Day 2 - Monday 16th April 2018 - Ferry 'Cross the IJ
The sun is streaming into the apartment as I regain consciousness, still pleasantly stoned from the session with the CCs, PvM and Comus last night. A broad smile is fixed on my face.
The first task of the day is to pull on some clothes and stagger over the road to the supermarket. It would usually be a chore to have to shop before breakfast but I'm feeling so euphoric this morning that everything is a pleasure. Fortunately the Albert Heijn is open now and I return with a full bag of provisions. Once fuelled up with tea and cereal, I head off into the sunshine.
Our schedule for today is very relaxed. There are very few ACDers in town yet and the plan is for a gentle start. This puts me in the highly unusual situation of running early!
Trusty camera around my neck, I wander up Haarlemmerstraat, snapping away at all of the coffeeshops. Before we got here I'd loosely suggested a meet at Amsterdamned before walking out to Baba but the CCs said last night that they would be going straight to Baba. Nevertheless, I have a quick look around inside Amsterdamned and confirm that none of the handful of people inside look familiar or seem to recognise me.
I'm still running early so I decide to explore a bit of the Westelijke Eilanden (Western Islands): Bickerseiland, Prinseneiland and Realeneiland, next to the Westerdok. After passing under the railway tracks, I spot a boat named after an absent member of the gang so I have to get a picture.
'Papi' in front of Han Lammersbrug, Westerdok
The islands have a similar feel to the Jordaan - slightly bohemian and arty.
Prinseneiland
There's a boat named 'Kip' in the above picture (those with long memories may remember Mellow Pages by a guy named Kip).
A little further on I spot this tiny figure in the water. A closer look reveals a sort of aquatic garden gnome.
Prinseneilandsgracht
The islands are linked together by some attractive drawbridges. Many of the traditional-looking bridges around Amsterdam are, like this one, not as old as they look.
Drieharingenbrug
Having looped around the three islands, I continue to Baba.
Baba
Inside I grab a gram of something (can't remember what) and tell the guy that I'm expecting to be joined by a couple of people soon. I don't usually introduce myself in coffeeshops, mostly out of shyness, especially when stoned, but also because when ACD was young all of the reviews were by me so it seemed appropriate to go incognito and preserve impartiality. On this occasion, though, I mention the Directory and am rewarded with a free lighter and free drinks.
Baba menu
I'm soon joined by Smirks and the CopenhagenCouple and we take over the table with illuminated Verdampers sunk into it. Smirks finds a nice bong to go with them and consumption begins in earnest.
Baba bong and Verdamper
With all of this hardware in operation and the CC joint rolling factory in full production, things soon get very hazy. I must've been there, though, there's photographic evidence:
Me in Baba with Verdamper reflected in my shades
The next mission on the schedule is an adventure into a part of the north that I've never explored before. The CCs had already researched my plan and confirmed that it's practical. Smirks now uses his smart phone to check ferry times and post our whereabouts and plans on the forum so that Jaybee420 and anyone else can attempt to catch up with us.
So, after an hour or two in Baba, we head off to the Westerdoksdijk Ferry Terminal. It's only just around the corner and, thanks to brilliant organisation by the rest of the crew, a ferry turns up almost immediately. We get aboard and are on our way to NDSM.
As the ferry approaches NDSM there's plenty to look at. The Amstel Botel is docked here. I stayed on the Amstel back in the 1980s when it spent its days behind Centraal Station and sailed up the IJ at night. There's also a Russian submarine.
Free ferry at NDSM with submarine behind
NDSM is a post-industrial art zone. It's a former shipyard that's now being promoted as a place for creativity.
Artists at work
As we're walking from the ferry terminal towards Funny People we're joined by JayBee420. He's just arrived on the ferry from Centraal Station and luckily managed to spot us somehow. The five of us continue to Funny People.
Funny People
Like Baba, Funny People is another exile from the city centre. At their previous locations, both shops were more focused on tourists than connoisseurs. No doubt they were paying high rents and taxes there. In their new, remote, locations they're forced to appeal to a different clientele.
After realising yesterday that I'd forgotten to bring a marker pen to write on baggies, I'm well impressed when JB presents me with the gift of a Sharpie (thanks mate!).
After a very pleasant stay at Funny People we begin to scatter, having made plans to meet up again later. Some of us take the ferry to Centraal Station.
Pontsteiger
It feels like we've discovered a new, lazy and fun means of getting to Baba: At the back of Centraal Station just catch the ferry to NDSM. You get a free cruise up the IJ and then, at NDSM, you can either take the optional excursion to Funny People or just catch the next ferry to Westerdok, from which it's a very short walk to Baba. Very convenient!
Anyway, back at Centraal Station I'm strangely disorientated and insistently lead Smirks to the far end of Nieuwendijk. From there we spot the new Coffeeshop Amsterdam Café on the site of the old Rokerij II and decide to go in.
Coffeeshop Amsterdam Café
Coffeeshop Amsterdam Café fails our bong correspondent Smirks by not having one.
After that diversion we get back to Smirks' mission of bong shopping along Nieuwendijk. Amongst the many headshops we look in is
Chills and Thrills.
While Smirks is checking out the bongs, I remember the grinder bug that they demonstrated to Treetop, Occasional Bowl and me a few years ago. I mention this to the staff and they have a search around and find the last one they have. It doesn't work anymore so it's just a big plastic beetle now.
I've now found pictures of it in working order back in
my 2015 travelogue (scroll down a bit). It was an automatic grinder in the shape of a beetle that walked as it ground and left a trail of grindings behind it. Excellent stoner toy!
My apartment is on Nieuwendijk so once Smirks and I have checked out all of the headshops I retreat for a short break. A quick bit of sustenance and a post on the forum before heading out again, this time to Utopia.
I'm delighted to find Mr & Mrs Macky in Utopia. The Spidergawd dedicated 2018 patches are out.
Utopia
Gapie is in da house and, along with the Mackys, we have the CCs and JB. The Gathering is gathering!
Later we assemble in Batavia to complete the day in style as usual. The crew now consists of DeLeuksteNUGS16, the CopenhagenCouple, Jaybee420, Smirks and Ingi Blingi. The THsyrup is flowing and the dab train is steaming. At one point I take a half-hearted toke on a dab that doesn't impress the audience so they feed me a larger one that I take a whole lungful of. As it hits me like a stampeding elephant my eyes nearly pop out of my head and I slide down my seat towards the floor.
Needless to say, I don't remember much after that!
So ends another wonderful day of sunshine, boats and massive consumption. Tomorrow we have a very ambitious plan to head far out west.
Thanks mate.
