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After reading many travelogues while waiting for my own trips to Amsterdam to come up, I've decided that this time I would actually take notes and be able to contribute to this section afterwards. And actually I managed to do that so here goes my 5 day trip report from August 22nd until 26th 2016.


August 22nd - Day 1

After I had already travelled to Amsterdam this past March, I still felt the urge to return soon. I just didn't get out of the hotel the last time, mostly because some fellow travelers managed not to leave the house before 4pm on some days. So I packed my bags with another, much more motivated friend and took off. This time we were able to lay down in the night train which gave us around 6 hours of sleep that night; much more than usually. We arrived to a cloudy sky in the morning. After calling the hotel, they told us we can check right in. So we went there, dropped the bags off, had a sandwich, took a shower and off we were.
First of all we went for a little stroll around the Spui area. Our first stop was Utopia for AK47 at 10€/g. It had a really sweet taste. As both us hadn't smoked in more than 2 weeks it hit indeed quite hard. So we just wandered around afterwards without caring about where we were.





Once we calmed down, Bluebird for some Somari at 12,50€ for 0,9g. Unfortunately, we hadn't had a (good) filler back then so couldn't go for their hash (which we never made this trip).The Somari cleared the effects of the AK47 a little up, fuely taste with a little citrus.
Next is a buy'n'fly at Greenplace for Shoreline at 15€/g.
Had some food and back at the hotel we sampled the Shoreline. It has a nice taste, the smoke was a little harsh in our opinion. Cut through the Somari with a buzz that was more on the stony side compared to the previous strains, but it wasn't overpowering.
Next stop: Paradox for a filler; 1,6g Bio at 10€. (thanks for the recommendations on here ) Unfortunately, the bigger bag was sold out so only went for the 1,6g version. I know I could have gotten several of those bags, but I just didn't think of that . We also got Chemdawg at 5€ for 0,4g which had little taste and no immediate effect that was able to cut through the earlier smokes, but later it turned into a clear relaxed stone. Forgot to buy some Space Cakes; the atmosphere in the shop was nice as always. Wanted to go to the Waterlooplein for the market but were too late so just sat there while some workers were deconstructing it.



Back to the hotel for the rest of the Greenplace Shoreline and then off to Voyagers. On the way, some guy offered me drugs. This was the first time I saw that happening since this White Heroin thing. I hope we won't go back to the old days. At Voyagers, we grab LA Fire 15€/g. Sweet smell, but not too much taste. Nice heavy stone followed. Then more of the Bluebird Somari. I have never seen that many free seats at Voyagers (one time we even had the entire place to ourselves ). On the way out we also picked up Atlas hash at 10€/g. Back at the hotel we sampled it with some Paradox Bio. The Bio had little smell, a little sweet when ground up. The Atlas was easy to handle and a little oily. Nice stone, the taste of the Bio didn't come through too much. Turns out to be nice for a stroll to de Pijp.
Amsterdam really is quite lively in the center, but the amount of people gets less and less quickly once you get away from the center. Also, I love how the people make the city green by placing all those plants in front of their houses. In a side street of Rokin, one person even had a tree in a pot.



Upon arrival, de Graal is packed. We still bought the Santa Maria at 7€/g as recommended on here. Has the price gone up a little? Walked over to Club Media which had plenty of free seats. No Hindu Kush on the menu, so Blue Dream at 12,50€/g before entering the area where you can smoke. Upon trying that, the female budtender told us that foreigners are not allowed inside after 11pm and that only club members could enter. Uhh... what?? Katsu was packed as well.
So we walked all the way back to Utopia as it was getting late. I know, a little chaotic travelling route . At Utopia we had the Grape Ape Kush at 15€/g. Really sweet smell, taste is earthy and sweet followed by a heavy stone. After half of it we move to the seats outside where we had the rest of it. After that, we got 0,5g of Super Silver Haze for 7€ (the price went up a little due to us buying half a g). I love that they also do half gram deals. Citrus smell that showed through in the taste quite well. Wanted then to buy the other half of the gram but they were closing so back to the hotel to chill, watch TV and play Sega Mega Drive. Smoked some of Club Media's Blue Dream which had a sweet fruity smell that transfers to the taste but isn't able to lift us up this late
Afterwards, we had the rest of Voyagers' Atlas with some Paradox Bio as nightcap.

Great report so far...thanks for taking the time

Great report and great pics. I very much enjoy the plants that residents plant outside their homes. Some homes with wisteria vines and roses that have grown into vines are just amazing! Some of the biggest roses I've ever seen were outside a door on Kerkstraat! The blooms were as big as my hand with my fingers spread apart!

A bit disturbing that Club Media kicked you out. WTF? I hope that shift is not a trend.

This time of year is my favorite time to travel. I'm thinking about writing a trip report of my 2014 Labor Day Trip just to reminisce. I've been chattering about AMS non-stop the last 10 or so days, and my wife proclaimed that I am missing it so much because this time of year is the time I visit AMS more often than any other time of the year. You deal with less tourists and less stressful locals who work/live in the area. The pace slows just a little, which is so relaxing. And the museums/restaurants are not as packed. Yet high 70s during the day and mid 50s at night. Perfection.

I also like how you used Roman Numerals for your Trips. I may need to borrow that from you.

Nice that you've taken the time to write this up, and looking forward to the rest of the trip. Nothing like being an energetic stoner – walking from the centre out to de Pijp and back isn't really as far as some people seem to think it is. As long as the weather holds up, it's fun. And you're not really old if you can spend a day largely on your feet, including those pesky stairs.

I haven't been offered street drugs since the '80s and '90s, when it was ubiquitous, though I was around at the time of the white heroin thing. Though I do tend to get taken for a local, for reasons I've never fully understood.

Really enjoyed that, thanks for sharing

Looking forward to day 2

Had the exact same experience at club media three weeks ago, pretty sure it is the new policy, they will still sell to you and let you in to the non-smoking part, but Dutch passport requid if you wanna smoke... went to katsu go stead...

@LLMReb Yes, this time is my favorite time to travel to Amsterdam as well. Besides two of my seven trips, every trip was so far away from the summer that I usually had to wear my winter coat. I missed just sitting down on a Gracht or taking the outdoor seats of a coffeeshop. The numerals weren't my invention so do as you please

@Fat_old_Dwarf I have to admit I have neither used a bike nor a tram or any other method of transportation on every single trip. I love waling in this city. My phone told me afterwards that we had walked 20km on average per day, maybe this was the reason why my friend kept complaining about his feet

@LLMReb & CopenhagenCouple The thing that bothers me most about this is that they sell you the weed first and are then like 'Oh you want to stay? We didn't think you were planning to so we didn't tell you that you cannot stay.' Sales first, then customer satisfaction. I won't return here. Yes, just because of this 'incident'. I had never been here before and I wanted to try Hindu Kush and they had the only menu I could find it on so we went there. I know that this won't hurt this shop, I'm really looking forward to the day when every city in Europe turns into Amsterdam (never with the original vibe of course) and coffeeshops in the Dam will need to try something new: not mindlessly push their wares into a market consisting of an abundance of tourists, but try to stay in business regarding the foreign business competition which is nonexistent at this time (America is too far away to make a real impact here in my opinion Neither seem Spanish Social Clubs to affect the Dutch market).


Also thank you to the rest for reading this and the feedback!

August 23rd - Day 2

Wake'n'Bake with the rest of Bluebird Somari. Today is supposed to be the first of the following hot (at night in the room way too hot) days, so went for some Weed grown under the sun: de Graal Santa Maria which we had bought the previous day. Smell was citrus, the bud itself a little wet but burned nice enough. Not too much taste but still good, nice high afterwards that cut through the Somari, all in all comparable to last night's Super Silver Haze. For 7€ outstanding. Went then to voyagers for Testing Tuesday, but it was packed. So was 420. Next stop: Amnesia for New York City Diesel at 13€/g. This was the first strain I had had smoked the trip before this one and it was still as good. It had a citrus smell, when ground up the Diesel smell came through more, taste was just like that. It gave us a clear head, but relaxed our body.
Our next stop was the Bloememarket after which we headed to the original Dampkring where we picked up Sour Kush at 13,50€/g and grabbed the seat by the window. It had a rather earthy than Diesel smell and taste and was on of the fluffiest and hairiest buds we've seen on this trip. The high came on uplifting but 30 minutes later we were sitting at the intersection of Snoekjesgracht and Oudeschans right by the water, not in the mood to move any further (not that it was super stony, we just weren't able to come up with the energy to get our lazy asses up).



After we were finally able to move on we walked over to Waterlooplein for the next try. This time it was early in the day so the market was fully underway. From there we walked again back to Voyagers for their Testing Tuesday. They again only had one free seat but we didn't want to walk here again so Buy'n'Fly Voyagers Testing Tuesday 10€/g. Put half of it into a cigar paper, no chance we figured out that strain followed by the rest of Club Media Blue Dream.
After that, our longest stroll followed. We started with 1e Hulp UK Cheese 12€/g. Really nice cheesy taste, just what one would expect. The effects were rather uplifting.



Next stop: Massawa as I heard so many good things about the hash in this area. Got Primera 10€/g and Royal 12€/g. Primera with Paradox Bio: spicy smell and taste, liked it better than Voyagers' Atlas at the same price (which was still solid).Then Royal with Paradox Bio and as we ran out half way through de Graal Santa Maria: a little harder to handle than the Primera, nice smell, stronger than the Primera, citrus taste (maybe from the weed used as filler?). Friendly budtender, chatted with the guy a little. Afterwards back to the hotel for food and the rest of Dampkring's Sour Kush. Afterwards a night stroll to Easy Times for their Pineapple Chunk but it wasn't on the menu anymore. So we went for the King Kong Kush at 13€/g and had all of it outside. This made us ready for bed

Thanks for the great write ups, really nice stuff and detailed reports on the trip and smoke, just how we like it!

Club Media pulled the exact same stunt on Mr. Cc, not telling till after the sale... Would maybe in back for buy and fly, but probably only if the talk is true and they really do have the magic Hindu kush from the famed lineage...

I wouldn't buy from Club Media now on a matter of principle. I mean, come on. No foreigners after a certain time? Sure, their gaff their rules, but would you patronise a place that had similar restrictions on blacks or Jews or women or gay people?

Wow FOD, strong feelings on this one (partially agree), but we hope that question wasn't aimed at us (?!) as we would take very serious offense to any such insinuation, rhetorical or not...

Great travelogue really enjoyed reading this! Thanks for sharing

@ Fat_old_dwarf and CopenhagenCouple The budtender at Club Media told us that no foreigners but only "Club Members" are allowed inside after that certain time, so I don't think this is something against everybody from abroad in general, at least it is not supposed to appear like that as I don't think many people from abroad will sign up to this "Club" or may not even be eligible due to certain rules and policies they might come up with, but still...

OK, perhaps that was a bit strong. But if a shop is going to make me feel unwelcome, for whatever reason, I don't feel like giving them my business. After all, de Graal and Katsu are just a few minutes away. I don't think I've smoked in CM more than once in any case, and haven't been that enchanted with their menu most of the times I've looked in as I passed.

I've done that walk from Eerste Hulp out west a couple of times, mostly down Kinkerstraat, and it's fascinating (as long as the weather holds).