Happy 10th anniversary to Coffeeshop 1e Hulp today!
Our train pulled into Central station at 2:41pm. (September 2011)
“How long do we have before we need meet the landlord?” My mr’s dimples made a rare appearance, so I knew he was as excited as I was.
“We need to get on a tram by 3:45ish, so we probably have 40 minutes for our first smoke. Yay!” His arm snaked around me to give me a squeeze as we wound our way quickly through the bustling station, exiting into bright sunlight. Perfect blue skies with just a dusting of fluffy clouds.
“Hold on a sec.” My husband steered us over to a wall so that he could rummage around in his suitcase for his sunglasses. I took that moment to take off my jacket and pass it to him, because it was pleasantly warm out in the sunshine. A saxophone player was busking on the corner and he played a jaunty bebop lick that reminded me of Charlie Parker.
Voyager's Silver Bubble
Quickly back underway, we cut a quick path to Voyagers. I bounced up the steps, my grin a mile wide, to find Mrs.HB behind the counter.
I greeted her with a big smile and she welcomed me back.
"What's good right now?" I asked her.
"The Silver Bubble and the King Kong" she said without hesitation, turning around for the jars. She opened them and set them down on the counter in front of my husband and I. "Oh, and the Super Lemon." One more beautiful jar was added to the line. I leaned over and eyed the silver bubble, the raunchy peppery smell ticking my nose before I even tried to smell it. It glistened with trichomes and looked visibly sticky.
"Yum. A gram of that please."
Voyager's King Kong
The King Kong was frosty and smelled sweetly of forest and anise, with a little passing hint of skunk. But after a brief consultation with my Mr we passed on it, as it was a strain we had smoked before and liked, but not loved. Fortunately I was tempted to try it later in the trip because it tasted both sweetly of anise and lightly skunky at the same time. Distinctly like weed, but not funky. The Pepé Le Pew of skunks, sipping a latte and nibbling an anise biscotti. It also had in a lovely balance of stone and high, being dreamy and relaxing without being de-motivating. We smoked it while chatting with Captain Ryan's mom, who made me homesick in the best way.
Voyager's Super Lemon
When I smelled the Super Lemon I found the dill and fresh lemon smell instantly appealing, as well as the 50/50 Indica/Sativa description on the menu. We got a gram of that and two lattes and took a seat at the booth. We had enough time for two joints, so I rolled the Super Lemon first. I sparked it up and took my typically overenthusiastic first hit, exhaling with a few extremely lady-like coughs. (You'll have to trust me on that last part.) The hacking didn't slow me down however, and I took another even larger hit before I passed the joint on to my Mr.
"Grippy" I cautioned as I exhaled a lovely tart lemon cloud of smoke. The taste of rosemary lingered pleasantly on my tongue and my vision slowed. Then a warm peppy high started to dawn. It made its way back to me, and I noticed my mr had smoked almost half the joint in his three big hits and was now sitting with a goofy smile on his face.
Voyager's Super Lemon
"Sorry, I kind of smoked a lot of that."
I giggled, "No worries. There is plenty more where that came from. Hog away. I'll roll more." But I made sure to smoke a few huge hits of my own before passing the joint back to where my mr would surely finish it in short order. I got busy with the Silver bubble, savoring the sticky denseness of the buds and the sweet funky aroma of blooming pepper tree.
I was blown away by the first taste of the Silver Bubble. It tasted assertively of black pepper and strawberries with a diesely aftertaste. It even ticked the back of my throat like a big peppery zinfandel. An instant visual stone set in that was silvery and slightly twisted. The stoniness was both strong and mentally energetic, an unusual "Indica High" sensation. The silver bubble was STRONG and by the end of the joint I was glad that it would take almost 20 minutes before I had to deal with the landlord. My cell phone chimed.
Voyager's Silver Bubble
"Time to head out. I just want to get some more of the Silver Bubble on our way." I said to my husband, who was all big smiles and droopy eyes.
"You know where we're going right? Because I...could...not... Wow, I'm stoned."
I got us across town without incident, spent all of two minutes with our landlord, who we've rented from a few times, so we just exchanged cash and keys in front of the building. Up the three flights of stairs to the beautiful apartment full of light and straight into the kitchen for two huge glasses of water to combat our raging cottonmouth.
Voyager's King Kong
"Time for a smoke on the balcony, then some groceries and a swing by 1e Hulp for a grinder and a bong."
"Good plan." said my Mr. "God, I am still so stoned."
"Me too, but that's not going to stop me from having another joint. Let's smoke the rest of the super lemon though, I'll never make it out if we smoke the Silver Bubble." I reach in the top part of my bag for my little kit where I keep my papers and filters, only to find it EMPTY! Oh no. Silly monkey, forgot to put them in the bag this morning. "Shit, I don't have any papers. Do you just want to sit here in the sun and be stoned while I run out to 1e Hulp?"
"That sounds amazing. You sure you don't mind?"
"Naw, you know me- buying weed and groceries are two of my favorite things."
1e Hulp's Intensive Care
I covered the three blocks to 1e Hulp in no time thanks to the Silver Bubble's continued warping of reality where I proceeded to pick out 2 grams of Buddha Cheese (10e/g), 1 gram of Lemon Haze (11e/g), 1 gram of Intensive Care (7e/g?) and 1 gram of the softest freshest Zero-Zero I had ever seen (7e/g). I also got a small glass bong (10e) and a really nice acrylic grinder (6e). The budtender gave me a pack of papers and a pack of filters.
1e Hulp's Lemon Haze
I pulled out my wallet to pay, only to find my wallet completely empty. I blushed furiously, and explained that I was only staying three blocks away, and that I had forgotten my money, and that I'd be back in 15 minutes, 20 tops. "I'm so sorry!"
"No problem." He slid my gear over to the side and smiled kindly. "It will be right here for you." I turned and burned, laughing at myself on the way, because I was such a forgetful monkey. Really though, that's what I come to Amsterdam for, to get relaxed enough that things start to loosen and slip a little. Forgetting money is a lot like getting lost, my favorite thing to do in Amsterdam.
1e Hulp's Buddha Cheese
Despite my misadventure I was still back at the apartment in short order. Where I set the grocery bags down in the kitchen, called out a greeting to my husband, pulled out the bong and filled it with water, and broke off a little nugget of buddha cheese that I sparked up immediately. Priorities people. Bong full of Buddha cheese quickly emptied into my lungs. I was savoring the euphoric happy high and the fresh blueberry and cream cheese flavor before my mr even made it inside. I loaded another bowl for my Mr. and quickly made up a cheese plate with some apples and grapes.
1e Hulp's Lemon Haze
We sat in the sun and I rolled a joint of the lemon haze. It smelled of fresh lemons with a hint of sandalwood and had a warm body high. I loved the taste, which was tart and lemony with a kick of cinnamon candy and a dry flinty finish. The high was nicely sunny.
1e Hulp's Intensive Care
Next up was bong hits of the intensive care, which is a soil-grown indica that my mr is particularly fond of. It brings a nice relaxed stone and is very smooth. The flavor is cotton candy and a little rosemary. We quickly started adding the zero-zero on top of the bong hits, which added a lovely spice and a warm body hug to the party.
1e Hulp's Zero Zero
I couldn't resist rolling a huge joint with the rest of the Buddha Cheese. I can't say enough good things about this particular sample. I've always enjoyed the strain, finding it consistently happy and warm and thoroughly stoney while still energetic and social. This was a really nice batch, actually allowed to flower until lightly ambered which highlights my favorite parts of this strain, making it even stonier than usual. It also made it look amazing, with a really deeply amber, almost reddish hue to the nuggets. The cure was perfect, so the blueberries and soft creamy cheese smell was distinctive even from a distance.
1e Hulp's Buddha Cheese
From here the remains of the day went up in smoke.
1e Hulp's Buddha Cheese
Because life is too short to smoke bad bud.
can't wait to enjoy the delicious herb and meet with many like minded peeps.
and keep em coming 
