Dec 11 - 13 Trip
Posted: Mon 18th Dec 2006 01:14 am
Well I flew over there, flew whilst I was there and flew back home again...and now I'm all flewn out.
This was my first trip to Amsterdam on my own so I was a little more cautious so I'm sorry but no pics. I wouldn't trust me not loosing my ass if it wasn't attached so to carry around a camera without someone else reminding me I had gone out with one was not going to help me...anyway will be taking my camera next April when I return with my brother and his lady.
Arrived in Schipol and took the train to World Trade Center where I had some business to attend to. That completed I jumped on a number 5 tram and headed for Leidesplein to search out my hotel (Rookies) which was very easy to find and a nice place to stay, I have to say. The weather was over-cast with a few dark clouds and knew that rain was forecast sometime during the day but I wasn't too concerned.
I was on the top floor of the hotel in the back room which I was pleased about but the stairs I had a feeling was not compatible with me being out of my brain so I was going to have to be careful...bad mistake was to wear my boots...leather soles on polished wooden stairs (more like ledges) was not a great combo. Anyway, after crawling up the stairs and gingerly coming back down them some 30 mins later I was heading towards my first port of call namely Barney's Lounge.
It was around 2.00pm when I arrived at Barney's only to find one other American Lady and the budtender in residence. Very modern type of place with a glass ceiling over the 4 tables and a plasma screen which was showing Hendrix at Woodstock...well that was a good start. Ordered a coffee and proceeded to look at the menu. I did have a rough idea that I was going to try the G13 Haze. Infact I had decided that all the weed I was going to buy was going to be something that I hadn't tried before. I purchased 1g of G13 and settled down to roll my first for a couple of years. I fired up and took a deep draw...nice and smooth and no coughing...in fact very nice. 3 draws later and I was starting to think is anything going to happen? The buds looked great, quite sticky and very compact so, was it me? I needn't have worried as all of a sudden a huge swoosh came from no where and I suddenly realised I was now under the influence
I must say that for me this weed was awesome...I sat in my seat trying to get it together when I realised this was good stuff as I hadn't taken a breath in a minute or two (to me good weed makes me have to think about breathing...sounds crazy but true). This bud gave me visuals, such as what I like to call snap-shot vision which is kind of like what you are seeing freezes for a split second (normally 2 - 3 times in a row) as well as a real chilled out feel. I was able to function on it but I couldn't sit still for too long as I felt like I wouldn't get up again. Quite a trippy type weed for me. If you haven't tried it give it ago I don't think many would say it wasn't a pleasant smoke.
Stix wasn't far away so I eventually gathered myself together and hovered to my next destination. I had decided that I would get some Temple Ball as a backup in case I didn't get quite the right bud. Again I was the only person in the place and managed to secure 2g of what looked like a nice piece of hash. It was classical in that it had the dark outer coating (was this opium or not?) with a creamy looking mid-toned brown interior. Good Temple Ball always reminds me of chocolate truffles and this was no exception...looked good enough to eat but in this case I had a good smoke. Well on top of the G13 this really got me messed up...sounds went from quiet to loud and then back again...vision became errhh...interesting sort of looking through a Kaleidescope and then things briefly going to black and white and then gradually back to colour...I thought for a while I had dropped some acid by mistake...it was wild.
I think I must of walked pretty well back to the hotel as I was still dry so no drop offs in to any canals. I remember standing at the foot of the hotel stairs looking up and thinking shit...how do I get up there? Well I think I crawled my way up to my room and fired up another joint jammed my headphones in to my ears and driffted off in to my own little world listening to Dave Gilmour's Living on an Island...seemed pretty fitting.
Comming too around 6.30pm I get freshened up and went down to Rookies bar to accept my free drink (nice touch that). A nice cold beer and what else? Went for some Blueberry (1.8g) and settled down. Decent enough looking bud that smoked pretty well. Nice mellow high and the one I decided to have as my general purpose smoke. This bud definately was nice to have to listen to music and was very easy to snap out of if required to have a conversation. It was raining and blowing pretty hard outside so I decided that wandering around was not on the cards. Stayed in Rookies for a couple of hours chatting with various people and then wandered up to the Rokerij. It was pretty much as I had remembered. Didn't buy any bud here just had a beer and smoked some more Blueberry until about 10.30 and then headed back to the hotel where I had my last smoke and drifted off listening to some music.
Tuesday morning was drier and so headed out to the Centrum after breakfast and some more Blueberry and did some window shopping. Was aiming for the Grey Area but it was only around 11am so decided to find a shop. Came across Betty Boop and I had not been there before so I dropped in. Picked up some Bubblegum 1.7g and was totally disappointed. The bud looked ok but the high only really lasted for about an hour and was not exactly intense more a very gentle waft. This bud became my choice for adding my Temple Ball too. Stayed there for a while talking to the lady behind the bar and watching various English Kids (and I do mean kids) come in to try and buy and get tossed out as they didn't have ID or where under 18. Eventually, got up and wandered around to the Grey Area and picked up some Grey Haze which I hadn't had before. Got a seat as well which was a bonus (in fact Amsterdam was very quiet and never had a problem finding a seat in any shop I went to). Well as far as I am concerned the Haze is damn fine and as good as everything I had heard of. Passed the no breathing test with flying colours. In fact I think I used a bit too much and smoked myself in to a bit of a babbling mess. I was trying to have a conversation with a couple of other English guys and I am convinced that what I wanted to say was comming out backwards. Around 4.00pm and the rain came down again so I found my way back to a tram line and got myself back to the hotel. I had planned to go to Cafe Alto that night so didn't want to be too messed up or wet. It got to 7.30 and the weather didn't improve so stayed in the Rookies lounge until 9.30 (got some more Blueberry) and wandered to the Alto. I must say I had a great few hours there listening and watching what I could only describe as the longest Jazz jam I have ever seen with musicians swapping in and out but the music always carrying on. Really great stuff and some very friendly locals as well.
Wednesday was all about the final fling so secured my bags at Central Station did some wandering around. Called in to Hill St Blues and found it full of 12 year olds (well they looked around that age to me) so didn't stay too long. Called in to the Coin and had a good chat to the budtender who helped me with some of the bud I had left. Rolled one last super smoke with a bit of everything in it and smoked half of it before returning to Central Station and out to the airport (was getting worried I would get too carried away and miss the flight). Finished off my joint outside of the airport whilst watching some TV show being filmed and caught my flight. No customs the other side (typical) so the usual "wish I had just..." went through my mind...but to be honest I can't afford to get caught. Will just have to wait until I go back.
This was my first trip to Amsterdam on my own so I was a little more cautious so I'm sorry but no pics. I wouldn't trust me not loosing my ass if it wasn't attached so to carry around a camera without someone else reminding me I had gone out with one was not going to help me...anyway will be taking my camera next April when I return with my brother and his lady.
Arrived in Schipol and took the train to World Trade Center where I had some business to attend to. That completed I jumped on a number 5 tram and headed for Leidesplein to search out my hotel (Rookies) which was very easy to find and a nice place to stay, I have to say. The weather was over-cast with a few dark clouds and knew that rain was forecast sometime during the day but I wasn't too concerned.
I was on the top floor of the hotel in the back room which I was pleased about but the stairs I had a feeling was not compatible with me being out of my brain so I was going to have to be careful...bad mistake was to wear my boots...leather soles on polished wooden stairs (more like ledges) was not a great combo. Anyway, after crawling up the stairs and gingerly coming back down them some 30 mins later I was heading towards my first port of call namely Barney's Lounge.
It was around 2.00pm when I arrived at Barney's only to find one other American Lady and the budtender in residence. Very modern type of place with a glass ceiling over the 4 tables and a plasma screen which was showing Hendrix at Woodstock...well that was a good start. Ordered a coffee and proceeded to look at the menu. I did have a rough idea that I was going to try the G13 Haze. Infact I had decided that all the weed I was going to buy was going to be something that I hadn't tried before. I purchased 1g of G13 and settled down to roll my first for a couple of years. I fired up and took a deep draw...nice and smooth and no coughing...in fact very nice. 3 draws later and I was starting to think is anything going to happen? The buds looked great, quite sticky and very compact so, was it me? I needn't have worried as all of a sudden a huge swoosh came from no where and I suddenly realised I was now under the influence
I must say that for me this weed was awesome...I sat in my seat trying to get it together when I realised this was good stuff as I hadn't taken a breath in a minute or two (to me good weed makes me have to think about breathing...sounds crazy but true). This bud gave me visuals, such as what I like to call snap-shot vision which is kind of like what you are seeing freezes for a split second (normally 2 - 3 times in a row) as well as a real chilled out feel. I was able to function on it but I couldn't sit still for too long as I felt like I wouldn't get up again. Quite a trippy type weed for me. If you haven't tried it give it ago I don't think many would say it wasn't a pleasant smoke.
Stix wasn't far away so I eventually gathered myself together and hovered to my next destination. I had decided that I would get some Temple Ball as a backup in case I didn't get quite the right bud. Again I was the only person in the place and managed to secure 2g of what looked like a nice piece of hash. It was classical in that it had the dark outer coating (was this opium or not?) with a creamy looking mid-toned brown interior. Good Temple Ball always reminds me of chocolate truffles and this was no exception...looked good enough to eat but in this case I had a good smoke. Well on top of the G13 this really got me messed up...sounds went from quiet to loud and then back again...vision became errhh...interesting sort of looking through a Kaleidescope and then things briefly going to black and white and then gradually back to colour...I thought for a while I had dropped some acid by mistake...it was wild.
I think I must of walked pretty well back to the hotel as I was still dry so no drop offs in to any canals. I remember standing at the foot of the hotel stairs looking up and thinking shit...how do I get up there? Well I think I crawled my way up to my room and fired up another joint jammed my headphones in to my ears and driffted off in to my own little world listening to Dave Gilmour's Living on an Island...seemed pretty fitting.
Comming too around 6.30pm I get freshened up and went down to Rookies bar to accept my free drink (nice touch that). A nice cold beer and what else? Went for some Blueberry (1.8g) and settled down. Decent enough looking bud that smoked pretty well. Nice mellow high and the one I decided to have as my general purpose smoke. This bud definately was nice to have to listen to music and was very easy to snap out of if required to have a conversation. It was raining and blowing pretty hard outside so I decided that wandering around was not on the cards. Stayed in Rookies for a couple of hours chatting with various people and then wandered up to the Rokerij. It was pretty much as I had remembered. Didn't buy any bud here just had a beer and smoked some more Blueberry until about 10.30 and then headed back to the hotel where I had my last smoke and drifted off listening to some music.
Tuesday morning was drier and so headed out to the Centrum after breakfast and some more Blueberry and did some window shopping. Was aiming for the Grey Area but it was only around 11am so decided to find a shop. Came across Betty Boop and I had not been there before so I dropped in. Picked up some Bubblegum 1.7g and was totally disappointed. The bud looked ok but the high only really lasted for about an hour and was not exactly intense more a very gentle waft. This bud became my choice for adding my Temple Ball too. Stayed there for a while talking to the lady behind the bar and watching various English Kids (and I do mean kids) come in to try and buy and get tossed out as they didn't have ID or where under 18. Eventually, got up and wandered around to the Grey Area and picked up some Grey Haze which I hadn't had before. Got a seat as well which was a bonus (in fact Amsterdam was very quiet and never had a problem finding a seat in any shop I went to). Well as far as I am concerned the Haze is damn fine and as good as everything I had heard of. Passed the no breathing test with flying colours. In fact I think I used a bit too much and smoked myself in to a bit of a babbling mess. I was trying to have a conversation with a couple of other English guys and I am convinced that what I wanted to say was comming out backwards. Around 4.00pm and the rain came down again so I found my way back to a tram line and got myself back to the hotel. I had planned to go to Cafe Alto that night so didn't want to be too messed up or wet. It got to 7.30 and the weather didn't improve so stayed in the Rookies lounge until 9.30 (got some more Blueberry) and wandered to the Alto. I must say I had a great few hours there listening and watching what I could only describe as the longest Jazz jam I have ever seen with musicians swapping in and out but the music always carrying on. Really great stuff and some very friendly locals as well.
Wednesday was all about the final fling so secured my bags at Central Station did some wandering around. Called in to Hill St Blues and found it full of 12 year olds (well they looked around that age to me) so didn't stay too long. Called in to the Coin and had a good chat to the budtender who helped me with some of the bud I had left. Rolled one last super smoke with a bit of everything in it and smoked half of it before returning to Central Station and out to the airport (was getting worried I would get too carried away and miss the flight). Finished off my joint outside of the airport whilst watching some TV show being filmed and caught my flight. No customs the other side (typical) so the usual "wish I had just..." went through my mind...but to be honest I can't afford to get caught. Will just have to wait until I go back.
I went to the one outside of the centrum and found it to be a nice place to sit and get chilled. If your around 4-20 then will share a big one with ya 
