stroll up to the shop, been really hot but there’s a nice breeze along the way keeping us cool. Tables outside were full and so were the first couple of seats by the counter, looked at the menu and asked to see the Blueberry Cheese. Dealer guy was ok, didn’t speak much, he opened the tub and the smell hit me straight away. The buds looked great as well, all nice sized tightly packed nuggets, I was drooling! Bought a gram for €13 and a couple of drinks, can’t remember how much, and headed out to the back room. The backroom was hotter than Basjoes! Good thing was; there was a big fan on the floor right by the door and empty table in corner opposite, don’t think I could have sat in there without some air circulating. Rolled up a spliff and sat back and watched the second half of the footy. The weed smoked great and tasted amazing, it really did have different undertones of Cheese and Blueberry, was very nice. The high is what you kind of expect from it really, not too intense, a nice all over body even stone, that’s why I love Indica. Mrs thought it was a nice smoke but a little strong on her lungs, I love a good cough on times though! Rolled up another while we watched the end of the footy, a good Spain win. I haven’t commented about music in the shops as its usually been something I don’t like so haven’t taken any notice of it but I must say there was a good mix of music being played here which I liked. We are both very stoned now after the second joint and have had enough of the heat in the shop so decide to take a walk back down towards our hotel and Basjoes. I really liked this shop and visited a few times during my trip and think I will every trip, great menu and lovely shop interior, nice Moroccan theme in backroom.
So wobbly legged we walk down the street, light is fading but it’s still lovely out. Love walking around when it’s like this, especially in such a beautiful setting. Soon get to Basjoes and the initial high of the Blueberry Cheese has faded so pop in to see what Indicas are on the menu, a lot quieter in here now and a lot cooler too. As soon as we walk in, James recognises me and lets out that smile of his and puts his hand up to bump fists when I approach counter. As he suggested a nice weed for me earlier I listened to his suggestion again and had a gram of Bas Special for €12. Smell wasn’t that strong but smelled fruity, am no good at describing weed but it reminded me of something, I still can’t think what mind. Buds looked nice but looked small; I thought the deal looked small to be honest. Took out half and ground it up and it looked like 3 times as much as I put in the grinder, very compact buds then. Explains why I thought deal was small, small buds but the weight was there. Lovely smoke again, very tasty I thought and the Mrs agreed, she liked this as it wasn’t strong on the chest at all. I thought the effects were nice, seemed to creep up a bit. This is a nice weed, be great for me to smoke during day, doesn’t knock you out like some Indicas do. Am feeling very stoned by now and can’t really remember much now but I know we were both starving and decided on Burger Bar on Regulierbreestraat just off Rembrandtplein.
Both Burger Bar virgins and both love a nice burger so was looking forward to trying it out at least once, so glad we did! I had the Irish and the Mrs had Black Angus, can’t remember what trimmings we both had but I know I had some chips as well. Was quiet in there and plenty of room to sit at the huge table, it’s great to watch them make your burger then see and smell it cooking in front of you, beautiful. I don’t know what to say really, how do you describe a burger? It was just fresh, tender, juicy, meaty heaven! We tried a little of each other’s and both preferred the Irish Beef; it just seemed to be more tender and tasty. Both agreed it was the best burger either of us had and we would definitely be back soon. It absolutely lives up to the hype!! A joint of the Blueberry Cheese on the short walk to hotel topped it off along with a sit down on bench by the river just taking in the moment. Had an excellent first day, great weed, great food and great company, was looking forward to the next day already. I finished off the last of the LA Con while sitting on the windowsill of my hotel room just watching everything going on around, could sit there all night but need sleep ready for tomorrow’s capers.
Well that’s day 1 anyway folks, I have tried to remember all I can and tried to type up all I can remember!! I hope you enjoy it so far and if I have missed anything out or you want to ask anything then shout over. Got to work over the weekend now but will try to get Day 2 up as soon as I can.
