Smokeybee21 Returns - Halloween 2025 (lots of photos)

[Smokeybee21]

Day One - 30/10/2025 - Part One

My alarm wakes me and Mrs SB at 2:30am, having been asleep for maybe 2 hours. I leap out of bed like a kid who knows that Santa has visited, and i find myself showered and dressed in 10 minutes. Mrs SB, who is not joining me on this trip but has kindly agreed to drop me at Bristol Airport, is decidedly less cheerful. After a pleasant night time drive, we say our goodbyes, and I have a cigarette before heading through to departures.

I enjoy a toastie and an iced latte, before hitting the smoking area and boarding the plane on time. I get a window seat, and we end up departing and landing 10 minutes early. A lovely sunrise occurs while we are in the air, and the lady next to me comments on what a smooth flight we had. Remember this lady for an embarrassing conclusion at the end of the trip. Through security and approaching my trusty Schiphol kiosk for my traditional American Spirits around 45 minutes after hitting the tarmac. Everything's coming up Milhouse.

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This time I'm staying at the Teleport hotel in Sloterdijk, with a single room booked for my first ever solo trip. Just a quick 2 nights this year, but I have a lot to cram in as usual. A quick smoke in Schiphol Plaza, and I grab a very convenient ticket from the machines before a fast and efficient train ride to Sloterdijk. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Dutch public transport is the best.

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My initial plan is to check in to the hotel (knowing I am a few hours too early), drop my bag in their storage room, and get the tram into the West since there's a nice cluster of shops in De Baarsjes. On the train I decide I'm busting for a joint, so I fuck this off completely, take the short walk from the station to Boerejongens Sloterdijk, and get a White Choco Block joint at €4 and a gram of Super Lemon Haze at the low price of just €9. I go to the vending machine for a roach book, and someone has left 50c in it, so my purchase is half price, another result.

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I take a right after leaving the coffeeshop, and wind up at some sort of log-based sculpture just down the road. The place is littered with baggies, joint tubes, and edible boxes, all bearing the Amsterdam Genetics seal, so this is clearly where the locals are smoking. It's between a train track and an industrial estate, and is more akin to places I associate with crafting bottle bongs and drinking cider as a teenager, rather than the scenic surroundings of Amsterdam. Nevertheless, I spark the Hash joint and relive my youth.

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The joint is visibly packed with hash and tastes amazing, a full-flavoured Moroccan. The weather is pleasant enough, and I'm enjoying my smoke. About three quarters of the way through the joint, I realise I am absolutely high as balls. I chose to take a week long tolerance break before my trip, in order to feel the full effects of the first smoke. Be careful what you wish for, I suppose. I check Google maps and begin the 15 minute walk to the hotel.

Passing Sloterdijk station again on the way, I clock the local Spar. Those who remember last year's travelogue will know that the Spar next to Vondelpark became my favourite haunt for provisions, so I chalk this up as another win. Ravenous, I head inside to get some pastries. I go for a Maple Pecan and a Vanilla pain au chocolat, and stand just outside the door to chow down. The maple effort proves to be the driest thing I have ever eaten, like chewing sand. With my tail between my legs, I go back inside and buy a drink, before destroying both pastries in a hash induced frenzy and walking round the corner to the hotel.

I am possibly too high at this point, rehearsing the conversation with the hotel staff in my head on the way, and feeling like some sort of mad creature from the cantina in Star Wars. Before entering the reception, I spy a lone bench overlooking the canal, just behind the building. Smoke Spot 2.0 acquired.

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Just about managing to get the words out to the friendly receptionist, I decipher the fact that my room is ready a few hours early, yet another serendipitous result. I take a few photos and have a shower, which feels immense and brings my racy high down to a pleasant buzz.

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I've been flat out for about 12 hours at this stage, so I go for a power nap and dream up my next move.

Day One Part 2 coming soon...

[Jolly]

Thanks I love a good travelogue.

[AzLaker]

Excellent start to another fine adventure!!

AzLaker

[Tokeing tom]

Bad start man 1 pre roll and your in the bed allready...no more tolerance breaks for you

[Smokeybee21]

Thanks I love a good travelogue.

Excellent start to another fine adventure!!

AzLaker

Thanks both!

Bad start man 1 pre roll and your in the bed allready...no more tolerance breaks for you

Ah mate, I know how the mighty have fallen. Once i stopped daily toking the weed started to have an effect again, who would have thought it

[Smokeybee21]

Day One - 30/10/2025 - Part Two

I'm up and about again around 3pm. I skin up the first of the Lemon Haze, doesn't smell the strongest but the classic aroma is there. I nip out to the smoke spot and choke down what turns out to be the worst weed I've ever bought in Amsterdam. Black ash and an awful chemical taste, but the high is there, albeit rather muted. I'm shocked, as Amsterdam Genetics have never let me down before. Dissappointed, my plan is to finally hit the West in search of food and better weed.

I check Google maps and find Istanbul To Go, a kebab spot located near the tram stop I was after, so off I go. The place turns out to be a small kiosk, and the guy is professional enough but a bit grumpy, and seems to have a hard time understanding me. I ordered frites and a kipcorn in broodje. He misses out the broodje part, so I just get a plain kipcorn. With a can of Coke to wash it down, I take my order to a small square nearby, sitting on a mosaic bench outside some sort of mosque. With a full belly, I am feeling a joint, so I trek back up to the tram stop and head for the West.

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I get off the tram and walk over to El Marssa, where I pick up a gram of Hiya hash at €10. I then head round the corner to Kashmir Lounge, a lovely smoker's bar with a local kind of vibe. I get stuck into the Hiya, which is a good honest Moroccan with a planty taste and a fairly heavy body high. I roll a fatty of the Lemon Haze, to see if it has gotten magically better somehow. Still shit. Fancying some higher quality Haze, I decide to hit the streets and head around to Hoofdweg, knowing that there's a good crawl i could take which would lead me back to the tram stop at Mercatorplien. My plan is to see what shops tickle my fancy, bulk up the stash, then tram it back to Sloterdijk station and get the train into the Centrum for the evening.

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I pass Ruthless, which doesn't look appealing for some reason, so I keep following the Hoofdweg up to New Amsterdam. I peruse the menu and decide on a gram of Amnesia G13 at €10. An older female BT is training a younger Spanish guy, who is clearly about an hour into his first shift and absolutely bricking it. I head through to the smoking area and roll up the Amnesia. While substantially better than the Lemon Haze, it is still unflushed and poorly cured, but it does taste less like chemicals. The G13 side of the genetic comes through strongly, and I feel very relaxed in the comfortable seating.

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There is a TV with Netflix playing in the smoking area. The BT puts on a sad film about a dead soldier's dog starring Channing Tatum, which I have seen before. Earlier in the week, we had unfortunately said goodbye to one of Mrs SB's family dogs, who was in my life for the past 14 years. A beautiful three-legged Corgi cross who I am missing terribly. While I know from experience that the dog in the film does not die (a criteria on which I will shun a dog-based film) I take this as my cue to get the fuck out of there, as I'm still feeling pretty raw. I buy a lighter on the way out and pop some of the change in the tip jar, for which the female BT gives the younger guy a loud 'WHEYYYYY!'. His first tip, bless him.

I catch a tram to Mercatorplien. I skin up more of the Lemon Haze, still shit, and take in the atmosphere of the new-to-me local square. There are some lights strung up in trees, and large replicas of classic Dutch artwork all over the place. An enjoyable 5 minutes in spite of the shit weed. I feel like I should head to Centraal, since I'm in town for the Dam By The Gram party and loads of the crew are in Bagheera, but I'm running on fumes at this stage. The call of better bud and good company in the city centre is strong, but I make the decision to just grab a nice indica from somewhere close and chill at the hotel for the night.

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My nearest options are Hunters, Loft or Aktama. I debate Hunters, but they generally don't have anything particularly special on offer, and while I've heard good things about newcomers Aktama, I stick with what I know and choose the Loft. Never been here before, but Siberie is a firm favourite so I assume it has to be a quality shop. The place is airy and clean, and the BT friendly and helpful. I choose a gram of the Galactic Runtz at €11, which smells like the best of the trip so far when the tub is stuck under my nose. I then walk up to the tram stop at Jan van Galenstraat, via a small park for a cigarette.

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I jump off the tram at Burgemeester Fockstraat and hoof it back to the hotel. I roll up the Runtz in the little smoking hut outside reception, and it is indeed the best of the trip so far, with that unmistakable Runtzy flavour coating my tongue. I go into my room and Facetime the Mrs, at which point I see myself in my camera and realise I look like the living dead, having been awake and travelling all this time. After a quick chat I skin up 2 cocktails, one Hiya/Lemon Haze and one Hiya/Amnesia G13. I blaze them back to back at the Smoke Spot, then I'm in bed smashed and snoring by 10pm.

Day Two Part One coming soon...

[Smokeybee21]

Here's a couple of bud shots from Day One. Amnesia G13 from New Amsterdam and Galactic Runtz from Coffeeshop Loft.

[AzLaker]

Another super write-up @Smokeybee21. And, as always, enjoy the pics. A few of us are staying in an apartment on Admiralengracht near "The Dream coffeeshop" for 4/20/26. Did you hit up any other C.S.'s in that area that you liked?
Looking forward to your next installment.


AzLaker

[Smokeybee21]

Another super write-up @Smokeybee21. And, as always, enjoy the pics. A few of us are staying in an apartment on Admiralengracht near "The Dream coffeeshop" for 4/20/26. Did you hit up any other C.S.'s in that area that you liked?
Looking forward to your next installment.


AzLaker

Thanks bud! Honestly, out of the few I visited, the Loft had by far the best product. New Amsterdam had friendly staff and a nice smoking room but the weed wasn't great, and the Hash from El Marssa was nice enough. I would definitely recommend Kashmir Lounge as a place to chill and smoke.

[free_phil_spector]

The 'small park' you went to on your way back from Loft was almost certainly Erasmuspark. My old stamping ground when I lived in Amsterdam - my apartment was just around the corner. The first winter I was there the lake froze over and people were skating on it

[Smokeybee21]

The 'small park' you went to on your way back from Loft was almost certainly Erasmuspark. My old stamping ground when I lived in Amsterdam - my apartment was just around the corner. The first winter I was there the lake froze over and people were skating on it

Just checked Google maps and you are spot on I sat on a bench right at the western entrance, had no idea it was Erasmuspark. Im gonna take it as a win, since i can now tick that off my list of parks I've visited in Amsterdam.

[free_phil_spector]

Loft had a pretty cool smoking room as well. It was usually full of Turkish immigrants so it was a great place to practice my pidgin Dutch with people of a similar level. We would sit there with a smoke trying to hold basic conversations in Dutch. Fun times.

[HitTheNorth]

Nice write up man, love the atmosphere of those night time shots too!

Shame you didn't make it to Ruthless, it's actually nice inside and the staff are really friendly although it's maybe not that inviting from outside.

[Smokeybee21]

Loft had a pretty cool smoking room as well. It was usually full of Turkish immigrants so it was a great place to practice my pidgin Dutch with people of a similar level. We would sit there with a smoke trying to hold basic conversations in Dutch. Fun times.

That sounds like exactly what coffeeshops are all about. I was dissappointed to find out it is now buy-and-fly, aside from a couple of tables outside.

[Smokeybee21]

Nice write up man, love the atmosphere of those night time shots too!

Shame you didn't make it to Ruthless, it's actually nice inside and the staff are really friendly although it's maybe not that inviting from outside.

Thank you!


That's a shame, I enjoyed New Amsterdam but the weed wasnt great. Is the stuff much better in Ruthless?