Free Ben's 7th times the charm. Jan 12th-16th 2012

[Free Ben]

Background

Before I get stuck in to day 1 I figure a little bit of background info is in order! This was my seventh trip to the Dam but my first attempt at a trip report as I'm new to the forum world. All my visits to Amsterdam have been with groups of various sizes (2-6) on this occasion it was myself and my gf, along with another couple (who i will refer to as Amy and Pete). We rented a house on Spuistraat with the plan being to save some money by hanging out there as opposed to coffeeshops, as it turns out we probably spent around the same on munch from AH but as my gf no longer smokes and Amy & Pete had about the equivalent of 1 joint between them for the entire trip, I was very happy to have the house as I doubt I would have been able to hold three no smokers up in coffeeshops any more than I already did. That seems like more than enough BG (or BS if you prefer) so without any further delay, onto...

Day 1. Part 1

Myself, Amy and my gf got into town just before 10am (Pete would be joining us the next day) and had until 14.30 before we could pick up our keys. First stop was a not so delicious breakfast at burger king, with the first mistake of the trip behind us, I made a beeline for 420 Cafe where at the empty bud counter, I was met by a menu half covered by a sleeping cat! Knowing better than to disturb a CS kitty, I patiently waited for the bud tender (hardly a minute I should think, but it seems longer when your just of the plane) who handed me a new menu while making a joke about the sleeping boss. After a quick browse my eyes settled on the Blueberry haze, something I've been meaning to try for years now. It was listed as a hydro on the menu and had a super strong, pungent smell to it, at only 8euro/g it looked a bargain. This was only a buy and fly but the atmosphere seemed so nice here I took a mental note to come back and chill out for a while (a mental note? I wonder how that will pan out for me!)

Next stop was a quick visit to a tourist shop to pick up some supplies (grinder, papers, tips and lighter). Then something I've wanted to do for six years, a return to the first coffeeshop I had ever visited (immediately after which I had forgotten the name and location of, due to that first taste of high quality bud) I had taken countless wanders around Amsterdam leading to nothing over the years but it was finding ACD a few months before this trip that solved my mystery after
so long. Hello 'The Freeworld' how I haven't stumbled upon you I'll never know but I'm back!

The shop looked mostly as I remember, with the addition of a tobacco smoking room in the back. It would have been nice to recreate my first weed purchase but with orange bud not on the menu (currently at least) I instead opted for a coke (2e/can, I do enjoy cola from a can, for whatever reason it just tastes better to me) and the three of us, drinks in hand, headed to a quiet table in the back of the shop. Once settled in there I set to work on grinding up the Blueberry for my first joint of the trip, I generally smoke joints mixed with tobacco and although I still do when in Ams, the ratio tends to swing much higher towards the weed end so I use 1 cig for every 3-4 joints. The Blueberry had a really pleasant aftertaste, although I wouldn't exactly say it tasted like blueberrys, and it left me in a very stoned yet just about functional state. Now with the girls getting a little ancy it was time for a stroll along the canals...

Its funny how when your stoned you manage to find exactly what you want at all times, in this case I wanted a bench, one the girls were happy to sit at for a bit due to its really pleasant location on the canal and one that just so happens to be a stones throw to my next destination (",) Time for my second but and fly of the day, this time its Grey Area that has been calling to me from behind our bench, so I head on over. An added bonus is the 3 person queue and in no time i'm at the counter. Lots of strains are jumping out at me from the menu but I settle on two that I like the look of, Silver Bubble @13e/g and Kandy Kush @14.50/g. Purchases in pocket, I head out the door but I cant shake that feeling that I will soon be back for some of the Quase that I spotted!

My gf and Amy wanted to do some gift shopping and window shopping so we headed off to Magma Plaza where while they went about their business, I propped myself up against the giant Christmas tree and enjoyed the rest of my blueberry stone! I have no idea how long I was pinned to that tree but by the time the girls had finished up I was about back to the land of the fully functioning. I declared that the Blueberry would from now on become my last joint of the day, although I did enjoy my morning with it I must say! Following a quick shop in AH to pick up some munch, we finally got our keys and headed to Spuistraat to our home away from home for a few days...

[spidergawd]

Very nice FB, gonna enjoy some more .

[Hotdog]

great start buddy, and welcome to the forums.

[Strictlysilvers]

Like it!

[tdw121270]

Good first post keep em coming.

[TwoCanucks]

ya, this report is strong... nice writing.

[Cisco]

Great start look forward to the rest

And welcome

[Lamont]

great start so far keep it coming. Love 420/De Kuil by the way, it is a great place to chill and people watch....

[Free Ben]

Cheers for the comments guys, glad to see you're enjoying. Second installment will be up any minute now...

[Free Ben]

Day 1. Part 2
The house is great, spread across four floors (kitchen, living room, bedroom, bedroom) and we settle in right away. My gf goes for a sleep as we only managed around 2 hours last night due to the early flight. Myself and Amy stay up chatting and I roll up two joints, 1 Silver Bubble and 1 Kandy Kush. The Silver Bubble has the smoothest smoke Ive had the pleasure of inhaling and gave a really nice clear high to boot. definitely one I'd recommend to someone whos throat is a little raw nearing the end of trip to the dam.

The Kandy Kush almost challenges the SB on the smooth stakes but isn't quite as silky but more that makes up for it with the cray high I got from it. I write in my notes that it feels like, "I'm sitting in my chair holding onto the string of a helium balloon, only its not a balloon, it's my head, happily bobbing around by the ceiling" having enjoyed this sensation for an uncalculable length of time, I decide to take a power nap so off I head upstairs.

45 minutes later and I'm wide awake and very hungry, I want to make up for this mornings disappointing meal so the three of us head to Wok to Walk, a big favorite of Amys and its always been good to me. A short walk and wait later and i'm sitting in front of a delicious plate of rice, chicken, shitake, mushrooms and hot sauce. The Silver Bubble and Kandy Kush still have quite a hold over me so I make quick work of this mountain of grub, the only problem with that being, they sure weren't lying about the HOT sauce, ouch. I have yet to make a perfect decision with regards to my food choices on this trip but not to worry, my weed selections have been working out great, so still flying high its off to the RLD.

Amy wants to bring us to the Erotic Museum (not the sex museum on Damrak as I had first thought she meant) I happily go with the plan, my high isn't leaving me just yet! I can't quite remember the price but I think it was around 7e/person, and IMO its worth that just for the old school Snow White porno being shown upstairs, trippy stuff...

Next up people feel like a beer, so I lead the was to Nes. Its a mild night so the seats out front make for a welcoming place to hang out and enjoy a grolsch while rolling up another joint of Silver Bubble. It's a winning combination but all three of us are looking like a lack of sleep is quickly catching up to us so we head back to the house. I may be tired but I promised my self a Blueberry night cap so I roll one up and it hits the spot for sure. My notes end abruptly here, and the next thing I know its

Day 2
and my phone is ringing, Pete has arrived and is downstairs. I check the time, 10am perfect! I don't like to leave it and later then that when I'm here. Pete gets the grand tour and I get rolling a Kandy Kush joint. It's the perfect wake and bake weed for me and with a grin plastered across my face we set off on our day.

First stop, Paradox. Yet another but and fly, have I sat in a CS yet? just about my memory tells me, but Freeworld seems a long time ago! Not to worry, I pick up a cake (6e) and some Turkish hash (not 100% on this but I believe it was 12e/1.2g) I haven't been to Paradox before but just looking around the shop and the friendly service from the budtender, I know I'll be back here on my next trip, most probably for a morning smoke. No time for that now though, we haven't had breakfast yet.

We head down the canal to Pancakes! Amsterdam (great name, had lots of fun giving welly to the !) Really nice little place and a super friendly waiter who gave us all little clog keyrings when we were leaving. Good food too, I had a Dutch pancake with bacon and mushroom, my food luck seems to be turning around!

Next up, Dolphins. I visit here at least once every trip as I love chilling out downstairs. So drinks in hand that's where we head and I roll a Silver Bubble j. This tops up my high nicely and my thoughts turn to my Turkish hash, I realize I don't have a pipe yet and I don't want to waste this tasty number in a joint with tobacco. Its off to Azarius then but not before Amy and Pete pick up two Dolphins muffins @8e/cake, they didn't fancy the Paradox cake. Why you ask? well it wasn't really to do with the massive difference in content (1.25g vs 0.3g) although that would be a very good reason for people who don't partake in our pastime very often, instead it was more to do with the blue jelly dolphin that sits upon a Dolphins muffin, different strokes and all that!!

When we get to Azarius there is a guy talking to the singular staff member, after just seconds in the shop I can tell there is something going on, the guy seems to have a nervous edge in his voice as he asks about this legal high and that one! I decide to leave them to it and head to the back of the shop. I can only browse for so long though and this conversation (if you could call it that) seems to be going nowhere so I move back to the front 'room' of the shop. No sooner am I there but the guy asks (in as hushed a voice as he can) about if the shop assistant can sell him mushrooms (could he not of done that in the 5 plus minutes of privacy I gave him?) to this he gets the response (In a very deliberately loud tone) 'No I will not sell you illegal drugs' funny stuff!

At this point I'm asked if I would like some help, I point out a little 5e pipe and as they are out of small screens he kindly cuts one down to size for me, then I leave so nervous guy can ask for who knows what else!

We need to pick up some supplies for the night so pop into AH and grab (along with the munch of course) two 24 bottle crates of 'Hertog Jan' (a reasonably tasty and fairly cheap beer) and dropped these off at the house. While we were there I decided to check out the Turkish, it had a lovely smooth, sweet taste and gave a 'heady high' at least that's what I wrote down, thinking back, I'm not really sure what I meant. The nights plan was decided, we will play a drinking game! Kings to be exact (click me) but first some food was in order.

tbc....

[mattyp]

Great report so far man keep it up!

I personally am also a big fan Freeworld from my 1st trip. The White Choco for 11E/gram last March was pretty good too!

[woodz60]

Great report, Ben. Keep up the good.

[bluegrass]

great report, really enjoing it,

was it the funky chickin you stayed at ?

[treetop]

Really enjoying the report so far. Good stuff and welcome to the board.

[Free Ben]

was it the funky chickin you stayed at ?

We stayed in a rented house from amsterdamstay.com Your question just made me realize that two paragraphs of my report (from the start of Day 1. Part 2) went missing somewhere between me writing them and me posting it. Just added them now, cheers.

and thank you to all who have been reading so far.