Kansas sucks, I wanna go back to Oz!

[FriendlyEdgar]

Man, what a horrible way to end my virgin trip to Amsterdam...

I get to Schipol, the plane is broken, flight is cancelled... HOOOORAAAAAAY!!! Start sending emails (or trying to, they don't go through) from the line, to round up extra $ from home and start planning an extra day or five... when after 45 minutes in line, "we changed our minds, the flight is going!" (I guess it's good the emails didn't go through!)

Fuck you.

I beg. I plead. I whine. They won't let me stay.

Flight gets into Philadelphia 75 minutes late... I now have 40 minutes to go through immigration, customs, back through security, and halfway across the airport! I sprint to my gate... to find it has been changed... and now I get to sprint back to the main hub, and then the other half of the way through the airport! I am the last person on the plane. "sorry sir, we are going to have to gate check your carry-on." Yay, now instead of being home 40 minutes after getting off the plane, I can still be waiting at baggage claim instead!! I move my electronics from the bag, get on the plane, and find 3 completely empty overhead bins!

Fuck you.

This flight ends up delayed too...

Well, I am now home! Figured I'd just get the ugly part of the trip over with. After I send US Airways (again, fuck you.) a lovely complaint letter in the morning, I'll get over it and start digging into all the good stuff!

16 days, no illness, no injury, no (lasting) humiliation, and no getting hit by bikes or trams. All in all, I declare my first trip a complete success. Hopefully I will be back in this summer!

[gapie]

nice to meet ya

[Marco]

Great start

[Balou]

Nice start. Reason # 457 not to take US Airways when going on a holiday/vacation. I remember going to Israel several years ago. Flight was overbooked and the closest they could get us was Cairo We ended up getting a flight on Continental through Newark.

Peace

[devilswin99]

I am flying US Aholeways in May to AMS. Can't wait!!!!!

[Nimrod]

Twenty-seven transatlantic trips without ever allegedly running out of fuel, as happened on hop 28 this past October on, you guessed it, USAirways. Had to land, fuel, and sit for hours unknown in Providence on the way to Philly. Missed my connection, of course.

[FriendlyEdgar]

Between work and jetlag, I don't have the energy to really start writing yet, so to tide you over (probably til Monday), here's some highlights.

Favorite Coffeeshops: Anyday, Basjoe.
Favorite Herbs: Heaven Haze, Basjoe; Champagne Haze, Anyday.
Most Ridiculous Herb: Kali Mist, Grasshopper. 20e/g!! Stuff looks, smells, tastes and feels great, but that price is still ridiculous!
Favorite Hash: Terminator
Favorite Apparatus: De Verdamper FTMFW!!!
ACD'ers I met: 7+
Coffeeshop where they tried to shortchange me: MellowYellow
Coffeeshop where they succeeded: NONE!

[goboltss]

My flight got delayed once coming home from Amsterdam. In 2004 my wife and I were on a trip to Amsterdam, Brussels, and Paris. We used to fly Martinair nonstop from Orlando.
On the day we were to leave, we went to check in at Schiphol and were sent to a different desk at the very far end of the hall. The Martinair representative told us they were very sorry but due to mechanical problems the plane would be delayed until the same time tomorrow. As they were still saying they were sorry, they pulled out an envelope and gave us each three crisp $100 bills. I thought that my wife would break my hand as she was squeezing it so hard under the counter.
In addition to the cash, we also got a night hotel stay at the airport Ibis and a voucher for dinner. We took the free shuttle to the hotel, dropped off our bags, returned to Schiphol, and took a train to Centraal.
So before we were all sad about it being our last day in Amsterdam, now we were all smiles as we were in Amsterdam instead of on a plane home, and we had $600 cash!

[TwoCanucks]

nice looking bud there, bud

[FriendlyEdgar]

Fare thee well, 2011, you were a helluva year!! Hello 2012, you've got your work cut out for ya... good luck!

Monday Dec 12- Travel day, (foreshadowing), I'm off to see the wizard!!

4:20pm my first flight leaves... okay, technically it was 4:30, but 4:20 just sounds mo' better! Everything is smooth sailing. Get to Philly, decide I won't drink a whole bottle of Hendricks Gin from duty free, and head to my gate. Aaaaaaand the flight is delayed, something is wrong with the plane. 30 minutes later, "this plane is so fucked up we're getting a different one from the hanger... it'll be about another hour!"

Well, at least it's not a weather issue!

The new plane arrives, we get boarded, plane has looooots of room! The doors close, and I have my whole row to myself... niiiiice! Captain announces we have a bitchin tailwind and will make up most of our delay en route!

Tuesday Dec 13- The eagle has landed!!

I can't sleep for more than 45 minutes at a time... so much for being rested for day 1! I give up trying to sleep, open the window, and get my first view of Europe... Great Britain to be exact! I have no idea what part of the country, but it still makes my pulse quicken! Another stretch of water, and now we are over mainland Europe! I'm getting antsy now... hurry the hell up and land already!! After leaving 75mins late, we arrive only 20mins late!

I'm sitting next to the door, with only a carry-on and personal item, so I'm off the plane and at immigration in no time.

"where are you going?" This catches me completely off guard... what do you mean where am I going? where the hell do you think I'm going? Do people go someplace else from here?

"Amsterdam."
"Thank you, enjoy your stay!" My passport gets it's cherry popped, first stamp, AMSTERDAM!!

I reach the arrival hall... oh shit, all the time I spent planning and researching my trip, and I realize I didn't look into any of the practical details... whoops! After 15-20 minutes of confusion and bewilderment, I overhear someone get directions to the ticket window for the train to central and I'm on my way!!

I get to central, find the machine to get my gvb card... hmmmmm... where can I find a payphone? I finally find one, call Apartment Paul, and now I'm really on my way!! I get to the apartment, meet Paul (a great guy, as everyone has said! I would definitely do business with him again... though I wish the bed was a little better), get all squared away in the apartment, back on the bus, back at central, and now journey is under way for real!

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to be continued...

[TwoCanucks]

love that feeling you get on first arrival, every time after the first time feels similar but not the same.

every time i take that first step out of central station,,, a short pause, a deep breath in through the nose... and then ahhhhh.... ok where the hell's the herb!

great installment FriendlyEdgar

[ravenfunk]

i was there all over christmas and only got hit by one bike...lol wich happened to be a copper who gave me a right bollocking in dutch EDGAR!!! did you manage to get to haarlem???

[FriendlyEdgar]

Thanks Canucks... I got caught up on Luvtick's report over the weekend, which is a little intimidating when one is about to start writing a debut travelogue!!

no raven, all my grand plans for sidetrips fell apart... I was lost in amsterdam the entire 16+ days!

I didn't mean to take a break there, but I ran into technical difficulties... I hadn't uploaded my pics to this computer yet!! That is remedied, so I'm going to at least finish day 1 before I get picked up for lunch!

[FriendlyEdgar]

Tuesday Dec 13, part 2

Where to now? I have an idea, should be right around here somewhere...

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What a great first stop! The lovely budtendress cheerfully shows me every jar in the house, with loving descriptions and personal recommendations... after checking everything over, she shows me the Kaligria again... "this is the one you liked!" I remember my eyes popping out when I smelled it! I get the 20e deal of this one, and 10e of the Silver Bubble, the one she says is her personal favorite. She lends me a lighter, and I take a couple small bingers of each... very nice, but this is really just a glorified buy 'n fly! 15 mins to browse, buy, burn, and now with a nice mellow buzz, I'm in the right frame of mind to explore!!

I just start walking... no plan, no destination... just getting a feel for the place! As I walk down some street, I see two different hand written signs for "Magic Mushrooms!" "Wow, this is gonna be easy," I think, so I keep walking, without stopping in to check... this is a mistake... I never see the signs again, and all I see every time I am actually shopping for a trip is truffles...

After an hour or two walking around, taking in the vibe, getting a feel for the flow of all the different lanes for all the different types of traffic, I am ready to get HIIIIIIIIIIGH! Don't get me wrong, I very much enjoyed my little buzz at Voyagers, but I took it easy as it was my first moments in the city. I decide not to just stumble into the closest coffee shop. I have something special in mind. Out comes the map, I find where I am, and I set out to find Coffeeshop Basjoe! After a couple of wrong turns, I look to my right, and down the block is the blue oval sign I know so well from my months of reading trip reports! I found it! As I near my destination my pulse quickens... Will I get to meet King Dread James?! As I reach the window, I look in and see the smile, the spliff, and the massive dreads as James clears tables. The place is nearly empty.

I take a look at the menu, and I throw caution to the wind. "It is my first night in Amsterdam! For months I have been reading about you on the coffeeshop forum." At this, James' eyes light up! I get the fist-to-heart bump, a welcome to Amsterdam, and now James is fully engaged in making sure he lives up to his reputation! I ask him for recommendations on weed and hash. I can feel the travel catching up with me, and as it is 5pm it is already night time. This will be my last stop before heading to the apartment to smoke, relax, and sleep, so I want a sample platter.

We start with the weed. "I'll give you heaven haze and bas special!" Then we start talking hash. "Do you have the Terminator I've heard so much about?!" and into the fridge he goes. He cuts off a chunk and smears it on his joint to demonstrate... the phrase "bubble bubble, toil and trouble" comes to mind! "Can I get a half a gram?" He gets the wax paper, zeroes the scale, and cuts off a massive chunk... "here's some extra... welcome to Amsterdam!"

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The whole time we've been talking, the smell of James' joint has been blowing my mind! "What does he have in there?" I wonder... "What about a regular hash? what's good?" "ROYAL HASH!! That's what I'm smoking now!" I get some of that as well!

I sit, and for the first time attempt to roll a joint with a filter... Bas Special and Royal Hash... I roll the filter too tight... I roll the weed too tight... it is an epic fail... after 2-3 failed attempts to get it to light, I pull out the bag with my new 10e glass piece and break it up.

About 7pm I leave and meander back to central to go "home." I pick up some munchies at the central station AH, get to the apartment, and start to take pictures of the days supplies.

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[FriendlyEdgar]

I put on The Fellowship of the Ring, fire up the heavenator

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, and I am asleep before they reach the Village of Bree!