Amsterdam Coffeeshop Directory Forums

Just wanted to commit myself to a detailed critique of my First Holland experience. Staying 3 nights at the Rookies, then a couple of nights elsewhere, also walking THOUSANDS of miles (because I was too stoned to trust my tram skills, and it was just easier to wander) to get around to, and experience as many coffeeshops as possible.

I'm happy to say the Rookies was a great choice, and I'll comment some more on them in the Hotels area.

Also without a doubt, WW Indica in Haarlem was a STAND-OUT above all other coffeeshops I got to visit.

I might even talk about my embarrassing prang in Brussels involving me, a left hand drive Mercedes Hire car and three Moroccon/french dudes. (Not a good idea to take on the left hand drive/right hand side of the road combination for the first time when you're "off your dial").

Anyway, I'll take my time to get my thoughts together, and try to make my "Holland-blog" as readable as possible.

It's thanks to many of you, that take the time to keep info on Holland current, that I had such a smooth, hassle free time there.

U-ROYS Red Leb



GeoffK's Cali-mist

Short but concise.
Sounds like you had a real good time.
Damn, that Calimist looks nice.

Hey chop, where did you get this lebanese??? Is it from Wortels?
*edit*THANKS FOR THE PICS MAN! Yes this Kali mist also looks really interesting!

That Kali looks BEAUUUU-TIFUL!

Nah, the "real" report will come when I've had time to write it out.

The cali-mist (Homegrown Fantasy@8 or 9 Euro) WAS fine, especially when used to compliment other varieties.

I had a MASSIVE trip-out at the airport before boarding thanks to cali-mist and amnesia haze (WW Indica Haarlem@13 Euro), with a swallowed gram of red-leb (from Pick up the pieces@14 Euro for 2 grammes) thrown in for good measure.

that red leb is going to make alot of people on this board happy.

good to see you had a good time. did you have to stop over anywhere? must have been a 15+hr flight fun.

looking forward to your report as im sure you have some stories to tell!

12 hour direct flight (give or take) from Bangkok where I'd kicked back for a few days before venturing on to Amsterdam.

thanks for the quick briefing.. looking forward to the full report.. and the pic of the red leb isnt working for me...??

Can't wait for the report Chop ! Nice to read you were in Haarlem, where I was 1 month ago .

12 hour direct flight (give or take) from Bangkok where I'd kicked back for a few days before venturing on to Amsterdam.

nice combo..bangkok and amsterdam.

I'll keep this as brief as possible;

Arrived after a 11 or 12 hour flight from Bangkok feeling fucked as you do without even a snooze on the plane.

Walking through Schiphol customs around 10am, I'm pulled up and my bags searched thoroughly. No questioning, just "you're a suss looking cunt" - type rummaging. By 11am after a train & tram ride, I'm at reception in the Rookies. John let me have a double room on the third floor, for the first two of three nights booked there, the third night I agreed would have to be in one of the single rooms.

The room was nice, better than I expected, so I took a long hot shower before making my way down to Rookies coffeeshop. I stopped at the bud-bar and started looking at the menu. I couldn't see anything there that was on my "must try" list, so I asked the rather stunning girlie what she'd recommend that wouldn't send me to sleep. The Silver haze was purchased at EU$9 I loaned a pipe, ordered a coffee, and sucked down two small cones. Before leaving I stopped and grabbed a pre-rolled Northern Lights joint, just so I had something ready to go in an emergency.

Sauntered out an hour later, with trusty ACD coffeeshop map in hand, and headed off to find The Little. This was a nice cozy coffeeshop, I grabbed a gram of NY Deisel and a coffee. I loaned the bong and had a few cones. It was nice, even though I was still spiraling from the earlier cones.

Walk it off I thought, so down the road to Mellow Yellow. The place was full without being jam packed, but there wasn't really anywhere to sit. Four guys at the bar were ginning around deciding what to buy, and Reggae Nights was blaring on the stereo which was just too much to bear, so I did a u-turn and walked out.

Next planned stop was Bushdoctors, but I missed it, and suffering extreme cotton mouth I deviated to Coco's bar (Aussie themed) with the motto "Lousy food and warm beer". I sat and had a stubby while chatting and quizing a cute attentive barmaid. Pot can be smoked in the "old section" which is a lounge area.

On the move again, I passed a few coffeeshops, but none appealed to me for whatever reason until I got to Johnny's. Another small place with minimal seating. The bud tender was fully engaged with an American couple so I stood there for a while and perused the menu. Nothing appealed to me, but I grabbed a ER$2.50 pre-rolled which I never ended up smoking.

It was dark now, and I felt utterly fucked. So I headed back (I thought) towards the Rookies. Fucking hours (it seemed) later and I was lost, I spotted Kadinsky. Even today I'm not sure which one it was, except to say that it was in a little laneway, and had two small tables on the left, and a small bud bar. Anyway, it was empty and I needed to get my bearings, so I stopped in. Seeing Kadinskys Haze I bought a gram @ EU$9.50, and then asked the bud tender if he'd care to roll half of it into a joint for me. He did, and I smoked half of it while I sipped another coffee.

My memory is that this smoke was quite special, I took off towards home in the cold night air with a real determination to resist the effect and keep my shit together. Back in my room I fired up the Northern Lights joint, watched some tv, then slept like a log.

The next morning I grabbed some breakfast, then back to the room for a heart starter of the silver haze, just a few tokes no more. Today included a walk to the Cannabis museum, which was "ok", a wander past the Old Church, which seemed busy even though it was early. Nearby a couple of fat chicks tapped on their window and opened their door motioning me to come in for a blow-job. I gave them a wave, smiled and kept walking thinking to myself, do I REALLY look that hard-up?

First stop of the day, for no particular reason other than to rest my legs was at Pick up the pieces. Ordered a coffee, and noticed Red Leb hash on the menu @ EU$14 for 2 grams. I bought the Red Leb and smoked it through my newly purchased pipe. What can I say, it smelled and tasted like hash. It was smooth and tasty. After 3 or 4 spots and a coffee, I was feeling good to go.

Next stop was the Otherside which just kind of appeared out of no-where. I looked at the menu, nothing appealed so I sat and had a coffee and read the paper. It was a quiet spot and the coffee here was the best of the trip.

I needed to attend to some matters on-line, so I went into Get down to it, where I bought a pre-rolled white widow @ EU$4 and a coffee. This is a rather large coffeeshop, with pool tables etc, and plenty of nooks to find myself a bit of personal space. The internet was about EU$6 an hour which passed quickly having smoked half the joint at the PC. The effect was noticeable and I was feeling bloody hungry. Down the road to Mai Thai Restaurant I ordered two dishes which set me back about EU$22. The food was "nice" and portions generous, but it wasn't truely authentic thai food IMO, being more of a Western compromise.

Back to the Rookies for coffee and a chance to use my new grinder. I ground Silver Haze, NY Diesel, and Kadinskys Haze together. Feeling like a master-blender, I topped a cone of this with a chunk of the red leb. The after-effect combined with appealing tunes of Dylan, Chilli's, and the Doors left me feeling like I never wanted the moment to end. When I felt confident I could walk without going arse-up, I strode over to Rookies Bar and got on the Heineken. Good bar, obviously smoker friendly, and a nice little rear outdoor area to kick back overlooking the canal.

Next day went to Haarlem, stopped in at WW Sativa... the inside looked more like a school cafeteria, you had to pass a turn-style thingy to get in. It just struck me as uninviting, so I asked the bud tender dirrections to Indica which he gave me with enthusiasm.

WW Indica was my kind of place, chilled and calm. I told the bud tender I wanted to try the temple ball, but being the lazy fuck I am, I asked him if he'd care to roll a chunk into a joint using thai pot as a mixer. He agreed, and I stayed there for 2 hours smoking the joint in shifts, drinking some bloody tasty coffee. I wandered around Haarlem for a couple of hours after that then returned home.

I had a mission in France the next day so I resisted buying anymore pot. I'd decided I wasn't going to carry anything into France. I kicked back and smoked as much of my stash as I could manage in one evening. The effect helped dull the fact that the single room above Rookies coffeeshop that I'd shifted to was a little claustrophobic. Next morning I smoked as much as I could without spewing before catching the Thayls to Brussels. I gave my stash, pipe, grinder etc to John, and suggested he pass it on to someone worthy (he doesn't smoke anymore). I held on to the chunk of Red Leb I still had, thinking I could at the very least eat it on the drive from Brussels to my destination in Northern France.

Fate jumped in here and having got a rental in Brussels, I managed to travel 5 kms before the passenger side was taken out by a heap of shit with 3 arab guys in it, trying to switch lanes. There ended the mission to France. Still off my dial from the morning smoke, I'll just say that this was a low point of the trip. I got a lift with the tow truck driver and grabbed a room at Le Dome Hotel. Nothing fancy, but perfect for a night in Brussels, just me and my Red Leb. I smoked it through a coke can which I'd pricked some holes into, and it was only now I could really appreciate what a tasty and delightful stoned effect it had.

Back to Amsterdam next day, check into the Dorint Hotel (flying back to Thailand the following day) had some more of the red leb in the room, then a couple of Heinekens at the bar waiting for the courtesy bus to get me on my way into the city for a Saturday afternoon.

My new mission was LA Confidential and Chocolope from Grey Area. Central was fucking crazy, what a difference there is between weekdays and weekends. I found Grey area easily and asked for my choices. Young American chap said "all gone" "they're saving it for the cannabis cup", then he suggested I try some "can't remember"... No, I said, I'll take a gram of Mothers Finest (yeah I asked him to roll me a joint of it, and he did, even though it was FUCKING busy... "good boy" thought I). Had half the joint while I watched this tiny shop heaving with customers, I needed to get out of there. I felt so fucked walking away, I was hoping the high had peaked, I must have looked like a thunderbird walking along. Next stop was Homegrown Fantasy where the cute, but stuck up little tart behind the counter tore herself away from some punter long enough to sell me a gram of Kali Mist, and a piece of choc cake.

I'm not much into big crowds, and found the trip back to the hotel via schiphol took my maximum concentration. Comfortably home and tucked up in my room, I smoked the Kali Mist while I soaked in a tub, sipping on my can of heineken.

Next day, big smoke up after a classy breakfast, and off to the Airport for check-in. There I was advised that due to a Typhoon hitting Taipei my flight was delayed 13 hours, and given a voucher for a room at the Sheraton across the road. BONUS thought I... (all non-smoking rooms), so I'm going back to Haarlem - yee-HAH!!

Back at WW Indica, different bud tender today, young mediterranean looking guy, who was friendly and helpful. He sold me a gram of Amnesia Haze @ EU$13. Again I couldn't be fucked rolling so he rolled one up for me. "With tobacco" he asked.. "fuck no" just roll half of it into a joint, no spin thanks.
"I've never rolled a joint without tobacco" he confided.
"You CAN do it" urged I.

I strapped it up and he looked at me all concerned, "it's very strong, be careful" he said. It took me about 2 hours to smoke half of the joint, and in between times I enjoyed very good coffee, and watching customers come and go.

One thing that stuck in my mind was a guy who came in with a 4 or 5 year old kid, to get a take-away. I felt uneasy, just the thought of a little kid breathing the smoke filled air of a coffeeshop, that can't be healthy.

The other thing that stuck in my mind were a couple of American guys sitting nearby, that were chatting quietly for a while, until one of them got the most extreme case of giggles. It wasn't loud, but it was constant and unsettling. Fair dinkum this guy giggled without stopping for at least 30 minutes. At first I found it funny as well, then my amusement turned to paranoia as I started thinking... "is this cunt laughing at ME?"

Fuck this, my mind is starting to play tricks... better head back to the hotel. I gave the remaining 1/2 gram of Amnesia haze back to the bud tender, telling him I'd never have time to use it and to help himself.

Spent the rest of the afternoon drinking Heineken in the hotel bar until flight check-in time, I slipped back to the room for a shower, swallowed the rest of my hash, and checked out.

Checked my bags at the airport, then went back outside and smoked the rest of the Amnesia haze joint. Then I lit a joint of the Kali Mist (I'd rolled myself for a change) and started to take leisurely tokes on it. Shortly after I started to feel a bit odd. I tossed the rest of the joint and headed inside. I passed the usual checkpoints and found myself a discreet little smokers lounge and lit a cigar. I took the cake out of my bag and sat it on the table.

With just over an hour till boarding, the pot started to hit me hard. I'd just smoked a LOT (for me) of pot in the space of a few minutes and the effect was about to jab me square on the chin.I felt like I needed to spew, but estimated that I was no chance of getting anywhere private to do it, so I just kinda "hung on" to the chair and waited it out. For almost an hour I was stuck to the seat, I didn't dare move for fear of collapsing on the floor. FUCK I need to board a plane, I'm still not confident I can even walk... I tell myself this is the most fucked I've ever been, and suddenly the thought of keeping the cake for the plane ride makes me feel sick again, so I left it on the table and with an almighty heave I got to my feet and walked to the boarding area.

The first 30 minutes of the actual flight was awesome, then as fast as it had hit me, the high was gone. I really should have held onto that piece of cake.

Great read chop, thanks for that How about a Bangkok report? Did you risk a smoke there?

Nah mate, I never risk drugs in Thailand the stakes are too high.

Nice write up mate..Thanks for sharing your experiences..Can't wait for my turn to toss back a few joints and beers in Mokum..