Mr Incognito just can't wait any longer

[Mr Incognito]

Three years ago today I was in Amsterdam for a few days - little did I know it would take quite so long to get back.

So I'm sat at home, bag packed, hoping for a good night's sleep before I head to Yeadon Space Port first thing to get the first rocket out of here. If all goes smoothly, I should be walking out of Centraal Station at about 2pm tomorrow.

Plan of action (as much as there is ever any point in making a plan before heading into the crazy world of Amsterdam) is to check out some of the smaller maps ( Oost, de Pijp, Zeeburg, de Baarsjes) and see what's still open, and maybe do a day trip to Leeuwarden. Let's see what happens!

Hoping to catch up with @Bedge who is also heading out tomorrow. If anyone else is around, give me a shout & lets T&T!

[Lemming]

Have a great trip!

I hope that you do get to all those places and post about them here.

[Mr Incognito]

Off to a flying start in het Gelderse, where I tried the Baceo Gelato for €14 and picked up some Lemon Ice €9 for later. A friendly African guy told me his life story while I smoked a spliff and acclimatised.

The journey through Schiphol was pretty tedious - around 50 mins from landing to being out the front of Centraal. I dropped my bags and went to stretch my legs with a wander round the RLD. It was pretty quiet, with lots of empty shops and windows. No doubt things will be livelier this evening, but compared to the last time I was here, there are far fewer groups on tours, only a few boats out, and lots of the bars were shut.

Rooftop hottub was just as good as ever, and I'm now kicking back admiring the view over Amsterdam's rooftops towards town.

It's been too long.

Mr I

[IrishSmoker1916]

Have a good one I'm excited to hear about shops in De Pijp

[Mr Incognito]

Tuesday evening involved a meet up with @bedge, stalwart of ACD and Amsterdam in general. We started at Coffeeshop Solo, where I tried the G13 Haze and Nicole Kush hash. Haze was ok but didn't smoke great neat, and the hash was very oily - came in a little sheet of waxed paper - and claimed on the label to be 70% THC. A few of those while we chatted and introduced ourselves, then a change of scenery.

The Plug XXX - formerly Rusland - was next port of call. It was full of youngsters but they made a fuss of us two old brits and gave us both a pile of goodies. Grinder, papers, lighter, and I got a bit of their Gelato at 14 plus some of the Wagyu Cali at a monstrous 30 per g. I've never had Cali before so wanted to see what the fuss is about! It was strong weed, with a pretty unique flavour, but 30 for a gram? Still. I've ticked off "smoke some Cali weed at the Plug" from the bucket list!

From the Plug we headed up to the 420/Kroon/Bottle run. Town was much more crowded now - it was around 10.30 and bustling on a sticky evening. I'd never been to 420. We nabbed a small table at the back after picking up drinks and a gram of Pineapple Chunk at 15. Much rolling of joints ready for the Bottle bar where it's pre-rolled only, and after a beer and more of a smoke I wobbled off back to the hotel.

It was a good evening in fine company - a pleasure to meet you @bedge!

[Tokeing tom]

Please tell me where this roof top hot tub exists.. It sounds wonderful

[Nuggz]

Please tell me where this roof top hot tub exists.. It sounds wonderful

Might be Volks Hotel?

[Mr Incognito]

What Nuggs said - it's the Volkshotel.

[Mr Incognito]

Tuesday night was stormy in Amsterdam - I was woken by the lightning show at around 4am so I opened the curtains and admired the spectacular. That pretty soon turned into torrential rain, and it was still coming down when I woke up proper.

Plan for the day had been to head over to the Baarsjes area, but that was a non-starter given the weather. So we rearranged - Amnesia at 11 was the call. Bedge was there first - I got myself some G13 haze and a piece of hash - Apple Fritter - and got cracking with day 2. The heavens really opened - you could pretty much see the canal levels rising from inside the coffeeshop. What a bind, stuck in Amnesia with a stash and nothing better to do!

Eventually the rain cleared and we headed for Siberie, where I picked up some of the Purple outdoor bud which was €5 a g and a coffee. There was a steady stream of locals dropping in for B&F. I had Bedge regaling me with tales of the olden days - top entertainment in one of the best coffeeshops in the finest city. Nice one!

I headed back to the hotel where the hot tub and sauna were calling me. Sometimes, you need to sharpen the saw. After a spot of relaxation and recovery, it was back into town for some dinner and the rest. I dropped into Barney's Lounge where I got a g of Tangerine Dream and made good use of the volcanos. Then on to Boerejongens for some hash - the Kosher Tangie Kush block at €15 - before heading up to the Bat cave where Bedge was already installed. It was pretty empty at Batavia - so much so that the smoking room got shut after about 30 mins and we had to head over to the Flying Dutchman.

Town was pretty empty last night - the bad weather was keeping people off the streets. Not many in the Flying Dutchman either, so after a couple there, it was back to the hotel for my beauty sleep. Time goes too quickly here in the Dam!

[Ghost]

Sounds like you are off to a good start to your trip with plenty of smoking involved. I really like the sound of the hot tub and sauna you have especially for after a days stomping all over town, must be bliss and relaxing Also good that you met up with @Bedge top man

Look forward to more inserts from you trip buddy

[Lemming]

Sounds like you're having a great time.
Thanks for the pictures of The Point and Los Angeles. I was aware that Los Angeles looked closed but not that we may have lost The Point too. Sad news.
I wonder whether the licences still exist or whether this is another total loss due to gentrification or whatever?
Do you happen to have any pictures of Plug XXX (Rusland) or Terps 2 (Noon)?

[brufy]

That was a good read, thanks. Jealous as hell naturally!

[Mr Incognito]

I've sent you one of Plug XXX - not sure of my plans for tomorrow, but might include Terps 2 !

[Mr Incognito]

So today was another good one - I'd arranged to meet @bedge in The Stud at 12. For a warm up I did a quick tour of the local coffeeshops by the hotel. It's the Oost map on the main part of the site. I already know Smoke Palace has gone - not that I had a great experience when I went there a few years ago. It was the victim of drive-by shooting(s) and closed around 3 years or so ago.

I was disappointed to find both The Point and Los Angeles closed though. Neither was anything special, but sometimes change isn't progress......

Heading under the train line I found Nachtegaal - the Nightingale - which had A-boards outside proclaiming it to be the best in the area. They were friendly and sold me weed in little jam jars (1g each with prices in the low teens) and a piece of Hiya hash. I got a menu snap and will send to FBN.

The last time anyone reported on these coffeeshops, Nachtegaal and Crash Light had the same menu despite being 100m apart. Well that's changed - Crash Light had a good cheap menu and what looked to be a lively smoking room at the back. I got some polm for €6 a g..... Again, I got a snap of the menu and will get that posted up.

Final shop on the map is Speakeasy - up past Albert Hein and turn left. This has huge "Coffeeshop Open" signs all over the hoardings that are adjacent, and lo and behold, it was open! I got a g of Blueberry Haze for 14 - there were locals in the back but I just did a fly and buy.

If anyone fancies a mini excursion on the metro to Wibautstraat, there's a bit of local flavour to be had. A circuit to Nachtegaal and Crash Light, then Speakeasy and over the Amstel to the Pijp would give lots of possibilities.

Mr I.

[Mr Incognito]

So on from my tour of local shops to the Stud via the bus network - dropped right outside the door. @bedge is already there, making himself comfy in the back. I pick up some of their gruis at €10 for 2.5g, and it smokes neat beautifully. Super friendly locals happy to chat about all things coffeeshop, and we were made very welcome. It wasn't at all what I had expected from seeing the menus and reviews - it's a proper locals shop the Stud, but with a modern menu. It was good to spend some time there.

After a couple of hours we moved on to het Ballonetje - a short tram ride away. Had a proper Amsterdam experience with the journey though - we were stood at the tramstop (or thought we were), it was trundling towards us, and next thing we knew we were on a bus going in the wrong direction. I blame the drugs - but it was soon put right and we found where we should have been and wandered towards the Balloon over the bridges.

I picked up the super polm here - nice piece of hash - and @bedge got the Cheetah Piss weed. Smells of what it's called, but was (I am told) a cracking bit of smoke. Took up residence in the main window and lit up the bong, first with the superpolm and then with some of the Boerejongens Kosher Kangie Kush.

Needing a pit stop, soak in a tub, and a sauna, I headed back to the metro and found my way back to the hotel.

The evening's entertainment involved a wander through the RLD to snap Plug XXX as requested by @Lemming, a burger in a canal-side bar, and on to the Bat cave, which was very quiet again and shut at 10pm. Utterly blazed after two full days at it, I toddled back to my bed and collapsed in a merry heap. I love this town!