HASJ DREAMER - Travelogue August 24 - 29

[HasjDreamer]

Hey gang, Labor Day morning here in the states and I'm enjoying a cup and spliff...it ain't Amsterdam but it'll do for now!

By the way, the SUPER KIFF in the pics is, in fact, our first smoke from the GREENHOUSE EFFECT on Sunday morning. Did I mention a zillion times yet just how GREAT the hasj is in Amsterdam? You simply cannot go wrong with the Maroc's. The black hasj on the other hand is becoming rarer than hens teeth...

Oh yeah, the Green Place DOES have a smoking section now. Seems like the places with the smoking section are super diligent about enforcing the tobacco laws - I saw them kick out someone for smoking a mix in the dealer area.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 26
We wake up maybe 6 1/2 hours later, snoozing our cell phone alarm for a good hour! We've been sleeping in the living room of the Global Fusion, pushing both beds together and crashing their for the night leaving the bedroom as a "changing room" with closets and full length mirrors for the wife to preen!

We spark up a hasj j, most likely killing off the very psychedelic TEMPLE BALL before heading over to HILL STREET ON THE MARKET for cafe and spliffs to start the day. Since we went non-stop yesterday we're planning a lay-low day and settle in to a table. Different vibe at the HILL ST today, the new budtender seems intent on hitting on the chicks and nothing else, earning him the nickname from my wife "mr. personality". Aussie chap, he reminded me of the guy nobody likes at Dutch Flowers but our opinion of him would quickly change for the better as we got to know Richie.

We head over to BETTY BOOP to say hi to Mikey and grab a smoke. Dang, we arrive and it's PACKED - no bar seating and Mikey is busy as can be behind the counter. Apparently their open mixing policy really IS attracting extra clientele - it's been the busiest shop yet outside the RLD.

We chat briefly but it's too busy so down to business - any hasj recommendations? We're running low and their menu has been picked clean by hungry stoners and just about EVERY Maroc is "sold out" so he says, how about the CHARAS at 10 eg? We've been reluctant but the price was right and Mikey's never given us a bum steer so we grab a g and settle down to smoke along the bar stool area near the door. Black and non "speckled" like Mountain Top, it squished nice (no brownie!) and gave off a potent spice. We broke up a good 1/2 g for a spliff and enjoyed it quite a bit - not as much as the marocs BUT we didn't abandon this batch either. However, we realized that it would be pretty much brown's for the rest of the trip.

We wander towards Nieumarkt in search of a new coffeeshop, or new to us anyway! We get sufficiently lost and wind up east of Central Station, a stretch we've literately NEVER been down and we see coffeeshop Central. Decent if mixed reviews, we notice it's rather busy and the cliental is, shall we say, SKETCHY at best? We head east with the harbor to our left and fall into the ScArIeSt place we've seen in Amsterdam in a LONG time:

THE GHOST OF LA CANNA! AHHHH!

Ok, maybe I'm exaggerating but has anyone ever seen VOYAGERS hotel and coffeeshop?

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... eeshop.jpg

A strange combo of hotel/coffeeshop/cafe that's bright white with a few take-out restaurant tables and chairs on the left and a counter to the right. The woman behind the counter were all Asian and I spotted what looked like a rice cooker on the table behind them. No smell of herb in the air and it looked more like, well not sure WHAT it looked like but it was an interesting and unique vibe so I approached the menu with baited breath....

Well, wish I took a pic of the menu 'cause I KNOW I wiped my eyes in disbelief like beaver cleaver (may have even shouted, "gee wally") when I spotted the prices. I'm thinking maybe some unusual Asian herbs, ya know? But I looked at the hasj menu and the FIRST item was

6g Afghani 50 euro

WHAT? Did I read that correctly?? Below that, something like...

2g Super Pollen 35 euro


I don't think there was a purchase LESS than 30 euro on the menu. I shook uncontrollably and the wife had to walk me out the door. "Quick, 100mg of quality hasj, STAT!" Soon I was comfortably medicated and we walked, no RAN back towards Nieumarkt square and the safety and comfort of TRUE pot heads!

Back at Nieumarkt we throw the dice and go into a new shop for us and another divisive shop on the forum

ROCK-IT

We're greeted by soft spoken Jamaican or African dude that's quite pleasant and patient, allowing me to take my time on the menu. Prices varied - again, the hash was CrAzY expensive with the Rock-it "Special" black at 20 e/g and some Malana Cream for, I think, 25 e/g so I was rather happy I WASN'T smoking any black hasj! We turn to the weed and grab KATSU at 8 e/g.

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... ock-it.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... ock-it.jpg

Nice, sativa-ish for sure, rather pretty and well cured. Gave us a nice uplifting high that wasn't too much but wasn't too little either. Another solid "bargain" bud.

Alright, time for some breakfast...met some VERY cool people outside ROCK-IT, making the shop all the more appealing. Stay tuned, more to come!

[Pala]

Nice freakin' read HD.

keep it comin'
chuck.

[PrePress420]

Expecting to pay at least Euro 30 for one purchase is steep.

[HasjDreamer]

When I left off it was Tuesday, August 26 and we had JUST picked up some "Katsu" bud from Rock-It...

Heading out to the patio area, literately abutting Hill Street Blues Markt with what was to become one of our favorite cups of coffee in the 'dam. Not as thick and heavy as some (like Hill St Blues, perfect to start our day but a bit much later on) it was a perfect afternoon/early evening cup. We sat down to relax and smoke but quickly moved to allow 1st one then another relatively young dude, the first about 18 or so, the other younger, to sit at the table next to us. They were polite and thanked us for moving and had that "first day in Amsterdam" glint in their eye! Our instincts proved right and soon enough their parents came out of the coffeeshop with both cafe AND pre-rolled in their hands! The father looked like a kid in a candy store holding his bright red tubed joint and they sat down to join us.

We began to chat and as it turned out it was one of the sons 18th birthday and the ULTRA cool parents thought Amsterdam would be the best birthday gift! We chatted some more, took pictures of them all together (father proudly holding his j!) and shared some stories. Turns out they're from Britain and scoping out business prospects, emails and addy's are exchanged with possibilities of working for them in the future. Before we split up we hook the birthday boy up with about 1/3 of the ASLAMA hasj from Bushdoctor. "No, no...I can't!" but, with a little bit of arm twisting he easily caved in and thankfully accepted our gift. "Just in case you get too stoned and can't find the Bushdoctor!" I told him. He was BEYOND grateful and nearly planted a wet one on both me and the wife! Ok, Rock-It just became cool...

ROCK-IT AND HILL STREET PATIO SEATING
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Finding us in need of some more solid we head out to Rembrandt and the Bushdoctor and I pick up ANOTHER gram of the ASLAMA at 22 e/g:

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... slama2.jpg

We're still pretty baked and more hungry than anything. It's early, it's quiet...how 'bout giving COCO'S OUTBACK another try? We attempted dinner a couple of trips back but no dice - too crowded and we didn't feel like waiting. Now with our choice of seating (we didn't even BOTHER to attempt the smoking area since no food/drink can be served). With TONS of outdoor seating I imagine a smoking dinner would have been a possibility but at this point I felt more like a frosty heineken than anything else. We ordered up some KILLER food including the meat and mushroom pie and (heaven help me) SOY chili fries that made me re-think my ultra deep rooted hatred for all things soybean. If ALL soy was this good...

We head back to the room puffing as we go and enjoying the beautiful weather. Not as sunny as yesterday but warm none-the-less, it's quite a treat to experience Amsterdam during warm weather. Of course you wouldn't really know it was that warm by the way many locals dress - the most beautiful Dutch women wearing boots, jeans, jackets and YES, scarfs! If you saw skin you KNEW it was a tourist...

A quick pop-in to the GREEN PLACE before a pit stop at our room for some
BLUEBERRY CHEESE at 13 e/g:

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... heese2.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... cheese.jpg

I know some have had issues with the GP but, DANG - so far they're batting 100 as the smell of the cheese assaulted us. So pungent with a fruity touch - so complex but not as stomach turning as late '90's GARLIC BUD or MAPLE BUD. The taste less offensive and mighty complex with an immediate lung assault causing a coughing fit which sent my head SOARING. Crazy high - very strong - head heavy and trippy by mind was up and my ass down...

Alright, gotta cut loose - I'll be back with BASJOE and RUSLAND and their new smoking area....

[BigRigRob]

Man, now I'm jonesin'. Come on Nov!.

[HasjDreamer]

Having CRAZY cheese-head we decide to go and "get lost" again around the Nieumarkt area and begin wondering. Having run into BASJOE before we were hoping to run into it again and more or less made a point to stumble upon it. Having only recently heard about the place we walked in noticing a few nice tables outside and perhaps THE most stoned budtender I've ever encountered! Eyes half shut and a big ol' shit eating grin on his face he was sober enough to point me towards the ROYAL HASJ at 10 e/g:

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... alhash.jpg

Excellent hasj, light brown almost blonde with, yet again, a fudgy interior that let off an exquisite smell and taste and really nice high. We took to go remembering Basjoe's location so we could return for some outside seating. But since we're on a mission to find as many new shops as possible we go down the street a bit to RUSLAND.

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... dmenu1.jpg

...and pick up a recommended gram of MAROC GOLD at a mere 7 e/g. Quite surprised by this 7 e/g bargain - you really couldn't tell it apart from 10 e/g or more hasj available. Fudgy, tasty and a nice high...WELL worth the price, another great bargain product in the Dam.

As far as Rusland goes I'm rather surprised the wife and I haven't been here before considering Rusland's historic coffeeshop significance around town. Our first experience actually sitting in the "smoking section" of any shop, we pay for our goodies from the tender and head into the back for coffee. What a shame ALL of the wasted space where you can NO LONGER smoke! I'm not sure but I think Rusland (and Reefer too) have NO ashtrays in the dealer area and don't allow even pure smoking! Of course, please correct me if I'm wrong but that was the impression I got.

We head through the doors into the smoking area and are FORTUNATE enough that there is a door open to the outside (the 2nd entrance blocked off with an ottoman) so we get the fresh air flowing through. With only 3 tables and room for about 6 we're glad we got the corner spot and really don't want to know what it's like all packed with people. There is a trash bin and spot to leave your cups with a sign saying "please bring all cups back to the counter". Not a bad situation but I'm not a fan of smokers being held in a isolation tank!

Knowing we're gonna want a soft serve ice cream from Feebo we stop off at the GREEN PLACE for some night time bud. I ask the budtender: "how about a heavy hitting indica to end the night?". A few pure spliff smokers sitting around the bar area quickly shout out "LA con!"..."blue cheese" and the dealer, much to my surprise, remembered my previous orders and told them "he's already tried those, how about some trainwreck?". Now I REALLY appreciated his mental note remembering what we ordered before and he did it without muss or fuss. The TRAINWRECK, at 10 e/g (not diesel as listed!):

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... nwreck.jpg

Killer end of night bud...a heavy hitter INDEED. Certainly not as complex as LA CON, BLUE CHEZ or CHOCOLOPE but a perfect body stone that helped kick start our sleep time preparing us for our trip the following day to the HET SCHIP museum (home of Michael De Klerk's 'Amsterdam School' public housing building nicknamed "the ship").

With our Tuesday wrapped up with retire to our apartment and anxiously wait for the alarm to wake us back up for another day in paradise!

[U-Roy]

Thanks again man, new spots to try, i'll be in Dam in 402 hours! Can't wait, it's horrible!

Will try the green place for sure, never been there! Do you think they would be ok to sell 1/2 grams at green place? I know I will not be very rich and really need to try all those crazy weeds!
Peace

[Boner]

Excellent report, does your camera not have a macro setting? I'd have liked to see some of those weeds/hashes a little clearer/more detail.

[HasjDreamer]

402 hours? Lucky bastard!

Damn, I don't KNOW if my camera has a macro setting - not sure what that is. I'll poke around the owners manual 'cause I've been curious as to why I can only get SO close to the pics.

Next trip - CLEARER pics!

[BigRigRob]

Ya done fine, I enjoyed your report.

[Bernum]

likewise...cheers

[Sidthecrow]

Thanks a great report - reading all these posts have got me so excited when I go next week, I have been doing what feels like the ultimate clock watch since it turned the 1st September. The photographs to are great.

For me Hasjdreamer your last line in your last post pretty much sums up how I feel when Im in Amsterdam

"With our Tuesday wrapped retire to our appartment and anxiously wait for the alarm to wakes us back up for another day in paradise" - fantastic!

[Kaiser Saucy]

Great report, cheers for posting it up

[HasjDreamer]

Wednesday morning comes quickly enough and we're up and about, showered and ready for the day. Overcast and humid, it's virtually impossible to tell how to dress looking out your window since you'll see people dressed from short sleeved t's to jackets bundled up. The day is nice and perfect for our walk to the Het Schip museum so I can continue my fascination with Michael De Klerk and the Amsterdam School architectural movement.

First stop, as always, HILL STREET BLUES ON THE MARKT. Now if you recall yesterday we were unimpressed with the current budtender and, lo-and-behold, he's manning the dealer and cafe stands. The wife settles in outside and I head in for coffee and solid, asking "what do you recommend?". Well, much to my surprise the chap behind the counter smiled and began to chat. His recommendation was ANOTHER killer hasj and a wee bit different from the rest:

HIMALAYAN GOLD at 11 e/g

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http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... angold.jpg
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It could be a television commercial jingle: "looks like Maroc, tastes like a black hasj!". Medium brown shell, light brown fudgy interior, felt/looked and broke up like a good quality Maroc BUT, upon firing...tasted spicy like a good black! True to its name, it was a great example of cross over technique in hasj making breaking the rules and sieving the hasj rather than hand rolling.

I thank the budtender and notice that one of the locals is hanging inside just chatting, the very same local I met earlier that week so we pick up a bit of conversation and soon the three of us are just, well...hanging! It felt nice and the dealer followed me outside for a spliff and sat at the table next to us continuing our conversation. Before we knew it a good hour or so passed as we enjoyed our Himalayan Hasj - a FANTASTIC high that set the pace for the morning.

Knowing that we had a lot of walking ahead of us we loaded on SOME sort of carb breakfast. Oh, forgot to mention, next door to the old La Canna is a small breakfast restaurant - half is take away, the other half sit down. BEST English breakfast ever in Amsterdam and I think it was maybe 9.50 euro.

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... akfast.jpg

We didn't have that big of a brekky today - too heavy, I think the English breakfast was on Tuesday??

ANYWAY, I digress... we pick up some morning smoke and, what a shocker, stop of at THE GREEN PLACE for the haze standard of Amsterdam: SUPER SILVER HAZE at 13 e/g (yeah I know, not cheap!).

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... er/ssh.jpg

**Not sure about the splitting grams - don't see why not since they're quite nice for the most part**

No notes written about it and no REAL memory of the bud I'm hard pressed to review it except to say I know I LIKED it since we haven't disliked ANYTHING from the Green Place and I'm pretty sure this was no exception!

Ok, full belly and full head we journey westward cutting down the Spui onto Haarlemstraat. The Het Schip is located in the Spardamerstraat area and we stop at POPEYE'S as our sort of half way point and to check my email from home and dang, while we're here...

PINK KUSH 15 e/g

Too expensive but it IS Haarlemstraat. The Kush is good but not as tasty as in the past but well worth it ESPECIALLY since the usual dealer/owner (the Indian dude) quickly gave us free internet when we ordered coffee.

Sitting down comfortably and smoking a nice hasj mix I check my email and RECEIVE A JOB OFFER I'VE BEEN HOPING FOR!

WOW, what a GREAT place to receive good news! I was fuck-ing BEAMING and we wrapped up our session and began skipping down the street high as a kite and happy as a clam...

OK, ARTSY FARTSY PART - MAY BE INSANELY BORING TO MANY!!

Some history on my love of this "Amsterdam School" style of architecture. Last trip in February we stayed in the Spui at the NH City Centre and EVERY morning I would see this poster in the breakfast room:

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... 015092.jpg

...along with various photos of some of the buildings that made up the Het Schip. Intrigued I eventually asked the woman at the desk where those buildings were and she pointed the neighborhood on the map and circled it for reference. Now we never made it in February (although if you look to your right leaving Central Station heading towards Schipol you'll see the red brick tower in the distance) but I began doing some research at home and emailed the museum for additional info. Since they're only open Wed - Sunday, 1pm - 5pm, we made a point of arriving as close to 1 o'clock as possible. The short story - late 19th century Amsterdam found too many workers in the city and horrible living conditions. The tendency towards a practical, bland lifestyle (menu changes, fashion changes) was reflected in the architecture as well and a group of young architects, led by Michael De Klerk, decided to design entire neighborhoods - from "street furniture" (mail boxes, electrical boxes, urinals) to exterior to furnishings were to be affordable and socially distributed to the masses but also modern and challenging. Like beautiful, artistic housing projects.

Similar to american art deco in some ways, german expressionism in others (with german expressionism being jagged individualism and amsterdam school collective flow), it actually lost out quickly in popularity in the late 1920's to de Stijl ("the scene") because Michael De Klerk insisted on blending classical Dutch architecture with modern rather than destroying it - a tendency that drove me to love and appreciate it in the first place!

We easily walked to Haarlemplein and found a charming little street market selling crepes (NOT pancakes), fresh veg, herring etc. At this point we were actually right on track when we asked a kind-looking elderly gent for directions to Spardamerstraat (which, unknowing, we were on) and he chuckled and sent us BACK where we started and around the canal. We were HOPING it was dementia and NOT him being a dutch wise-ass! After asking a bunch of people (some helpful, others not so much) my wife's navigational skills kicked in and before we knew it we were heading down the street.

We passed a coffeeshop - can't remember the name and were still more interested in locating our destination than anything else and found the museum in plenty of time to take a stoner break. Lounging in the park surrounded by art deco buildings we realized that they were, in fact, STILL a housing project! Homeless men hunkered down comfortably in a park well manicured with art work sitting in the middle. Halal shops surrounded the area and mulit national children ran and played in the playground. Far, far different vibe then in the states...Christ, we could learn SO much from the Dutch.

We roll and fire up a fatty sitting on a bench, watching the millionth Jack Russell Terrier enthusiastically play in the park. The museum is located in what was once the post office and the rest, except for an apartment and the cafe/museum across the street, are still public housing apartments! Baked, I pull out my camera and begin snapping pics...

VIEW FROM THE SCHIP - OTHER SIDE OF THE TRACKS!
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... heline.jpg

"STREET FURNITURE" LAMP POSTS, URINALS, ELECTRICAL BOXES ETC.
I felt like Dieter from "Sprockets", enjoying and snapping pictures of utility boxes and urinals in a museum setting.

Would you like to touch my monkey?
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... iture3.jpg

Love him...touch him...
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... iture2.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... niture.jpg

MORE STREET FURNITURE...
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... iture4.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... iture5.jpg

INTERIORS AND FURNISHINGS...
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... cerack.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... terior.jpg

EXTERIOR SHOTS...
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http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... schip9.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... schip8.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... schip6.jpg
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http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... schip3.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... schip2.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... chip13.jpg
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http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... chip17.jpg
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http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... chip22.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... chip16.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... chip14.jpg

Alright, as Dieter would say "your story has become tiresome...now is the time when we dance".

I'll be back tomorrow with reports on a FAILED bargain experiment, more rifman, more haze and the surprise hasj of the trip!

[geoffk]

Excellent. Het Schip has been on my to do list since I read about it an architectural guidebook. This movement happend about the same time as Bauhaus, if I'm not mistaken. I visited the Bauhaus Arkiv in Berlin after enjoying some Berlin hydro, which actually was alright smoke.