Day 2 – Off to Work I Go
Still adjusting to the time change from California, I awake at 4:15 AM, I am immediately alert so know that falling back asleep is not an option. Downstairs to the hotel gym for a workout (need to burn off those stroopwafels!
) After workout it’s shower and espresso followed by wake and bake with Citronella on the fire escape while I enjoy the morning quiet of Amsterdam. Downstairs for a quick breakfast and then I’m out the door for work. My early wake up time means there is no rush so I enjoy an extended walk to Centraal combined with a joint of Kaligria from Grey Area. This is a powerful smoke and it awoke my senses and prepared my brain for a busy and acive day.
The day provides typical Amsterdam weather, cloudy and wet, but it does nothing to dampen my spirits. Once on the Stationplien it’s down the steps of the newly opened entrance to the Metro, this entrance was new to me as it hadn’t been built when I last took the Metro in January of last year. Down underground and it’s the usual M54 to Gein. I enjoy the view out the windows along the way and snap some pics of some of the buildings I see along the way….while there are definitely some generic buildings here in Amsterdam’s business parks there are also some that stand out as a little more
architecturally creative.
Off the metro Biljmer Arena station and from there it’s another 10 minute walk to my office building. So simple, convenient and I get a nice morning walk in. I wish my morning commute to work at home was this easy.
After work it’s simply reverse the process, walk to Station Biljmer Arena, and back on the M54 bound for Centraal. But coming up out of the underground instead of turning right on Prins Hendrikkade to go back to my hotel I instead turn left, cross Damrak and continue walking until I get to the tip of Geldersekade and see the familiar corner building of Voyagers.
Up the steps and into the shop, see the familiar face and dreads of our good friend HighlyBlessed. Introduce myself once again and we exchange pleasantries while I look over the menu. (Sorry FBN no menu pic the photo didn’t come out clearly.) First on my list as a must buy based on recent reports was the Pineapple Sour Grapefruit. HB smiled as he grabbed the jar and passed it over to me for a sniff. Holy crap the smell was incredible and it didn’t look half bad either…
PSG – Voyagers – 15 euros/gram:
Next I asked about the Skywalker OG which had been getting some rave reviews a few weeks ago. “Sorry mate, it’s finished” said HB. “I hope to have something nice in the next few days to replace it.” Not a problem how about the Kosher Kush Sieve Hash then?
HB reached under the counter and pulled out a bag. What he then showed me looked and smelled incredible. Oh yes, how about a quarter gram of that please! Sorry I never managed to take a pick of it but take my word and try some if it’s still in stock when you visit this fine establishment.
Purchases sorted I settled down at the big skinning bar that runs the length of one side of the shop with a great big window looking out at Prins Hendrikkade and Centraal Station. As I broke up the PSG in my grinder I was really enjoying the fruity aroma that wafted up into my nose. Filled up a cone with about ¾’s of a gram and lit up. The resulting taste matched the smell, the first hit was pure flavor and the smell of the resulting smoke was amazing. The guy sitting next to me immediately perked up and leaned over to ask what I was smoking. Always a good sign in a coffeeshop.
The resulting high was also nice and strong, this PSG truly is a top smoke and one of the standouts of my trip.
As I enjoyed my smoke I started chatting with the guy sitting next to me, who identified himself as “Dodge” and was wrapping up his first ever visit to Amsterdam to celebrate his birthday. I asked him about his experiences and which shops he had visited, but in classic first timer fashion he couldn’t remember the name of a single one.
We both agreed on the wonders of this fine city and how civilized it was to be able to walk into a coffeeshop after work and wind down from the day’s work with a big fat joint.
Before I left Voyagers I decided to give the OG Kush pressed trichomes from Grey Area a try. Crumbled a bit into my glass pipe and hit it. Expansive pine scented flavor filled my lungs and was quickly followed by a powerful high that augmented the buzz I was already enjoying from the PSG. Not long after that I decided it was time to move on and get some food. I said farewell to Dodge and wished him a safe journey home, waved goodbye to HighlyBlessed and made my way out the door.
I wandered down Oudezidjs Kolk, enjoying the Amsterdam evening and the buzz from the fine smokes I had just consumed. Soon however hunger began to take hold so I picked up my pace…weaving my way across the centrum. Up Zeedijk, down Waremeostraat, across Oudebrugsteeg until I reached Kolksteeg and my chosen food destination: Wok to Walk. Whole-wheat noodles, varkensvlees, cashews, and Saigon sauce to go alstublieft. Yum!!!
Walked back to my hotel to consume the food, Skype with the family, and chill for a while. Around 8pm it was time to hit some more shops before calling it a night – it was a “school night” after all.
First stop. Coffeeshop Anyday, which is literally just two blocks from my hotel. Place was pretty jammed on the first floor and I wasn’t up for negotiating the spiral staircase so I knew this was going to be a buy n’ fly. Up to the counter and let’s have a look at the menu shall we?
First on my hit list was the Champagne Haze which I’d read good things about a few weeks ago. Imagine my horror upon hearing those terrible words: “sorry it’s finished mate”.
I was in a haze mood so I had a look at several of what he had on offer, finally settling on a NL/X Haze cross, 1 g @ 11.80 E/gram. Looking over the menu further I spotted another item on my shopping list, this time on the hash side: Reserva X.
“Do you mind if I have a look at the Reserva X?” I ask. The BT smiled and pulled a large cellophane wrapped lump from his jeans pocket. He took the opportunity to tell and show me why this was an exceptional piece of quality hash, the color, the smell, etc. I hesitated at the price but figured what the hell I don’t come across a lot of hash in California so give it try. “You sold me, .5g please.” Purchases sorted I’m out the door with a dank u wel to the tender.
Next stop of the night, Amnesia. My feet can almost trace the way there without my brain having to think about it…. down the Singel which is beautiful at any time, day or night..
…then right on little Bergstraat and walk towards Herengracht. The foliage covered walls of Amnesia shortly appear on the left. Through the door and I’m in to the familiar purple and black lounge that is Amnesia. Everything looks the same, except the staff, which are all faces I don’t recognize. Up to the bud counter, flip over the menu and peruse what’s on offer. Budtender approaches and we exchange greetings. Asked after the LSD…none left. Third strike tonight on my hitlist! Boo! I ask after other recommended sativas, he offers the Amnesia Lemon and pulls out a tub full of bright green nugs. I’m pretty sick of Amnesia at this point and the lemon smell on these buds smelled slightly chemically to me so I passed. He showed me several other sativas but most of it was bottom of the tub dregs. Finally settled on Utopia Haze at 15 euros/gram. Pricey indeed but to be honest what I noticed is that all the top shelf weeds in Amnesia are ALL priced at 15 e/g. This wasn’t the case a year ago when I last visited this shop but I guess times are a changing here. Can every weed really be that same top quality at the same time? I don’t think so :rolleyes:
Weed purchase sorted over to the drinks counter and order my favorite drink in Amsterdam, the limonana. I don’t have a pic from this year but may I offer instead an example from one of my previous visits….
The place was pretty full and there were no tables available when I walked in, but fortunately for me by the time my drink was ready one of the tables with the nice padded seats opens up. I snag the spot, break out my grinder and roll up a 1g cone of the Utopia Haze. Sorry no bud pic but here is a grainy iphone pic of it after grinding:
Upon first smoke the Utopia had a nice pleasant taste, but as the joint burned down it got a little harsher. However the joint burned clean and the resulting high was strong, very intense “up” high with lots of creative energy that coupled well with the bumping hip-hop the staff were playing that night. There was also the tiniest hint of body stone to this weed, not bad at all and certainly strong enough, although I think this should be a 13 euro weed not 15.
Enjoying my time in this shop I went ahead and skinned up the NL/X haze from Anyday, but saved the joint for later as I wanted to experience the high from that weed “fresh”. The NL/X was STICKY and I had to lick my fingers when done to clean of the resin.
My final thoughts on Amnesia are the following: still love the comfy feel of this shop, love the location, love the drinks, and usually love the music. But I have to say that their weed is generally overpriced and the current staff seems rather unhappy or even angry sometimes. I think Amnesia is no longer in my top 3 shops although I will still probably visit here for the yummy drinks.
Limonana finished and belongings sorted I’m out the door of Amnesia and into the cold Amsterdam night, bound for my last stop of the night, Utopia. Nel z bub had let me know that today would be his last day in the shop for a week and I wanted to spend more time chatting with him before he left so a return visit was in order. Not to mention he had said he would have more of the Super Lemon Haze, which he had been out of the night before.
Into the shop and Nel was there, greeted me heartily and I immediately asked after the Super Lemon Haze. He smiled and fetched the tub from the shelf behind him, opened it and presented me with a beautiful vista of frosty buds and a wonderful lemon aroma. At 12 euros a gram I had to get a gram of that. Sorry no pic, I smoked it too fast!
The shop was empty at the time so I settled at the bar and asked to borrow the little Roor.
Loaded up a first bowl of the SLH and let her rip. A wonderful smooth lemon taste and sativa rush soon followed. Yum yum! Second bowl decided it was time to add some kush to the mix so I packed a mixed bowl of more Super Lemon Haze combined with the Kosher Kush Sieve Hash from Voyagers. The resulting high was KNOCKOUT strength, and I have to admit I came close to having my first ever whitey standing there at the counter. :surprised: I think the combination of standing up at the bar, not eating enough food, and the powerful punch of the sieve hash pushed me to the edge. Fortunately for me I was standing right next to the drinks fridge so I grabbed a coke, handed over my 2 euro to Nel, and rode it out.
That Kosher Kush hash from Voyager’s is strong folks, and highly recommended
I spent probably another hour there at Utopia chatting with Nel and another regular patron. We discussed all aspects of the current marijuana situation in Amsterdam: the difficulty in getting growers to grow anything other than the most popular strains, the murky legal waters of the coffeeshop back door situation, the wietpass, etc. I found Nel great to talk to and he has a lot of amazing stories from his past that he is more than willing to share. Finally it was time to call it a night so I said my goodbyes to Nel and thanked him for all his hospitality. I let him know that if I get the pleasure of returning to Amsterdam his shop will be high on my list to visit.
I made my way back to the hotel and I found that my creative juices were still flowing from all the sativa strains I had consumed earlier in the night, so I stayed up for almost another 2 hours writing the previous Day 1 installment of this trip report. These things take time folks, I hope you are enjoying it and I appreciate any encouragement you can give to keep me going. I’m back home now and will continue to update this travelogue as I fight through post-Amsterdam blues. In the meantime I wish you a good day and I’ll go back to dreaming of another return to Mokum
