Early morning and I still have to do half a day of work before the fun starts.
Before starting work I have a quick look at my non-work emails and check the Forum.
I see Occasional Bowl has already started a 420 Live thread and posted that he's setting off from Adge Cutler International.
Lunch time and I'm free.
OB is already there and we can finally head off ourselves.
We also fly out of Adge Cutler (Bristol) International.
Our Amsterdam Stay apartment is near the Elandsgracht bus station so I decide to take the 197 bus rather than the train.
It's quite strange not to experience that homecoming feeling of emerging from Centraal Station.
We're staying at apartment Cosy.
I know that Amsterdam Escape/Stay have a Volcano so I requested borrowing it.
The apartment looks lovely, our landlady is delightful and, best of all, the Volcano is sitting on a glass table by the door.
Essentials (large carton of Chocomel) duly purchased from Elandsgracht Albert Heijn and dinner at Billy Thais eaten, it's off to Sound Garden.
Approaching the front door we hear music.
The door is shut and a sign directs us to the side entrance.
Peering through the window we see a band playing.
In through the garden and up to the bar.
Buy a cider for J and a beer for me.
After a few slurps I leave J at the bar while I pop into 1e Hulp for a quick buy and fly.
Outrageously I've been in Amsterdam for a couple of hours and not had a joint yet.
First Aid
Back at Sound Garden I drag J out into the garden so I can skin up.
Singelgracht from back of Sound garden
Sitting looking over the canal is delightful but there is a chilly breeze tonight so we retreat back inside.
The band is good and have drawn quite a crowd.
Suddenly out of the crowd a guy says "Amsterdam Coffeeshop Directory?"
He introduces himself as 'fraidofspiders'.
I tell him I'm Lemming and he says that he recognised me from my picture here.
Over more spliffs in the garden and interludes watching the band we chat about our lives until it's time for fraidofspiders to catch the last tram to where he's staying.
With the band now finished, J and I take up the table by the door with a view of Funky Munkey across the street.
Table in Sound Garden and Funky Munkey through the window
Back at the apartment it's time to get the Volcano out.
I pick up the box and realise there are actually two boxes.
One is labelled Volcano Classic and the other Solid Valve.
Inside I find that the Volcano is in a plastic bag and the balloon looks unused.
This isn't the old Escape Volcano, it’s a brand new one!
I spend the following hour or so working my way through some of my purchases from Eerste Hulp.
J has a few lungfulls but most goes into me.
My home Volcano is 10 years old.
Back then there was only one design and it came in a single box with a roll of roasting bags.
The one in the apartment is almost identical except that all of the parts are branded, including the balloons.
It seems to be faster and more efficient than mine.
I'm enjoying using this new machine.
Amsterdam Escape's new Volcano
OK, OK, I'm avoiding the obvious question.
My colleagues on this adventure somehow manage to remember everything they smoked and what it did to them.
I'm rubbish at this.
After a couple of joints I've forgotten everything and adopt a stupid grin.
I rarely remember what I bought and often, when there are joints, bongs and vaporizers flying around all over the place, I don't even know what I'm smoking in the first place.
Basically I was blitzed after the first joint at Sound Garden and kept that state topped up for a week.
I know I had some fantastic weed and hash in all of its forms but I can name very little of it.
Having said that, I do remember that my first few purchases from 1st Hulp included Strawberry Sour Diesel.
Even at night the view over Passeerdersgracht from the apartment is lovely.
Sucking on Volcano bags and looking out of the window.
Good night.
Passeerdersgracht and Eerste Passeerdersdwarsstraat
