Hit The North Goes Solo - Trip Report

[Lemming]

Thanks for taking the time to write, HitTheNorth. Sound like you had a great trip and got around a remarkable number of places. Looking forward to more.

[HitTheNorth]

Day 1's Western Crawl

[HitTheNorth]

Day 2 - Part 1

I start the day in Rookies. It's not quite open when I arrive so I loiter outside for a couple of minutes and am the first customer of the day. A quick glance at the menu, "How's the Agent Orange"? I ask, the tender shows me the tub, looks decent, nice and frosty, so I take a gram, order coffee and grab my favourite seat in the window.




Breakfast at Rookies.

I love it here, this seat in which I always end up, the sleepy city waking up and starting the working day. I sit and take stock of the previous day which I considered to be a great success. I had a little list of things I wanted to do this trip, as I'm solo I can indulge myself. I've managed to tick off the Western coffeeshops and the Keith Haring mural, I want to get to Oudmanshuispoort and the elaborate passage next to Primark that links Damrak to Neiwendijk. Sitting here gives me chance to think and make a plan of sorts. The idea today is to head out to the Stud and er... that's it. Great plan stoner!

I'm looking forward to this walk, headphones on, cheeky joint of leftovers, over the Amstel, through Oosterpark which I'd never visited before, and onwards to the Stud. I ask to have a look at some of their posh weed and go for a gram each of Space Ghost, White Peach and Frosted Cherry Cookies - each served in a little plastic pot. I grab my stash and head through to the back for a smoke. There's a couple of small, adjoining smoking rooms with a few locals sat around chatting, it's a pleasant atmosphere. I sit in the very back room and roll a joint of the Space Ghost which unfortunately burned black, it wasn't a nasty smoke though. A couple more locals come in, everybody seems to know one another and there's a nice community feel about the place. I roll a joint of White Peach for the journey and just before I leave I find 2 joint tubes in the ashtray - this is a bonus for me as they come in really handy back home for holding joints (obviously) when I'm out walking, also I've never bought a pre-roll in my life so I wouldn't get them that way.






Weed from The Stud

Outside, headphones on again, I spark the White Peach. Black ash again but at least it tastes nice. I'm disappointed with this from the top end of the menu, glad it was Stud prices. Onwards.

On the way back I pop in an Albert Hein for some Zeros before taking a stroll up Dappermarkt. I have a look at Happy People and then decide to do a little tour of the shops around here - Trefpunt, Eastwood. I didn't buy anything but it was good to acquaint myself with these places for future reference. I pass Brouwerie t'Ij and decide to head to het Ballontje via Muiderpoort.





At the Balloon I scan the menu but no purchase, I'm still a bit sore about the black ash and decide I want something I can rely on next, it's time to head back to Rookies for a repeat purchase of their Agent Orange.

I head to Rookies down (Niewe) Kerkstraat, along the way a chap cycles past and points, grinning, at my t-shirt of the, shall we say, cult post-punk band The Fall. "Great band" he exclaims as he whizzes past. He is of course correct, it's where I got my username from too.

I get my usual window spot again and roll a doob mixed with a sprinkle of Orange Groovie hash for extra oranginess. Yummy. This Agent Orange is really hitting the spot for me and it burns nice and white too. Apologies for my phones complete inability to focus - unlike my good sel.. oh look, a pigeon!



I'm running low on weed, I've got the Space Zooties from Chapitau and the Frosted Cherry Cookies from Stud and some hash remnants. I need a plan, don't want to waste my time wandering aimlessly. I really enjoyed it out west yesterday so I decide to venture out that way again. A quick freshen up at the hostel first, roll up the Space Zooties for the walk and onwards we go...

TBC...

[AzLaker]

Another fine write-up HTN. I love Rookies. Stayed there a few times in my early visits, when it was a hotel.
Good people in the hotel and coffeeshop. Definitely good people watching.
Nice pics of your wares, and the city, very nice.
Too bad about, het Ballontje I think you would have found something you would of like. They always have some of the best flowers in the Center. Good selection, good price and well cured.
Again, really putting on the steps. Go, go, go.

AzLaker

[HitTheNorth]

Another fine write-up HTN. I love Rookies. Stayed there a few times in my early visits, when it was a hotel.
Good people in the hotel and coffeeshop. Definitely good people watching.
Nice pics of your wares, and the city, very nice.
Too bad about, het Ballontje I think you would have found something you would of like. They always have some of the best flowers in the Center. Good selection, good price and well cured.
Again, really putting on the steps. Go, go, go.

AzLaker

Yeah I don't know why I didn't pick anything up at the Balloon, it's not like me. Quality shop I agree

[Tokeing tom]

Very enjoyable read HTN back soon and have to visit Chapiteau after your great report

[HitTheNorth]

Day 2 - Part 2

So, where were we...


Space Zooties - Chapiteau

After a quick splash at the hostel, I roll up the Space Zooties and head up EC Huygenstraat to Rozengracht and then Frederick Hendrickstraat to Plug West. Upon entering I completely forget about the parrot I wanted to see, clearly a form of temporal head fog settles on my brain as I scan the menu and go for Zanimal at €11 and for some reason Black Runtz at €9. Hmmm.

I continue up FH St until I hit FHPlein and hang a left. I've finally got that joint of Space Zooties on the go and it's a real winner, nice and tasty and burns perfect with white ash. A lovely drop. I'm just finishing up as I approach Chapiteau.


Space Zooties White Ash with Chapiteau in the background

At Chapiteau there's a guy being served so I wait outside for him to finish, it's the same tender as yesterday - long blonde hair in a ponytail, glazed expression lol. I ask to see a few strains, tender isn't quite as patient as yesterday but is still sound enough. When I check out the Lemon Cake I'm sold, I don't normally go for lemon strains but this one looked spot on and upon nosing the tub my senses are greeted with a smooth, sweet lemony aroma that got my mouth watering. Sorted. Onwards.

I wander back to Centraal, on the way I take a short detour to have a gander at t'Ketelje. I've meant to swing by here for years as I rather like the look of the decor - all that wood, looks quirky, interesting. When I get there I peer through the weirdly dirty windows, place is empty and the tender looks like the most bored person ever. The weather is hot, I've got a few buds and I want a pint so I decide to give the Kettle a miss (probs same menu as Siberie and Loft which I've already visited so...). Whilst up this end of Marnixstraat I experience a "Memory Flood", do you ever get these? Sometimes when I visit a place I've not been in years I get an overwhelming surge of memory, it's really weird. Anyway, I realise I've been here before, in 2006 to be precise. We'd been in A'dam for a few days and had had enough of the cheesy Euro dance music that was being played everywhere so we hunted out a "rock" bar, we weren't into rock, just wanted to hear a guitar. We ended up at a bar which I now reckon was Soundgarden. Was it always called this? I seem to remember the bar layout being different but hell, who can really rely on 20 year old Amsterdam memories?

Heading back to town via Westerstraat I spot this cute mosaic on the pavement.



I'm back in the thick of it now, near the top of Neiuwesijdz Voorborgwal I decide to bite the bullet and head down Niewendijk to Primark and the Beurspassage. Really cool little alleyway in honour of all things fishy, ornate tilework, beautiful ceilings with opulent chandeliers, it's very green and I love the juxtaposition of it with Primark. I emerge on to Damrak and go all touristy with a snap of the wonky buildings there before heading to Batavia.


Beurspassage


Damrak - look at that blue sky!!

Today Batavia is open. It's been a while - I didn't come on my last visit - and I make a mental note that the front door slides open rather than the traditional push/pull, I struggled to open it one year much to the merriment of the punters inside. The bar staff are cool as always and point me in the direction of the Batcave Mark II. I like it. I may even like it more than the original Batcave. This makes me very happy, I get the fear when things I like change, as more often than not it's for the worse, so this is a pleasant surprise.

The large table at the window is free so I grab the best seats in the house and chill. First up is the Black Runtz from Plug. It's a bit of a duffer. Why I thought a fashionable strain like Runtz at €9 would be smokable is anyones guess. Ah well.

I'm soon joined at the table by two ladies in their mid to late thirties, they are clearly locals but it's not Dutch they are speaking and I'm struggling to put my finger on it. Anyway I can't help but hear their conversation, it's mostly unintelligable to me but occasionally they will drop in an English colloquialism, one which keeps getting repeated is "Friends With Benefits", haha, one can only guess at the rest of the conversation. One of them has a grinder from Chapiteau which reminds me I need to smoke that Lemon Cake. So I do. Once again Chapiteau has nailed it. Delicious, smooth smoke without the acidity of some lemon strains, perfect white ash again - that's three out of three top drawer smokes so far. I also smoke the Frosted Cherry Cookies from Stud here, to be honest I wasn't expecting much as the other two I had were a bit iffy but this was a beauty, right up there with the best of the trip, yum.

Time is passing and I'm off to Rotterdam this evening to see a couple of bands. I use the NS app to buy my tickets, nice and easy, gonna do this all the time now. The journey takes about an hour, I've got a couple of Zeros for the ride and I've still got the Zanimal from Plug. The train sets off and suddenly the couple of pints I had in Batavia decide they want out, I scan the carriage and work out that yes, that is a toilet, thank you! I go to relieve myself but no, the toilet is engaged. I wait. I wait a bit more. Bloody hell whats going on in there? I'm busting here. It eventually dawns on me that the toilet is either out of order or someone is fare dodging, either way I hopoe this train hurries up!

Upon arrival at Rotterdam Centraal I rush to find the gents and then suitably relieved head out. Rotterdam is, as expected, very different to Amsterdam, it's much more modern, with gleaming glass and chrome spires. I have a little wander and check out Mon Camerade which is a small, modern, buy and fly place - it was pretty busy. Next I have a look at Central CS, theres abit too much neon for my liking and theres some moody looking geezers sat around the steps outside, I give it a miss and go to find the venue, Rotown, which is just round the corner. Now I know where that is it's time for a smoke. There's a stretch of canal that seems to be the place to blaze, loads of heads sitting, chilling on the benches and some nice public art to look at. Is that a Rodin? Cool. Rotown's policy is "NO DRUGS" and I really can't be arsed with being denied entry so I want to go in clean, this is partly why I've not bought anything in Rotterdam. I sit and smoke up the Zanimal - it's OK, better than the Black Runtz but still nothing special, down my remaining Zero and head to the gig.

I can't begin to explain how much I've been looking forward to this. There's two Australian bands playing - Gee Tee and Satanic Togas. I like Satanic Togas very much but I am completely obsessed with Gee Tee. I first discovered them in 2019 by pure chance and since then have spent a small fortune buying up their records which are as rare as an honest politician. With no UK dates on their tour I've had to come over here to see them. Gutted, honest! As I enter the venue there's a merch stall set up immediately to the right. All of a sudden, pointing at my t-shirt, three voices shout in unison "Liquid Face"!!!! I'm wearing a t-shirt of another obscure Australian noise merchant, Liquid Face, and the reason I'm wearing it is because I know that Gee Tee and Liquid Face are mates and used to play together in another band called DRAGGS. The three voices are Ryan, Mikey and Kel, drums, synths and vocals of Gee Tee themselves. "Oooh, it's the band", I reply. We have a short chat, turns out they can't play the UK because of Visa issues, I congratulate Mikey on his excellent solo album (1-800 Mikey) and buy a t-shirt. Fanboy mode activated at age 48 haha.

The gig itself is nothing short of life-affirming. Such positive energy and filthy noise - I love it. Kel, in his ubiquitous ski mask asks the crowd, "Are you ready to rock? Cos you ain't got no choice!". The mosh pit is going wild and I spot the photographer Dougal crowdsurfing whilst firing off shots (I met Dougal when I went to see another Aus band called Mini Skirt last year in Manchester, I was wearing a Gee Tee shirt and he took a photo of me to send to Kel) it's a much longer set than I was expecting and I'm just grinning, rarely has a gig made me so happy.


Gee Tee - Are You Ready To Rock?

As the gig went on a little longer than I was expecting I'm pushed for time. I need to get a train sharpish if I'm to be back in Dam before everything shuts. Thnkfully the Netherlands is a civilized country and there are no shortage of trains even at night.

I arrive in Amsterdam at around 12.30. The streets glisten with recent rainfall. I decide to call in at Terps Army for a nightcap, opting for a gram of Kosher Kush at €16. I stand at the shelf and roll it up, the guy next to me strikes up a convo but I mishear him. I think he says "Have you been to a club?" to which I reply that I've been to a gig in Rotterdam, he looks puzzled and points to the floor, "No, the Plug" he says, he's pointing at a Plug sticker that has fallen out of my bag. "Oh, right, yeak, the Plug, yeah" I respond. "Was the weed good?" he asks, "Yeah, yeah, actually no it was shite. Steer clear of the Black Runtz" I tell him. Onwards, I'm hungry...

Down near Liedseplein I hit up the Shawarma gaff near McDonalds. Not been for a while and it's just the ticket after a long day. Outside the hostel I smoke the Kosher. There's a homeless guy after some food or change, I feel bad as I have neither, but I do have this spliff so he has some of that instead.

I have one more day in wonderland so bedways is bestways right now. Catch you in the morning...

TBC

[Ghost]

Sounds like you had a great 2nd day in town and also able to get to see one of your favourite bands was a plus as well, Fantastic thanks for sharing that with us

[AzLaker]

Looks like another great day HTN. You're definitely a man on a mission.
Love the pics as always. Again, thanks for taking the time and keeping all of us ACD'ers happy.

AzLaker

[talkrum]

Hi HTN,
loving your reports and pictures - thanks m8. (sent you a PM)

[Raoul_Duke]

Loved reading this travelogue, HTN

Noted down a few CS & strains you mentioned (and also a few bands sound great, not heard before).