Banshee Beat trip report #2: 18/04 - 22/04
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banshee beat
- Posts: 302
- Joined: Wed 14th Nov 2012 10:49 pm
- Location: UK/MALAWI
Re: Banshee Beat trip report #2: 18/04 - 22/04
No I think you're right about the shots and stuff with ZA. And in regards to my memory, I deliberately took as detailed notes as possible for the sake of a report - so you can put it down to cheating!
Off is the new on
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banshee beat
- Posts: 302
- Joined: Wed 14th Nov 2012 10:49 pm
- Location: UK/MALAWI
Re: Banshee Beat trip report #2: 18/04 - 22/04
DAY 4
420 may not have been the longest day for in terms of hours but it was definitely packed and heavy. So after long, slow start to the day, I decided against visiting Artis Royal because the weather had taken a turn. No matter, it's Amsterdam - there's always something to do!
Club Media - I went up the road a bit and arrived here. I walked into the dealer's booth to find a slightly surly female BT. Despite a strange attitude, she obligingly showed me the champagne haze, pink and hindu kush. Champagne smelt just as it should but no good looking buds, pink looked pretty great but smell was fairly non-existant, so I settled on a gram of hindu kush for €11. The bud I got wasn't trimmed that well but in a way that I really don't mind because the leaves were so insanely frosty it made no difference to me. Seriously, this was by far the most sugarcoated weed I had all trip. The smell was a mix of a very sweet skunky smell with the musk of a pure indica - kind of like your OG kushes but a bit heavier on the musk (although this stuff literally is The OG Kush...). I was buzzed through and entered the very open-plan coffeeshop. It was pretty empty seeing as it was midday on a monday but the locals' vibe was very friendly so I sat down on a decent armchair and enjoyed a hash joint and cup of tea - can't be starting the day on a pure indica
. I finally got some wifi and discovered that elasticband had called off the boat trip due to weather and that the crew were up at another coffeeshop so I figured 'why be antisocial?' and made my way straight up to...
Coffeeshop 137 - I walk in to be greeted by Bifton, Danny, Lemming, J, ftcarer & eldest, and Occasional Bowl making their way through the stash that Trashcanman had left the day before. I was happy to lend them a hand in the process.. Just doing by bit, y'know
... I didn't make any weed purchases here, just teas, but the menu did look ok from what I remember. I put my gram of HK into one lovely joint so as not to rely to heavily on the trashcanstash. That sugariness paid off - the stone was very much a lumbering couchlock. Tasted just like it smelt. The session was pretty heavily underway and I was somewhat surprised by the fact that people weren't looking worse for ware at all even though it was still very early in the day. Kudos to you guys, you make the rest of us stoners look bad! Somebody initiated the volcano and we were several bags deep before I realised how wasted I was. It was only about 3!! But those vape bags were very tasty so at least my attention was drawn to something.
Utopia - I gather that everybody was here before 137 and decided to come back. They walked, I had a quick bit of lunch round the corner then cycled and got there first. Gapie was sitting on his own and seemingly prerolling a bunch of joints. I had another lovely chat with Ingi and another free bit of tea. We're spoilt here, we really are. To be honest there was nothing on the menu at that moment that really grabbed me (that I hadn't already had) so I just settled down and rolled my last joint fro my stash, which was the end of the frencheese cream from Betty's. The cavalry arrived just as I finished rolling and took their places to partake in another session. I have no idea what was smoked then to be honest, I just remember having a great time chatting and genuinely enjoying the wonderful atmosphere of the coffeeshop. Oh, and Ingi running outside to tell a young girl that she couldn't sit there!!
The rain had called it a day and the sun had come out of nowhere so I decided to get up and get at least one 'cultural' visit done for the day. I went to check out Foam, which is a museum/gallery of photography. It's fantastic. Never mind the rijksmuseum, the van gogh, the whatever... You don't have be some kind of wanky pretentious artsnob or pretend to be really into photography to thoroughly enjoy this place. The layout alone is quite stunning, the way they've converted the inside of a classic canalhouse to have these vast open spaces. And of course the art itself is fantastic. Just photography of all different styles as well as a look into the technical side of cameras etc. It's fascinating to me because my dad was a photographer and it's always been something that's really attracted me but I'm pretty hopeless in terms of understanding how it works or how to do it well. You don't need to be a musician to get immersed in a song, so I don't need to be a photographer to get lost in an image. Being very stoned was helpful with that too
I started to make my way back to Voyagers for 5.30/6 for FT's final smoke out but on my way I stopped off at a charming little family run patisserie where Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal meets Dam Sq, on the same side of the road as HGF. I could remember someone on the forum suggesting it a while ago, saying how they must've walked past a million times but never been in. Think it was Matty. Dunno. But anyway I remembered this and decided to go in for a little snack. Great decision!! You should check this place out - super friendly staff and reeeaaally good looking food. I think it's called Melly's Cookie Bar or something like that. Anyway I got a delicious slice of lemon & ginger cake and made my way to the next stop.
Voyagers - Gapie, FT & son, Danny, and two guys who I wasn't introduced to (although now I gather one of them was Jack Ganja) were sitting at a table by the door so I dumped my bag and headed straight for the counter. I said hello to Highly Blessed, who then served me and recommended the lemon bubble. I already knew
so I got a half gram for €5.50 as well as a gram of kosher kush which was back at the top of the menu for €15. LB was still a luscious tasting smoke, so much so that everybody around the table knew what they were smoking before I had to tell them. Now I was almost setting myself up for disappointment with the kosher because the last batch I had (precup Nov '13) was some of the best and strongest weed I've ever had in Dam, as I'm sure many will attest, but this batch was actually really good. It looked how it looked before - quite pale green with a couple of bits of very dark green leaf and very pale brown hairs - and smelt like it's meant to. It was definitely a heavy smoke as always and for some reason I could especially feel it almost shooting through and numbing my legs. Weird sensation but very enjoyable indeed. We smoked and chatted until it was time for the ft's to head off, at which point we said our hearty goodbyes and nice-to-meet-ya's, and went our separate ways.
I soon ended up back at my place for some dinner and another smoke. I got a decent shirt on and went off on a bike wander. I took in the evening scenary, the canals, the architecture and the people for one of the last times. I think my route covered a very large chunk of the old south, up through Jordaan, down the grachtengordel and to Leidesplein to find Jazz Café Alto. After some confusion and going past it once or twice without realising, I finally walked into this infamous jazz joint to spend my last evening in Dam in style. I grabbed a bar stool and sat at the wall table watching an immensely lively piano trio do their think for hours while making my way through a fair few Amstels. These guys were on fire. I think they perform there every monday night or something like that. They even threw a sly reinterpretation of Pharrell's 'Happy' into one section. Not a fan of the song but definitely a fan of being surprised by snippets of pop music in the middle of a jazz show! Really great atmosphere in there, friendly staff, cool old posters covering every bit of wall - I had a really good time here and will be returning without a shadow of a doubt. I left around midnight and made my way back down to De Pijp and my last night coffeeshop stop.
De Graal - I was served by a very young female BT who didn't seem to know anything about any of the products but was trying her very best none the less. The super cream was back in stock so I didn't need an explanation and got 2g for €26. One of my very favourite hashes. Very easy to work with at any temperature, brilliant spicey moroc smell and taste. Didn't smoke it till the next day. I had a looked at one or two of the outdoor weeds as they had a big selection but they just smelt like any other outdoor stuff and I can't get just as good or better out here so I passed. I had a look at the LA confidential and grabbed myself a half gram for €6.50 and a mint tea with my remaining money. I went to sit upstairs this time with the chameleon and found myself another very comfortable armchair. I put my half g of LA con into a joint and started puffing. Wow. That was definitely the strongest smoke of my trip (bar the oily balls). Can barely remember smell or taste but I know I was very much satisfied. Hit me immediately in the head and had me entirely zoned out for quite a while. When I came to, my body was numb from head to toe. Serious talk, this stuff will fuck you right up... In a good way
... And just as I was really settling into my stone, a man came and sat next to me. This was weird as the place was pretty much empty, so it was like being on an empty beach and someone coming and laying their towel right by yours. Anyway I was a tad oblivious to my surroundings so I didn't take much notice until he turned to me and said something like "ben je gelukkig?" to which I replied "excuse me?". He reiterated his question in English; are you happy? I said "I am right now". He asked why. I said "because I'm here". He started talking to me about life and general philosophies by which to live one's life. He seemed very wise and insightful until he changed the pace and started talking about how the government didn't accept him because he refused to embrace technology. His talk turned into a rant and the rant soon descended into full scale melee with arms flailing and voice raised. So not what I was feeling. So not what I wanted to be dealing with. Luckily he soon moved on a took his crazy downstairs but at this point my smooth vibe had already been diminished to an extent so I decided to call it a night. The place was about to shut anyway so I figured I'd leave him to the professionals.
Despite the general buzzkill that was Mr. I Don't Own A Computer, I had a pretty perfect last evening. And once again, that LA simply wiped me out. Really, I was so high that when I got home and tried to roll a little joint of SC, I genuinely couldn't do it. That may be the first time that's happened in many many years. I thought it was a default bodily function but apparently not. One could attribute it to the beers but I didn't feel at all drunk before smoking in De Graal so I'm gonna put it down to THC content. Hit the bed like a beached whale. KO. TBC...
420 may not have been the longest day for in terms of hours but it was definitely packed and heavy. So after long, slow start to the day, I decided against visiting Artis Royal because the weather had taken a turn. No matter, it's Amsterdam - there's always something to do!
Club Media - I went up the road a bit and arrived here. I walked into the dealer's booth to find a slightly surly female BT. Despite a strange attitude, she obligingly showed me the champagne haze, pink and hindu kush. Champagne smelt just as it should but no good looking buds, pink looked pretty great but smell was fairly non-existant, so I settled on a gram of hindu kush for €11. The bud I got wasn't trimmed that well but in a way that I really don't mind because the leaves were so insanely frosty it made no difference to me. Seriously, this was by far the most sugarcoated weed I had all trip. The smell was a mix of a very sweet skunky smell with the musk of a pure indica - kind of like your OG kushes but a bit heavier on the musk (although this stuff literally is The OG Kush...). I was buzzed through and entered the very open-plan coffeeshop. It was pretty empty seeing as it was midday on a monday but the locals' vibe was very friendly so I sat down on a decent armchair and enjoyed a hash joint and cup of tea - can't be starting the day on a pure indica
. I finally got some wifi and discovered that elasticband had called off the boat trip due to weather and that the crew were up at another coffeeshop so I figured 'why be antisocial?' and made my way straight up to...Coffeeshop 137 - I walk in to be greeted by Bifton, Danny, Lemming, J, ftcarer & eldest, and Occasional Bowl making their way through the stash that Trashcanman had left the day before. I was happy to lend them a hand in the process.. Just doing by bit, y'know
... I didn't make any weed purchases here, just teas, but the menu did look ok from what I remember. I put my gram of HK into one lovely joint so as not to rely to heavily on the trashcanstash. That sugariness paid off - the stone was very much a lumbering couchlock. Tasted just like it smelt. The session was pretty heavily underway and I was somewhat surprised by the fact that people weren't looking worse for ware at all even though it was still very early in the day. Kudos to you guys, you make the rest of us stoners look bad! Somebody initiated the volcano and we were several bags deep before I realised how wasted I was. It was only about 3!! But those vape bags were very tasty so at least my attention was drawn to something.Utopia - I gather that everybody was here before 137 and decided to come back. They walked, I had a quick bit of lunch round the corner then cycled and got there first. Gapie was sitting on his own and seemingly prerolling a bunch of joints. I had another lovely chat with Ingi and another free bit of tea. We're spoilt here, we really are. To be honest there was nothing on the menu at that moment that really grabbed me (that I hadn't already had) so I just settled down and rolled my last joint fro my stash, which was the end of the frencheese cream from Betty's. The cavalry arrived just as I finished rolling and took their places to partake in another session. I have no idea what was smoked then to be honest, I just remember having a great time chatting and genuinely enjoying the wonderful atmosphere of the coffeeshop. Oh, and Ingi running outside to tell a young girl that she couldn't sit there!!
The rain had called it a day and the sun had come out of nowhere so I decided to get up and get at least one 'cultural' visit done for the day. I went to check out Foam, which is a museum/gallery of photography. It's fantastic. Never mind the rijksmuseum, the van gogh, the whatever... You don't have be some kind of wanky pretentious artsnob or pretend to be really into photography to thoroughly enjoy this place. The layout alone is quite stunning, the way they've converted the inside of a classic canalhouse to have these vast open spaces. And of course the art itself is fantastic. Just photography of all different styles as well as a look into the technical side of cameras etc. It's fascinating to me because my dad was a photographer and it's always been something that's really attracted me but I'm pretty hopeless in terms of understanding how it works or how to do it well. You don't need to be a musician to get immersed in a song, so I don't need to be a photographer to get lost in an image. Being very stoned was helpful with that too
I started to make my way back to Voyagers for 5.30/6 for FT's final smoke out but on my way I stopped off at a charming little family run patisserie where Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal meets Dam Sq, on the same side of the road as HGF. I could remember someone on the forum suggesting it a while ago, saying how they must've walked past a million times but never been in. Think it was Matty. Dunno. But anyway I remembered this and decided to go in for a little snack. Great decision!! You should check this place out - super friendly staff and reeeaaally good looking food. I think it's called Melly's Cookie Bar or something like that. Anyway I got a delicious slice of lemon & ginger cake and made my way to the next stop.
Voyagers - Gapie, FT & son, Danny, and two guys who I wasn't introduced to (although now I gather one of them was Jack Ganja) were sitting at a table by the door so I dumped my bag and headed straight for the counter. I said hello to Highly Blessed, who then served me and recommended the lemon bubble. I already knew
so I got a half gram for €5.50 as well as a gram of kosher kush which was back at the top of the menu for €15. LB was still a luscious tasting smoke, so much so that everybody around the table knew what they were smoking before I had to tell them. Now I was almost setting myself up for disappointment with the kosher because the last batch I had (precup Nov '13) was some of the best and strongest weed I've ever had in Dam, as I'm sure many will attest, but this batch was actually really good. It looked how it looked before - quite pale green with a couple of bits of very dark green leaf and very pale brown hairs - and smelt like it's meant to. It was definitely a heavy smoke as always and for some reason I could especially feel it almost shooting through and numbing my legs. Weird sensation but very enjoyable indeed. We smoked and chatted until it was time for the ft's to head off, at which point we said our hearty goodbyes and nice-to-meet-ya's, and went our separate ways. I soon ended up back at my place for some dinner and another smoke. I got a decent shirt on and went off on a bike wander. I took in the evening scenary, the canals, the architecture and the people for one of the last times. I think my route covered a very large chunk of the old south, up through Jordaan, down the grachtengordel and to Leidesplein to find Jazz Café Alto. After some confusion and going past it once or twice without realising, I finally walked into this infamous jazz joint to spend my last evening in Dam in style. I grabbed a bar stool and sat at the wall table watching an immensely lively piano trio do their think for hours while making my way through a fair few Amstels. These guys were on fire. I think they perform there every monday night or something like that. They even threw a sly reinterpretation of Pharrell's 'Happy' into one section. Not a fan of the song but definitely a fan of being surprised by snippets of pop music in the middle of a jazz show! Really great atmosphere in there, friendly staff, cool old posters covering every bit of wall - I had a really good time here and will be returning without a shadow of a doubt. I left around midnight and made my way back down to De Pijp and my last night coffeeshop stop.
De Graal - I was served by a very young female BT who didn't seem to know anything about any of the products but was trying her very best none the less. The super cream was back in stock so I didn't need an explanation and got 2g for €26. One of my very favourite hashes. Very easy to work with at any temperature, brilliant spicey moroc smell and taste. Didn't smoke it till the next day. I had a looked at one or two of the outdoor weeds as they had a big selection but they just smelt like any other outdoor stuff and I can't get just as good or better out here so I passed. I had a look at the LA confidential and grabbed myself a half gram for €6.50 and a mint tea with my remaining money. I went to sit upstairs this time with the chameleon and found myself another very comfortable armchair. I put my half g of LA con into a joint and started puffing. Wow. That was definitely the strongest smoke of my trip (bar the oily balls). Can barely remember smell or taste but I know I was very much satisfied. Hit me immediately in the head and had me entirely zoned out for quite a while. When I came to, my body was numb from head to toe. Serious talk, this stuff will fuck you right up... In a good way
... And just as I was really settling into my stone, a man came and sat next to me. This was weird as the place was pretty much empty, so it was like being on an empty beach and someone coming and laying their towel right by yours. Anyway I was a tad oblivious to my surroundings so I didn't take much notice until he turned to me and said something like "ben je gelukkig?" to which I replied "excuse me?". He reiterated his question in English; are you happy? I said "I am right now". He asked why. I said "because I'm here". He started talking to me about life and general philosophies by which to live one's life. He seemed very wise and insightful until he changed the pace and started talking about how the government didn't accept him because he refused to embrace technology. His talk turned into a rant and the rant soon descended into full scale melee with arms flailing and voice raised. So not what I was feeling. So not what I wanted to be dealing with. Luckily he soon moved on a took his crazy downstairs but at this point my smooth vibe had already been diminished to an extent so I decided to call it a night. The place was about to shut anyway so I figured I'd leave him to the professionals.Despite the general buzzkill that was Mr. I Don't Own A Computer, I had a pretty perfect last evening. And once again, that LA simply wiped me out. Really, I was so high that when I got home and tried to roll a little joint of SC, I genuinely couldn't do it. That may be the first time that's happened in many many years. I thought it was a default bodily function but apparently not. One could attribute it to the beers but I didn't feel at all drunk before smoking in De Graal so I'm gonna put it down to THC content. Hit the bed like a beached whale. KO. TBC...
Off is the new on
Re: Banshee Beat trip report #2: 18/04 - 22/04
Great post thanks for sharing, i agree with Green Place, absolutely horrible service for such a nice place
Re: Banshee Beat trip report #2: 18/04 - 22/04
Super write -up with a nice detailed smoke report, thanks.
AzLaker
AzLaker
If you never do, you'll never know.
Re: Banshee Beat trip report #2: 18/04 - 22/04
Nice report....but in the words of me an my mom...they guy was a "HighSnatcher"
I say avoid these types lol! Great read
I say avoid these types lol! Great read
http://www.hash2k.com
instagram/twitter @Hash2k
instagram/twitter @Hash2k
Re: Banshee Beat trip report #2: 18/04 - 22/04
Nice report! Kudos 
"Stoners... the only thing that bakes at room temperature..."
Re: Banshee Beat trip report #2: 18/04 - 22/04
Awesome report:)
Edibles on a plane is my middle fucking name
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spidergawd
- Posts: 4420
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Re: Banshee Beat trip report #2: 18/04 - 22/04
I've really enjoyed reading your write up, great fun, thanks a lot.
What a long strange trip it is.
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banshee beat
- Posts: 302
- Joined: Wed 14th Nov 2012 10:49 pm
- Location: UK/MALAWI
Re: Banshee Beat trip report #2: 18/04 - 22/04
DAY 5 - LAST DAY
I woke at a decent hour to realise it was my last day
... Better make the most of it as I won't be back in this metropolis for a year at the very very least. I'm very happy on reflection because I pretty much did everything I wanted to do and visited all the coffeeshops I wanted to that will have shut the next time I come. I tidied up my apartment and left the key for my fantastic host**. I walked my bike down the road to drop it back off. I had kept it two days longer than originally intended but it was totally worth it. For €36 I got around with ease, got to see the city from a perspective I haven't had in many trips' time, and a certain level of pleasure that's not really attainable when your feet start to hurt from walking on pavement for too long. Round the corner from the bike shop was Albert Heijn, where I dropped in to get some dutch pastries and various treats for the folks back home. When I walked out and came across a really nice looking cafe so I stopped off for a little bit of breakfast. The place was really nicely decorated with high ceilings and an upstairs indoor balcony where you can eat your food. I got myself a strange dutch breakfast thing (I still have no clue what it was) that was pretty bready, slightly sweet, and fully delicious. The place is called Boulangerie 1072 - it's a really delightful place run by an endearing group of women so I highly recommend it if you're in the area.
My next destination was Waterlooplein, but I had plenty of time on my hands so I decided to walk there despite having to lug my bag. I smoked a joint of super cream (the one I never got round to rolling last night) and made my way through the canals until I came to Bushdoctor. I considered going in but I had limited money and we all know how costly that place can be so I continued up through Rembrandtplein. I passed by where I thought Arabica Lounge was but it seems to not be there anymore. Would've been nice to see as this was the first coffeeshop I ever smoked in but NOT the first coffeeshop I made a purchase in. The story behind that being that in 2009, I was a stupid 18 year old and bought something in Greenhouse Namaste (having heard so much about the mystical Greenhouse franchises) and was then told that I had to be 21 to sit in there. Assholes. Anyway I reached the Waterloopleinmarkt, that I love so much, and browsed my way through the awesome junk and trinkets. I eventually settled on a pink faux-denim Levi's shirt for €8 and some kind of strange Turkish glass vile for €4, and with these in tow I walked up to...
Bluebird - Unfortunately the outside benches were taken up so I made my way straight up to the bud counter where I was greeted by Spliphy2. What a pleasant surprise! I had stonily forgotten that when I was royally mangled last night in De Graal (post-LA, pre-psychopath) I had posted on the forum that I intended to be in Bluebird at around 2. I must've had some luck on my side because despite having totally forgotten about the post, I actually turned up at 2! Anyway, I had a look at the menu but to my massive disappointment, no water pressed afghaan. To fill the void I asked the friendly female BT to show me the heaviest black hash and the sweetest black hash they had. She seemed vaguely excited with this request and came back immediately with a 0.8g bag of otta and a 0.8g bag of nepal cream, each for €12.50. I was very pleased by the sweet oily smell and very pliable texture of the NC and put my trust into the otta despite it not having much of a smell and being pretty solid, so I got both of them. I got a drink for Spliphy and I, and sat down with him to smoke some hash. Once again, I rolled up a joint of the SC from Graal because it was really pleasing in terms of a floaty head high and just tasted so... Spicey and moroc-y just like it should. I would later discover (at home) that the BT's recommendations were spot on - the NC was very sweet indeed and a nice but relatively light stone, whereas the otta was very mild in taste but definitely a noticeable indica strength. Good choices! Anyway, I had a really good time talking to Spliphy about Africa, genetics, and the fascination that we share for each other's very different life and home. At some point, Danny and Bifton turned up for a smoke and a chat but the session was slightly shortlived as there were still a couple of places I wanted to go to before leaving Mokum behind. We said our fairwells to Spliphy2 and had a relaxed walk up past the Nieuwmarkt, taking in the canal scenery for one last time before reaching my final coffeeshop stop.
Voyagers - To my dismay, I was limited on funds and time so I didn't actually make a purchase here but instead sat with Bifton and Danny and smoked a little bit more of my hash). We sat in my favourite place (the big low couch) in the relatively empty shop while they both rolled up some of their testing tuesday purchases. I gotta say, I'm disappointed I didn't get some of this stuff because it looked like some of the very nicest bud I'd seen all trip. Reeaally lovely smell and just fantastically grown, dried and cured. These buds were rock solid. I mean I was actually trying to be a dick and squeeze them as much as I could but they were tough as hell. Tasted just as smelt - potent and stunningly candy-like. Thanks once again to Bifton for trying his very best to give me a joint for free but I just couldn't accept it because... Well.. I didn't want to smoke much weed before a flight (hash only on flight days) and more to the point, I'm terrible at being gracious. But seriously, thanks because you were putting the utmost effort into breaking down my barrier So anyway, we had another shortlived sesh before I decided to hop up and complete my solo mission. Just as I did, Gapie and DRA walked in but I unfortunately couldn't stick around to smoke one last one with them. I said my goodbyes and my see-ya-next-time's and left the plume of smoke behind.
I walked round the corner to my favourite café in Amsterdam. One I've been to on every single trip and will continue to visit on every trip in the future - Prins Heerlijk. This place is just a little breakfast cafe/sandwich joint at the very top of Warmoesstraat, where it meets Prins Hendrikkade and that big fancy looking hotel. I had my usual pancakes with dutch bacon, a fried egg and syrup, and chatted with my favourite member of staff (who I always assume is the manager) the beautiful arian lady in the late 30's who always remembers my face and makes an effort to talk even if they're busy. Such a charming little place, I'll never not come here at least once. It's my duty.
Having filled my belly which Dutch food for one last time, I made my final stop at Batavia which I feel I'd unfairly disregarded this time round. I got a pint of some kind of Dutch pilsner and made my way down to the smoking lounge where, luckily, the window seat had been saved for me by the gods of fate. I sat there enjoying my final smoke and watching the waves on people come in and out of Voyagers while the ducks and the coots swam on the canal below. I had got my ball of SC down to just under a gram so it was time to chuck it into my bag and cross my fingers to see it on the other side. As I realised I was cutting it a bit short to make my flight, I started drinking and smoking at more of a conscious pace. It was as I was doing this that I realised that this had been my favourite time in the city, even though it was my tenth. I never felt like I was doing anything I didn't want to do, I never felt rushed, I never felt pressured, I was always marching to the beat of my own banshee. I want to say it was lucky that everything ran so smoothly but it wasn't just luck - it was the fact that this was exactly what I wanted to do and exactly what I had planned to do so it would've taken quite a lot to get in the way of my satisfaction. So once again, thanks to everyone who made my holiday even better and I hope you felt as content as I did when I was getting on that train back to Schipol. Although I had the leaving blues, this time it felt different because I really didn't feel that there was anything that I'd omitted. Job well done.
**Big thanks again to Matty for pointing me in the direction of Airbnb - I don't think I'll ever stay in a hotel/hostel again. It was very easy to use, granted me a pretty flawless place to stay, and saved me a wad of money
I woke at a decent hour to realise it was my last day
... Better make the most of it as I won't be back in this metropolis for a year at the very very least. I'm very happy on reflection because I pretty much did everything I wanted to do and visited all the coffeeshops I wanted to that will have shut the next time I come. I tidied up my apartment and left the key for my fantastic host**. I walked my bike down the road to drop it back off. I had kept it two days longer than originally intended but it was totally worth it. For €36 I got around with ease, got to see the city from a perspective I haven't had in many trips' time, and a certain level of pleasure that's not really attainable when your feet start to hurt from walking on pavement for too long. Round the corner from the bike shop was Albert Heijn, where I dropped in to get some dutch pastries and various treats for the folks back home. When I walked out and came across a really nice looking cafe so I stopped off for a little bit of breakfast. The place was really nicely decorated with high ceilings and an upstairs indoor balcony where you can eat your food. I got myself a strange dutch breakfast thing (I still have no clue what it was) that was pretty bready, slightly sweet, and fully delicious. The place is called Boulangerie 1072 - it's a really delightful place run by an endearing group of women so I highly recommend it if you're in the area.My next destination was Waterlooplein, but I had plenty of time on my hands so I decided to walk there despite having to lug my bag. I smoked a joint of super cream (the one I never got round to rolling last night) and made my way through the canals until I came to Bushdoctor. I considered going in but I had limited money and we all know how costly that place can be so I continued up through Rembrandtplein. I passed by where I thought Arabica Lounge was but it seems to not be there anymore. Would've been nice to see as this was the first coffeeshop I ever smoked in but NOT the first coffeeshop I made a purchase in. The story behind that being that in 2009, I was a stupid 18 year old and bought something in Greenhouse Namaste (having heard so much about the mystical Greenhouse franchises) and was then told that I had to be 21 to sit in there. Assholes. Anyway I reached the Waterloopleinmarkt, that I love so much, and browsed my way through the awesome junk and trinkets. I eventually settled on a pink faux-denim Levi's shirt for €8 and some kind of strange Turkish glass vile for €4, and with these in tow I walked up to...
Bluebird - Unfortunately the outside benches were taken up so I made my way straight up to the bud counter where I was greeted by Spliphy2. What a pleasant surprise! I had stonily forgotten that when I was royally mangled last night in De Graal (post-LA, pre-psychopath) I had posted on the forum that I intended to be in Bluebird at around 2. I must've had some luck on my side because despite having totally forgotten about the post, I actually turned up at 2! Anyway, I had a look at the menu but to my massive disappointment, no water pressed afghaan. To fill the void I asked the friendly female BT to show me the heaviest black hash and the sweetest black hash they had. She seemed vaguely excited with this request and came back immediately with a 0.8g bag of otta and a 0.8g bag of nepal cream, each for €12.50. I was very pleased by the sweet oily smell and very pliable texture of the NC and put my trust into the otta despite it not having much of a smell and being pretty solid, so I got both of them. I got a drink for Spliphy and I, and sat down with him to smoke some hash. Once again, I rolled up a joint of the SC from Graal because it was really pleasing in terms of a floaty head high and just tasted so... Spicey and moroc-y just like it should. I would later discover (at home) that the BT's recommendations were spot on - the NC was very sweet indeed and a nice but relatively light stone, whereas the otta was very mild in taste but definitely a noticeable indica strength. Good choices! Anyway, I had a really good time talking to Spliphy about Africa, genetics, and the fascination that we share for each other's very different life and home. At some point, Danny and Bifton turned up for a smoke and a chat but the session was slightly shortlived as there were still a couple of places I wanted to go to before leaving Mokum behind. We said our fairwells to Spliphy2 and had a relaxed walk up past the Nieuwmarkt, taking in the canal scenery for one last time before reaching my final coffeeshop stop.
Voyagers - To my dismay, I was limited on funds and time so I didn't actually make a purchase here but instead sat with Bifton and Danny and smoked a little bit more of my hash). We sat in my favourite place (the big low couch) in the relatively empty shop while they both rolled up some of their testing tuesday purchases. I gotta say, I'm disappointed I didn't get some of this stuff because it looked like some of the very nicest bud I'd seen all trip. Reeaally lovely smell and just fantastically grown, dried and cured. These buds were rock solid. I mean I was actually trying to be a dick and squeeze them as much as I could but they were tough as hell. Tasted just as smelt - potent and stunningly candy-like. Thanks once again to Bifton for trying his very best to give me a joint for free but I just couldn't accept it because... Well.. I didn't want to smoke much weed before a flight (hash only on flight days) and more to the point, I'm terrible at being gracious. But seriously, thanks because you were putting the utmost effort into breaking down my barrier
So anyway, we had another shortlived sesh before I decided to hop up and complete my solo mission. Just as I did, Gapie and DRA walked in but I unfortunately couldn't stick around to smoke one last one with them. I said my goodbyes and my see-ya-next-time's and left the plume of smoke behind.I walked round the corner to my favourite café in Amsterdam. One I've been to on every single trip and will continue to visit on every trip in the future - Prins Heerlijk. This place is just a little breakfast cafe/sandwich joint at the very top of Warmoesstraat, where it meets Prins Hendrikkade and that big fancy looking hotel. I had my usual pancakes with dutch bacon, a fried egg and syrup, and chatted with my favourite member of staff (who I always assume is the manager) the beautiful arian lady in the late 30's who always remembers my face and makes an effort to talk even if they're busy. Such a charming little place, I'll never not come here at least once. It's my duty.
Having filled my belly which Dutch food for one last time, I made my final stop at Batavia which I feel I'd unfairly disregarded this time round. I got a pint of some kind of Dutch pilsner and made my way down to the smoking lounge where, luckily, the window seat had been saved for me by the gods of fate. I sat there enjoying my final smoke and watching the waves on people come in and out of Voyagers while the ducks and the coots swam on the canal below. I had got my ball of SC down to just under a gram so it was time to chuck it into my bag and cross my fingers to see it on the other side. As I realised I was cutting it a bit short to make my flight, I started drinking and smoking at more of a conscious pace. It was as I was doing this that I realised that this had been my favourite time in the city, even though it was my tenth. I never felt like I was doing anything I didn't want to do, I never felt rushed, I never felt pressured, I was always marching to the beat of my own banshee. I want to say it was lucky that everything ran so smoothly but it wasn't just luck - it was the fact that this was exactly what I wanted to do and exactly what I had planned to do so it would've taken quite a lot to get in the way of my satisfaction. So once again, thanks to everyone who made my holiday even better and I hope you felt as content as I did when I was getting on that train back to Schipol. Although I had the leaving blues, this time it felt different because I really didn't feel that there was anything that I'd omitted. Job well done.
**Big thanks again to Matty for pointing me in the direction of Airbnb - I don't think I'll ever stay in a hotel/hostel again. It was very easy to use, granted me a pretty flawless place to stay, and saved me a wad of money
Off is the new on
Re: Banshee Beat trip report #2: 18/04 - 22/04
Great finish to a great read
Again , great to meet you hopefully we will be able to get even more wrecked next year
Again , great to meet you
hopefully we will be able to get even more wrecked next year Sending out the good vibes to those that need them right now 
Re: Banshee Beat trip report #2: 18/04 - 22/04
Nice final write up. Was a great read, thanks.
AzLaker
AzLaker
If you never do, you'll never know.
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Willjay
- Posts: 2573
- Joined: Fri 2nd Oct 2009 08:28 pm
- Location: The keystone state, in the land of prohibition
Re: Banshee Beat trip report #2: 18/04 - 22/04
Thanks
www.stopthedrugwar.org
www.mpp.org
www.drugpolicy.org
www.mpp.org
www.drugpolicy.org
Re: Banshee Beat trip report #2: 18/04 - 22/04
Fantastic report
Thanks for sharing
Thanks for sharing
Jail for growing a plant laughed the gypsy!
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worldcitizen1723
- Posts: 1122
- Joined: Mon 1st Mar 2010 12:10 am
Re: Banshee Beat trip report #2: 18/04 - 22/04
Great write up of your holiday. Glad everything went great for you (except the annoyance at de Graal).
It was good to meet you and hear about Malawi first hand. I hear Mt. Mulanji Gold is the ticket if you can find it. I have 4 Bradt Guides of different African countries and the Lonely Planet Guide for ZA. Maybe one day I'll get to the continent. Best wishes to what you are curing also. It really sounded interesting.
Even though the U.S. is coming online with a lot of legalization, still, Amsterdam will not lose its charm for some time to come. There is so much to do and see along with the history and museums.
All the best,
s.
It was good to meet you and hear about Malawi first hand. I hear Mt. Mulanji Gold is the ticket if you can find it. I have 4 Bradt Guides of different African countries and the Lonely Planet Guide for ZA. Maybe one day I'll get to the continent. Best wishes to what you are curing also. It really sounded interesting.
Even though the U.S. is coming online with a lot of legalization, still, Amsterdam will not lose its charm for some time to come. There is so much to do and see along with the history and museums.
All the best,
s.