Day 3:
Three day trips just aren't long enough!
...A slight depression starts to descend on me as i come round from the evening before, only to realise that today is my last full day in Mokum.
It's already gone midday, and my friends are itching to get out and milk every last drop of time out of this trip... I, on the other hand, couldn't do enough to get them out of the apartment so i could spend an hour all to myself in the room....
This is the first time i've been alone this visit and i skin up a pure spliff made with various different leftovers scattered around the place and sit back to enjoy the vibe... I don't know why things feel so different when you're left to your own devices, but they do... The birds singing outside add to the mixed emotions i have of both peace, and a slight sadness knowing that in 24 hours i shall be sat at the airport already planning my return.
My companions arrive back after around an hour, and at this point i'm reasonably stoned and ready to venture out into town...
As expected, this was not an option, and my friends insisted on skinning up their own joints to catch up with me before we head out again...
...Grudgingly, i agree, and suffer the torment of 3 more spliffs!
We head out at around 2:30pm and head towards Homegrown for the last time this trip, and depending on future legislation, possibly the last time ever... Nothing new to report as we predictably order a round of latte's and a couple of P.R's...
Outside HGF... Again!
Sitting outside, and reasonably quiet we contemplate the day ahead...
Today is my cheap hash day and i'm hoping to pick up several samples as we aimlessly walk around Centrum eyeing up obligatory gifts for girlfriends back home...
...If only they smoked, this would be far easier!
To be honest, i remember very little of Day 3, and the only reason i have any memory at all is thanks to the order of my photographs on the memory card...
So, first stop on the dodgy hash tour is Rusland...
It's a shop i've never been in before, and it's only because of it's proximity to the apartment that i decide to have a peek at the menu...
I think i ended up buying a couple grams of the cheapest two hashes in stock... Those being the Ketama and the Afghan...
The Ketama looked pretty dodgy in the light of day, but i relaxed once i had a smoke and it turned out to taste like standard polm...
Ketama
The Afghan was also fine, but neither could effect the tolerance i had built up over the last few days...
Afghan
..At least they were cheap!
Next stop on the hash tour was Betty Boops for a quick look at their 5g deals...
When i entered i was immediately put off by the bustle in this shop... I must be getting old because from my perception everyone in there looked about 12, and i felt uneasy being surrounded by so many of them; all being quite loud and ignorant of others... When i was younger and travelling in a large group, we still tried to keep our noise levels down enough so as not to disturb anyone enjoying a quiet smoke, but this shops clientele put me in mind of a school trip... The BudTender was incredibly nice and helpful though... I had a quick look at some of the cheaper Moroccan hash, grabbed a few grams of the Maroc Select, which is very nice for the price, and left immediately...
Maroc Select
In retrospect, maybe it's me, and i'm just turning into an old and miserable fart, but i prefer the more chilled/relaxed coffeeshops... Even 4:20 is a little too much for me these days.
On to Utopia...
I was hoping to try the Agent Orange as soon as Stan posted a menu pic in the reviews section, so i'd saved buying any concentrates until now... Unfortunately, it was not on the menu by the time i visited(should have come in on Day 1), so i just asked about the hash...
The BT on duty was only too happy to help and show me what was on offer and was soon guided towards the Gardela which had a lovely, fresh smell...
Gardela
By the time i got round to smoking it however, it barely touched the sides...
I suppose that's the one downside to a brief coffeeshop holiday, as even some of the better offerings are soon fighting an uphill battle to get you to notice their effect... By the time a got home and opened my little package of "souvenirs", it was totally impossible to give a legitimate, fair report of potency.
Time for tea, we head straight for BurgerBar... It's the first time i try the Philly Steak, thinking it was a cheaper option, and i must say that it was equally as tasty as their burgers, and being under 6 Euro's it's probably going to be my No1 choice in the future...
Philly Steak
Back at the apartment, we drop the amassed bric-a-brac we've collected over the afternoon; eat our BB selections and prepare for the last night in heaven.
Now, i'm really trying to remember the details of this evening, but it's almost vanished into oblivion like waking from a really good dream...
Kadinsky was next, according to my camera, and i plumped for 2g of the Nepal Cream, which looked great, and smelled ok.... Effect was none existent, but that could just be me... I still enjoy sitting in the smaller Kadinsky off Damrak, and the coffee is usually really good, if small... So we wait, smoking Candy Kush until the sun has truly set and we head towards De Wallen...
Nepal Cream
A quick pit-stop at Voyagers for a chunk of Tidal II, and a bud of Amnesia for this evenings big smoke, then off to spend the rest of the night sitting outside Anyday to watch my favourite professional fornicators across the street...
Amnesia
Tidal II
The Tidal II incidentally, was far better than the sample i received in September, and actually managed to cut through the fuzz enough for me to be impressed by it's effort, so maybe September was a one off and i'll return for more next visit.
Anyday
Anyday was empty, and we had the whole bench outside to ourselves... I bought 5g of the Afghani, which looked terrible, but smelled ok, and at 21 Euro's it was a real bargain...
Afghani
I also bought a couple grams of the White Widow, which was also a bargain at just over 8 Euro's... If i'd tried this earlier in the week i'd have definitely gone for a 5g bag.
White Widow
We walked slowly back to the apartment at around 1am, enjoying the warm evening air and thinking of the many ways we could prolong the trip...
...All our ideas ended up sounding incredibly illegal, and so we were resigned to our fate... That being the Easyjet home the following morning.
We smoked every bit of green we had left that night and it was yet again gone 5am when we eventually drifted off to sleep...
...In what seemed like a blink of an eye, i awoke to the alarm clock on the table next to me... It really is the most disturbing sound in the world... I felt totally drained of energy as the trip back home loomed over my head like a black cloud.
Good Morning(Taken as soon as I woke and realised I had to leave)
After aggressively stuffing my crumpled clothes back into my bag, and hiding the various hashes i had in random shirts and pants, i was ready to leave the hideaway for the last time this trip...
Luggage
We say goodbye to Mo, and left for Centraal Station.
After arriving at the Airport and noticing our flight was flashing the "Final Boarding" message on the screens... We awake from our melancholy in an instant and run the 26 miles to our gate, only to find it desolate except for one Easyjet employee who was busy texting on her iPhone, and looks up just long enough to point out the door and say, "Hurry"!
As we get on the plane and find our seats, the doors are shut behind us, and the safety briefing starts... It was a matter of minutes before we were taxiing down the runway and up into the air...
...We really should be late more often!
And so ends another visit to my favourite place... Already looking for a cheap deal near Christmas to enjoy the city's colder, darker and cosier side...
Let's just hope we can continue to enjoy this unique city for a few more years.
...Thanks for reading.