Took a while to work my way through it but enjoyed very much.
Nice 1
HASJ DREAMER - Travelogue August 24 - 29
-
HasjDreamer
- Posts: 368
- Joined: Mon 10th Sep 2007 01:03 am
- Location: New England, US
First of all, thanks for the kind words! Glad to find other architecture-stoner fans out there...
Berlin? Awesome! Both me AND the wife have that as our #2 future destination (with, um, Amsterdam being the perpetual #1). Heard good things about their hasj and was hoping to squirrel away a few grams and take the 8 hour train ride on our next trip over to the dam.
So it's Wednesday afternoon and we've toured the apartment and the Het Schip's exterior and (as you've seen) I've taken a TON of pics. Funny thing, I could've taken a ton more and spent a whole day or longer just checking out the neighborhood. All the Amsterdam School buildings have a distinct art nouveau numbering so it's easy to tell which is which (especially since many buildings have only a subtle shade of modernism) . Since we know our way around it's an easy-breasy walk back to Haarlemstraat and we stop for the wife's BIG craving - another ham & chez broodje w/mayo, cukes (cucumbers!), lettuce, tom & egg.
Carb loaded we head back towards Nieumarkt in search of STIX but, of course, we CAN'T find it again so settle on REEFER since we're on this sort of "avoid the bluebird" kick. Having been there but never purchased any herb or solid we approach the Dutch budtender, young and attractive and very friendly, for some advice. She insists on THE cheapest herb and hasj on the menu:
SPECIAL (bud) 11.5 e for 2 g
POLLEN also at 11.5 e for 2 g
Jeez, WHAT a price! Now we've got plenty of left over ca$h and not scrimping but dang if I'm not crazy stoned and looking for some light weight herb so I can hit it hard tomorrow on our final full day. So we gather our goodies - both batches looking pretty, pretty good - the hasj was hard (unlike the fudge I've grown accustomed to) but softened when played with and showed some good signs of oil. We sparked up a good 1/5 gram, our customary hasj allotment per joint, and it provided a mellow high with a good taste.
The special bud didn't look that bad - sativa-ish in appearance but smoked kinda weird. It had an aftertaste that was not very pleasing and we quickly put the rest of the batch in the "emergency bin". Needless to say we did NOT smoke any more and the rest got tossed on the last day.
Heading out for a proper dinner we rolled a SUPER fat POLLEN jay with a good gram in it and, boy, was THAT a big mistake! YUK! The nasty cheap-hash taste came out and the high was just headachy. Not bad in small batches but no bargain when you go to town! We roach it and light a "proper" joint to get the taste out of our mouth before dinner.
We break for pasta tonight at one of the MILLIONS of Italian eateries that sprinkle the 'dam. This one was between the RLD and Nieumarkt and had the customary Tom-cat greeting us at the door (for us, ALWAYS a good sign!). Pints of Heineken, one spaghetti putanesca, one KILLER lasagna with about 3 different sauces and we were fat and happy gleefully absorbing the carbs from our marathon walk earlier in the day.
Off to the TWEEDE, I'm in the mood for some familiar green-faces:
MEXICAN HAZE 13 e/g
RIFMAN NOOR 14 e/g
The Mexi Haze looked and stunk just like a pure sativa should - ULTRA "clean" and smoked no different. Almost TOO pure it proves to be a Sativa lovers delight but has a purely "head" effect with no stone anywhere to be found.
Settling in at one of our favorite bench seats we spin up (discreetly, of course) a mix with the Rifman Noor. HO-LY SHIT! This stuff was STRONG...so strong that we actually roached the jay half way when our coffee was finished and smoked the rest strolling the Spui. The taste wasn't nearly as refined as the Shibani but that stone? Whew!
We hit the customary GREEN PLACE for another g of the LA CONFIDENTIAL, still at 14 e/g to end our night and, combined with the Mexican Haze, some RED CHERRY BERRY at 9 e/g for morning buzz.
The LA con conked us out for the night and the Cherry Berry proved a nice morning bake BUT we were a tad disappointed at the lack of any REAL cherry and/or berry taste. The stone/cure etc. were still all top notch.
All right, we're in for the night and enjoying the last night in the GLOBAL FUSION room 'cause tomorrow we move downstairs to the MARKET room for our final night.
Coming up...last full day: GREENHOUSE EFFECT, BASJOE, OTHER SIDE, GREENHOUSE CENTRUM, and DUTCH FLOWERS.
Guess which one provided me with THE hasj of the trip (surprised the shit outta me but probably shouldn't have)!?
Berlin? Awesome! Both me AND the wife have that as our #2 future destination (with, um, Amsterdam being the perpetual #1). Heard good things about their hasj and was hoping to squirrel away a few grams and take the 8 hour train ride on our next trip over to the dam.
So it's Wednesday afternoon and we've toured the apartment and the Het Schip's exterior and (as you've seen) I've taken a TON of pics. Funny thing, I could've taken a ton more and spent a whole day or longer just checking out the neighborhood. All the Amsterdam School buildings have a distinct art nouveau numbering so it's easy to tell which is which (especially since many buildings have only a subtle shade of modernism) . Since we know our way around it's an easy-breasy walk back to Haarlemstraat and we stop for the wife's BIG craving - another ham & chez broodje w/mayo, cukes (cucumbers!), lettuce, tom & egg.
Carb loaded we head back towards Nieumarkt in search of STIX but, of course, we CAN'T find it again so settle on REEFER since we're on this sort of "avoid the bluebird" kick. Having been there but never purchased any herb or solid we approach the Dutch budtender, young and attractive and very friendly, for some advice. She insists on THE cheapest herb and hasj on the menu:
SPECIAL (bud) 11.5 e for 2 g
POLLEN also at 11.5 e for 2 g
Jeez, WHAT a price! Now we've got plenty of left over ca$h and not scrimping but dang if I'm not crazy stoned and looking for some light weight herb so I can hit it hard tomorrow on our final full day. So we gather our goodies - both batches looking pretty, pretty good - the hasj was hard (unlike the fudge I've grown accustomed to) but softened when played with and showed some good signs of oil. We sparked up a good 1/5 gram, our customary hasj allotment per joint, and it provided a mellow high with a good taste.
The special bud didn't look that bad - sativa-ish in appearance but smoked kinda weird. It had an aftertaste that was not very pleasing and we quickly put the rest of the batch in the "emergency bin". Needless to say we did NOT smoke any more and the rest got tossed on the last day.
Heading out for a proper dinner we rolled a SUPER fat POLLEN jay with a good gram in it and, boy, was THAT a big mistake! YUK! The nasty cheap-hash taste came out and the high was just headachy. Not bad in small batches but no bargain when you go to town! We roach it and light a "proper" joint to get the taste out of our mouth before dinner.
We break for pasta tonight at one of the MILLIONS of Italian eateries that sprinkle the 'dam. This one was between the RLD and Nieumarkt and had the customary Tom-cat greeting us at the door (for us, ALWAYS a good sign!). Pints of Heineken, one spaghetti putanesca, one KILLER lasagna with about 3 different sauces and we were fat and happy gleefully absorbing the carbs from our marathon walk earlier in the day.
Off to the TWEEDE, I'm in the mood for some familiar green-faces:
MEXICAN HAZE 13 e/g
RIFMAN NOOR 14 e/g
The Mexi Haze looked and stunk just like a pure sativa should - ULTRA "clean" and smoked no different. Almost TOO pure it proves to be a Sativa lovers delight but has a purely "head" effect with no stone anywhere to be found.
Settling in at one of our favorite bench seats we spin up (discreetly, of course) a mix with the Rifman Noor. HO-LY SHIT! This stuff was STRONG...so strong that we actually roached the jay half way when our coffee was finished and smoked the rest strolling the Spui. The taste wasn't nearly as refined as the Shibani but that stone? Whew!
We hit the customary GREEN PLACE for another g of the LA CONFIDENTIAL, still at 14 e/g to end our night and, combined with the Mexican Haze, some RED CHERRY BERRY at 9 e/g for morning buzz.
The LA con conked us out for the night and the Cherry Berry proved a nice morning bake BUT we were a tad disappointed at the lack of any REAL cherry and/or berry taste. The stone/cure etc. were still all top notch.
All right, we're in for the night and enjoying the last night in the GLOBAL FUSION room 'cause tomorrow we move downstairs to the MARKET room for our final night.
Coming up...last full day: GREENHOUSE EFFECT, BASJOE, OTHER SIDE, GREENHOUSE CENTRUM, and DUTCH FLOWERS.
Guess which one provided me with THE hasj of the trip (surprised the shit outta me but probably shouldn't have)!?
its bouquet sweet & pungent, its bite will roast
-
courtjester
- Posts: 682
- Joined: Sun 21st May 2006 02:39 am
- Location: Smokelahoma
-
PrePress420
- Posts: 55
- Joined: Sat 26th Apr 2008 09:29 pm
- Location: Northern California
-
HasjDreamer
- Posts: 368
- Joined: Mon 10th Sep 2007 01:03 am
- Location: New England, US
Thanks guys - and U-Roy...you have THE most wacked out graphic-thingy's I have ever seen! Splendid!
We wake up Thursday with nothing in particular planned and enjoy a red cherry berry wake up spliff before heading over to Hill St on the Markt. Armed with Amsterdam's strongest coffee Richie sits down with us to chat. At this point TOTALLY cool and we're wondering why we questioned him in the first place! Smoking left over hashish we wrap up our session (returning our cups to the counter as always - only once or twice have we not bussed our own table) and get ready to drop the keys off at the Greenhouse Effect hotel desk and pick up our new ones. We head down towards the centrum and try to absorb all the sights and smells knowing we're leaving in about 24 hours and pop into the GE hotel.
It's, if I recall, only 10am or so or maybe closer to 11 and Laura at the desk tells us that no one has checked out of our new room, the Market yet and to come back in a bit. We pop next door for some re-freshing of product and yet another dose of serious caffeine.
GREENHOUSE EFFECT
for some
SPICE HASJ at 14 e/g BEFORE discount
AMNESIA HAZE at 12 e/g BEFORE discount also.
The spice is the strongest/priciest hasj on the menu and has an almost rifman like appearance - extra fudgy, dark brown outside. We don't get the window seat this time but settle in comfortably enough and enjoy the hasj.
Amnesia Haze? Jeez, another apparently "amnesia" moment since I took no pics and wrote no notes - can't really recall anything so I suppose I'll just let it go at that! Again, not BAD...I would have remembered that!
I remember walking back and forth from the apartment in the Nieumarkt to the hotel, like, three times - finally meeting up with our very pleasant housekeeper dude (giving him a 5 euro tip too) who promised to bring our luggage downstairs when the apartment was ready. Relieved, I remember we headed out to "get lost" on our last day but realized, shit, we still have our key and someone MIGHT be trying to check in! We hurry back to the GE Hotel and drop the key off "we don't want to hold up someone else's check in!".
Content and armed with our new apartment key (even though the room wasn't ready yet) we get back to business: let's get lost!
We stumble BACK at BASJOE and I indulge in the ROYAL HASJ at 10 e/g
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... alhash.jpg
Pretty much just as good as the GH Effect at a cheaper price AND we had the same SUPER baked budtender. We sat down outside and enjoyed a Fanta soda and I remember staring out onto the road trying to hold that memory tight like a kids favorite stuffed animal ready to cuddle.
Away we go and get sufficiently lost that we wind up at THE OTHER SIDE coffeeshop trying to find Rembrandtplein. We pop in and notice that the smoking area is the FIRST half of the coffeeshop you enter and then into the dealer room. Funny, the doors were left open between the two rooms!
We popped in and I had to ask..."how's the Libanon??". So rare and unusual (unlike ten years or so ago when it was everywhere and nice and squishy) we couldn't resist. The dealer was honest..."not bad, mellow stone and pretty good taste". We grabbed 1.5 grams for 10 euro...
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... ibanon.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... banon2.jpg
Hard and blonde it softened as I handled it and it proved a surprisingly minty-fresh taste and a nice "chillax" body high. NOT the big hasj surprise of the trip but maybe the hasj bargain of the trip. Nice, unusual taste and fulfilling the ever-crucial "historic hasj" criteria and was quite the final day treat!
We also picked up some herb, another bargain priced PURPLE HAZE, again at 1.5 grams for 10 euro. Nice, VERY nice bud - started off very "high" and settle in with a pleasant stone. Gotta tell ya, both were well worth the price.
We break for Thai food at a restaurant recommended by the GH Effect crew. Can't remember the name but it's on the Chinatown stretch leading out from the Effect towards Nieumarkt (with the recognizable "lotus" sign with the big pink lotus flower). They have a small take out on one side and sit down on the other. Craving another frosty heiney we choose the sit-down and grab a comfy table JUST before a huge crowd starts pouring in. The food? By FAR the best Thai we've ever had - fried prawn appetizer that puts American "shrimp" apps to SHAME...pad thai that was 2nd to none and included fresh peanut garnish and, of course, some of the best veggies around! Cheap too...came to 20 odd euro for our meal/beers if I recall correctly.
We bounce out, stopping at Softland for internet and coffee. Funny, for the FIRST time in a while I'm feeling pressure to buy product. The tender is NOT one of my regulars and he starts pointing at the weed menu saying "c'mon, c'mon" and nudging his head. I'm telling "no, I'm all set" and he's kinda shaking his head like in a disappointed way so I start saying "look, I've gotten PLENTY of stuff from you guys" and he quickly backs down. I was like, damn, I don't want to stop coming (or stop WANTING to come) to Softland and was quickly put at ease shortly later when my buddy comes back and is all friendly and saying hi like usual.
Wanting something different and, perhaps, "special" we bop over to DUTCH FLOWERS for our first visit of this trip and we're surprised at how quiet it was. It's Thursday night and although the RLD and Dam are both busy it quiets down quickly when you leave. We're almost disappointed that we're beveraged out since all the outside tables are vacant and it is THE most gorgeous night! For bud, it's an old favorite strain for "uppy" (and the most perfect morning) buzz...HAWAIN HAZE at 12 e/g
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... inhaze.jpg
Nice and wakey bakey we save most of it for the morning (that's why we still had a full batch for the picture) and enjoy our OTHER purchase. Ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages...presented for your approval, THE BEST HASJ OF THE TRIP:
DOUBLE at 12 e/g:
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... tdutch.jpg
Fudgy the WHALE - this shit was out-riffing the rifman with it's spicy and pungent smell and perfect texture. When smoked it was SOOO coco like, rich and warm with a comfort-food bake that just made me want to adopt it as our child. It wasn't as gooey as the Bushdocs but had that PERFECT taste/high/texture combo and that indescribable something that you can never put your finger on that makes ANYTHING your "favorite".
Alright, next (and final) post:
WRAP UP THE NIGHT AT THE GREENHOUSE CENTRUM, FINAL DAY/FINAL THOUGHTS.
Easy...
We wake up Thursday with nothing in particular planned and enjoy a red cherry berry wake up spliff before heading over to Hill St on the Markt. Armed with Amsterdam's strongest coffee Richie sits down with us to chat. At this point TOTALLY cool and we're wondering why we questioned him in the first place! Smoking left over hashish we wrap up our session (returning our cups to the counter as always - only once or twice have we not bussed our own table) and get ready to drop the keys off at the Greenhouse Effect hotel desk and pick up our new ones. We head down towards the centrum and try to absorb all the sights and smells knowing we're leaving in about 24 hours and pop into the GE hotel.
It's, if I recall, only 10am or so or maybe closer to 11 and Laura at the desk tells us that no one has checked out of our new room, the Market yet and to come back in a bit. We pop next door for some re-freshing of product and yet another dose of serious caffeine.
GREENHOUSE EFFECT
for some
SPICE HASJ at 14 e/g BEFORE discount
AMNESIA HAZE at 12 e/g BEFORE discount also.
The spice is the strongest/priciest hasj on the menu and has an almost rifman like appearance - extra fudgy, dark brown outside. We don't get the window seat this time but settle in comfortably enough and enjoy the hasj.
Amnesia Haze? Jeez, another apparently "amnesia" moment since I took no pics and wrote no notes - can't really recall anything so I suppose I'll just let it go at that! Again, not BAD...I would have remembered that!
I remember walking back and forth from the apartment in the Nieumarkt to the hotel, like, three times - finally meeting up with our very pleasant housekeeper dude (giving him a 5 euro tip too) who promised to bring our luggage downstairs when the apartment was ready. Relieved, I remember we headed out to "get lost" on our last day but realized, shit, we still have our key and someone MIGHT be trying to check in! We hurry back to the GE Hotel and drop the key off "we don't want to hold up someone else's check in!".
Content and armed with our new apartment key (even though the room wasn't ready yet) we get back to business: let's get lost!
We stumble BACK at BASJOE and I indulge in the ROYAL HASJ at 10 e/g
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... alhash.jpg
Pretty much just as good as the GH Effect at a cheaper price AND we had the same SUPER baked budtender. We sat down outside and enjoyed a Fanta soda and I remember staring out onto the road trying to hold that memory tight like a kids favorite stuffed animal ready to cuddle.
Away we go and get sufficiently lost that we wind up at THE OTHER SIDE coffeeshop trying to find Rembrandtplein. We pop in and notice that the smoking area is the FIRST half of the coffeeshop you enter and then into the dealer room. Funny, the doors were left open between the two rooms!
We popped in and I had to ask..."how's the Libanon??". So rare and unusual (unlike ten years or so ago when it was everywhere and nice and squishy) we couldn't resist. The dealer was honest..."not bad, mellow stone and pretty good taste". We grabbed 1.5 grams for 10 euro...
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... ibanon.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... banon2.jpg
Hard and blonde it softened as I handled it and it proved a surprisingly minty-fresh taste and a nice "chillax" body high. NOT the big hasj surprise of the trip but maybe the hasj bargain of the trip. Nice, unusual taste and fulfilling the ever-crucial "historic hasj" criteria and was quite the final day treat!
We also picked up some herb, another bargain priced PURPLE HAZE, again at 1.5 grams for 10 euro. Nice, VERY nice bud - started off very "high" and settle in with a pleasant stone. Gotta tell ya, both were well worth the price.
We break for Thai food at a restaurant recommended by the GH Effect crew. Can't remember the name but it's on the Chinatown stretch leading out from the Effect towards Nieumarkt (with the recognizable "lotus" sign with the big pink lotus flower). They have a small take out on one side and sit down on the other. Craving another frosty heiney we choose the sit-down and grab a comfy table JUST before a huge crowd starts pouring in. The food? By FAR the best Thai we've ever had - fried prawn appetizer that puts American "shrimp" apps to SHAME...pad thai that was 2nd to none and included fresh peanut garnish and, of course, some of the best veggies around! Cheap too...came to 20 odd euro for our meal/beers if I recall correctly.
We bounce out, stopping at Softland for internet and coffee. Funny, for the FIRST time in a while I'm feeling pressure to buy product. The tender is NOT one of my regulars and he starts pointing at the weed menu saying "c'mon, c'mon" and nudging his head. I'm telling "no, I'm all set" and he's kinda shaking his head like in a disappointed way so I start saying "look, I've gotten PLENTY of stuff from you guys" and he quickly backs down. I was like, damn, I don't want to stop coming (or stop WANTING to come) to Softland and was quickly put at ease shortly later when my buddy comes back and is all friendly and saying hi like usual.
Wanting something different and, perhaps, "special" we bop over to DUTCH FLOWERS for our first visit of this trip and we're surprised at how quiet it was. It's Thursday night and although the RLD and Dam are both busy it quiets down quickly when you leave. We're almost disappointed that we're beveraged out since all the outside tables are vacant and it is THE most gorgeous night! For bud, it's an old favorite strain for "uppy" (and the most perfect morning) buzz...HAWAIN HAZE at 12 e/g
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... inhaze.jpg
Nice and wakey bakey we save most of it for the morning (that's why we still had a full batch for the picture) and enjoy our OTHER purchase. Ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages...presented for your approval, THE BEST HASJ OF THE TRIP:
DOUBLE at 12 e/g:
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... tdutch.jpg
Fudgy the WHALE - this shit was out-riffing the rifman with it's spicy and pungent smell and perfect texture. When smoked it was SOOO coco like, rich and warm with a comfort-food bake that just made me want to adopt it as our child. It wasn't as gooey as the Bushdocs but had that PERFECT taste/high/texture combo and that indescribable something that you can never put your finger on that makes ANYTHING your "favorite".
Alright, next (and final) post:
WRAP UP THE NIGHT AT THE GREENHOUSE CENTRUM, FINAL DAY/FINAL THOUGHTS.
Easy...
its bouquet sweet & pungent, its bite will roast
So you got the DOUBLE at Dutch flowers, yeah.?...Soorry,im a bit stoned...-
HasjDreamer
- Posts: 368
- Joined: Mon 10th Sep 2007 01:03 am
- Location: New England, US
Darkglobe...yep, got the Double at Dutch Flowers (yeah, I wasn't completely clear!).
U-Roy...the Leb? VERY nice, especially for the price. MAY have been the bargain hasj of the trip. Solid but broke up quite a bit when played with and it had that distinct smell of Lebanese hasj - minty "fresh" taste (mentos anybody??) and a mellow day time high that was NOT headache inducing like some other inexpensive hasj's. Blonde blonde blonde!
Alright, it's Thursday night and the wife and I are just wandering around town getting baked and trying to keep the clock from ticking away but it just won't stop. It's getting later and later and we're snacking/smoking/strolling and wind up at the GREENHOUSE CENTRUM for a last hurrah and found it surprisingly quiet. Of course it was around midnight and even the RLD was starting to wind down a bit. Checking out the menu I decide without asking or looking at any bud:
KING HASSAN SUPREME at 10.20 e/g for hasj and
CHEESE at 11.20 e/g.
Strangest pricing structure in town but still relatively good compared to Haarlemstraat area and Barney's /Popeye's etc. The KING was very nice - warm and squishy and quite similar to the KH we got at Softland (but for an inflated 14 e/g price tag). Hard to tell at this point just how strong or what the high is like since we're kinda burnt out and just kinda smoking because we COULD. Ya know, this is why we would LOVE to live in the 'dam - we'd be like the locals smoking mid level products 'cause there's less of a need to get baked when you know it's ALWAYS gonna be there, all around you!
The Cheese? VERY good and VERY "cheesy": rich, pungent, complex - different from the Blueberry Cheese at Green Place but similar enough to get that klaas vibe from the bud. We hangout at the GHC and roll up a mix joint. We realize that JUST as the spliff and rolled we're being told by the manager "wrap it up, we're closing in 5 minutes". What time is it? Wow, it's 12:45am and, if you can believe it, the VERY first time the wife and I closed up a coffeeshop in Amsterdam in 9 trips over! We're morning people and rarely stay up that late but found ourselves getting only about 5 - 6 hours tops each night.
Back at the room we smoke what we can staring out our window onto Nieumarkt square. Our new room THE MARKET is one floor down from GLOBAL FUSION and, if you can believe it, has even LARGER ceilings (like 15'). Original flooring in the living room and the pungent smell of garlic from the restaurant downstairs made it a bit less attractive than the apartment upstairs but pretty much the same. Funny, not a SINGLE sign of bug or mouse - only the occasional fly from the open window. 'round our parts in the states this would be roach and rat city - the Dutch keep Amsterdam IMMACULATELY clean in comparison.
We sleep deep and wake up to the sun creeping up. We're all packed now and just have to hop in the shower. Cleaned and ready to fly home we head downstairs for our last days coffee at HILL STREET ON THE MARKT. Richie is there and we chat about our last day and he makes SURE I take a couple of pics of their menu. The sun is coming out and it promises to be a GORGEOUS day and I'm in no mood to go home. Yeah, I can barely hold down a toke or two but I don't wanna go home!
We head towards GH Effect to check out, using their computer and smoking a spliff. We got everything left rolled and make a feeble attempt at smoking it all! Needless to say we dumped a few j's off next to a trash bin on the Dam on our way to Schipol. A quick train trip, a quick flight and we were back in the states by 5:30pm the same day.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Amsterdam in the summer has been but a dream - we never dared travel during euro holiday season and we were quite surprised at how relatively quiet it was. Mikey at Betty's told us he's moving because there aren't many Americans and Brits coming over and, well, he was kinda right. Don't get me wrong, quite a few British accents but not nearly as many as previous trips in the middle of winter! And, with the exception of some businessmen and the small group waiting for the GREY AREA to open we felt like THE only Americans in Amsterdam.
Don't forget, we DID arrive on Sunday and depart on Friday COMPLETELY missing the weekend crown which REALLY seemed to be generating momentum as we headed towards Central and they headed towards the Damrak.
The wife and I rarely go into the RLD these days but spent much more time since we were staying in Nieumarkt. Always curious about the "talent" in the windows, I must say - WHERE ARE ALL THE HOT EASTERN EUROPEAN BLONDES?? Previous trips in the fall and winter found hordes of extremely attractive blondes - all young with killer bodies. I found myself muttering to my wife several times "where ARE they??". Not that I've partaken yet, but it's nice to window shop!
Last but not least, leftover pics. Dogs, little cars etc. Wasn't sure when I took them or where they belong so here they are!
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... ewfiat.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... ctruck.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... moking.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... dmenu1.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... ndcafe.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... rriers.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... rtment.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... hemkt2.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... emarkt.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... 0menu2.jpg
HASJ FROM LAST FEBRUARY'S TRIP...
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... /hasj4.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... er/dog.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... lfcar1.jpg
THANKS GUYS! Looking forward to heading back over and busting out another travelogue and HOPEFULLY we'll be able to share a spliff one of these days...
U-Roy...the Leb? VERY nice, especially for the price. MAY have been the bargain hasj of the trip. Solid but broke up quite a bit when played with and it had that distinct smell of Lebanese hasj - minty "fresh" taste (mentos anybody??) and a mellow day time high that was NOT headache inducing like some other inexpensive hasj's. Blonde blonde blonde!
Alright, it's Thursday night and the wife and I are just wandering around town getting baked and trying to keep the clock from ticking away but it just won't stop. It's getting later and later and we're snacking/smoking/strolling and wind up at the GREENHOUSE CENTRUM for a last hurrah and found it surprisingly quiet. Of course it was around midnight and even the RLD was starting to wind down a bit. Checking out the menu I decide without asking or looking at any bud:
KING HASSAN SUPREME at 10.20 e/g for hasj and
CHEESE at 11.20 e/g.
Strangest pricing structure in town but still relatively good compared to Haarlemstraat area and Barney's /Popeye's etc. The KING was very nice - warm and squishy and quite similar to the KH we got at Softland (but for an inflated 14 e/g price tag). Hard to tell at this point just how strong or what the high is like since we're kinda burnt out and just kinda smoking because we COULD. Ya know, this is why we would LOVE to live in the 'dam - we'd be like the locals smoking mid level products 'cause there's less of a need to get baked when you know it's ALWAYS gonna be there, all around you!
The Cheese? VERY good and VERY "cheesy": rich, pungent, complex - different from the Blueberry Cheese at Green Place but similar enough to get that klaas vibe from the bud. We hangout at the GHC and roll up a mix joint. We realize that JUST as the spliff and rolled we're being told by the manager "wrap it up, we're closing in 5 minutes". What time is it? Wow, it's 12:45am and, if you can believe it, the VERY first time the wife and I closed up a coffeeshop in Amsterdam in 9 trips over! We're morning people and rarely stay up that late but found ourselves getting only about 5 - 6 hours tops each night.
Back at the room we smoke what we can staring out our window onto Nieumarkt square. Our new room THE MARKET is one floor down from GLOBAL FUSION and, if you can believe it, has even LARGER ceilings (like 15'). Original flooring in the living room and the pungent smell of garlic from the restaurant downstairs made it a bit less attractive than the apartment upstairs but pretty much the same. Funny, not a SINGLE sign of bug or mouse - only the occasional fly from the open window. 'round our parts in the states this would be roach and rat city - the Dutch keep Amsterdam IMMACULATELY clean in comparison.
We sleep deep and wake up to the sun creeping up. We're all packed now and just have to hop in the shower. Cleaned and ready to fly home we head downstairs for our last days coffee at HILL STREET ON THE MARKT. Richie is there and we chat about our last day and he makes SURE I take a couple of pics of their menu. The sun is coming out and it promises to be a GORGEOUS day and I'm in no mood to go home. Yeah, I can barely hold down a toke or two but I don't wanna go home!
We head towards GH Effect to check out, using their computer and smoking a spliff. We got everything left rolled and make a feeble attempt at smoking it all! Needless to say we dumped a few j's off next to a trash bin on the Dam on our way to Schipol. A quick train trip, a quick flight and we were back in the states by 5:30pm the same day.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Amsterdam in the summer has been but a dream - we never dared travel during euro holiday season and we were quite surprised at how relatively quiet it was. Mikey at Betty's told us he's moving because there aren't many Americans and Brits coming over and, well, he was kinda right. Don't get me wrong, quite a few British accents but not nearly as many as previous trips in the middle of winter! And, with the exception of some businessmen and the small group waiting for the GREY AREA to open we felt like THE only Americans in Amsterdam.
Don't forget, we DID arrive on Sunday and depart on Friday COMPLETELY missing the weekend crown which REALLY seemed to be generating momentum as we headed towards Central and they headed towards the Damrak.
The wife and I rarely go into the RLD these days but spent much more time since we were staying in Nieumarkt. Always curious about the "talent" in the windows, I must say - WHERE ARE ALL THE HOT EASTERN EUROPEAN BLONDES?? Previous trips in the fall and winter found hordes of extremely attractive blondes - all young with killer bodies. I found myself muttering to my wife several times "where ARE they??". Not that I've partaken yet, but it's nice to window shop!
Last but not least, leftover pics. Dogs, little cars etc. Wasn't sure when I took them or where they belong so here they are!
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... ewfiat.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... ctruck.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... moking.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... dmenu1.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... ndcafe.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... rriers.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... rtment.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... hemkt2.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... emarkt.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... 0menu2.jpg
HASJ FROM LAST FEBRUARY'S TRIP...
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... /hasj4.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... er/dog.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff26 ... lfcar1.jpg
THANKS GUYS! Looking forward to heading back over and busting out another travelogue and HOPEFULLY we'll be able to share a spliff one of these days...
its bouquet sweet & pungent, its bite will roast
-
Kaiser Saucy
- Posts: 273
- Joined: Tue 14th Nov 2006 01:31 am
- Location: Britain
Hasjdreamer.....I know nothing of architecture, i do have an appreciation for it though. People are puzzled how i can go to certain city's and spend far less than them, especially in the dam. It's because im really happy to just wander round looking at different buildings & checking out vondelpark, soaking up the atmosphere and letting the sights of the city sink in, obviously aided by the odd half rest in a coffeeshop. Amsterdam is a beautiful place. Come the evening thats when i really hit the bars and coffeeshops, the dam looks so good by night too. I couldn't go there and sit in different shops all day, or worse a hotel room.
What was the best deal you saw on temple ball? love that stuff
What was the best deal you saw on temple ball? love that stuff
