I made the trip up to Centraal Station, bought my ticket and was just in time for the next train to Haarlem. Sitting on the train I remembered from last time it was the second stop from Amsterdam to get off, but approaching the platform for the second stop I hadn’t recognised anything upon approaching this town, yet the platform sign read Haarlem – I assumed in my very high state that the famous windmill had just gone past my view and the fact that the train nearly emptied with passengers persuaded me further to follow them off the train. Still not recognising all that much, I was thinking of jumping back on board and seeing what stop comes next but by then the doors were closing and the train left in the distance revealing a very ghost town like small station, seemingly in the middle of nowhere ~ oh shit! Very quickly I noticed I was the only person standing there and it didn’t seem like a station that would any staff working; the only choice I had (beside waiting for another train) was to follow the exit and walk over to the main road which ran beside the train tracks. Eventually seeing a road sign that read that Haarlem was another mile (or 2?) away I guess I had to laugh to myself and follow the path in the direction the sign was pointing.
The road looked like it would never end and the baking heat didn’t help, but I did have my mp3 player and still a great buzz so off I went. About halfway down, when I could neither see the start or the end of the road, was a typical time when a beautiful young blonde girl pulled beside me on a bike and asked a question in Dutch – it was a pleasant surprise but I had to tell her in some very stoned language that I could not understand her. She laughed and looked very puzzled as to why a stoned tourist was walking in the middle of nowhere – I kind of bullshitted some story that I fell asleep and missed my stop coming the opposite direction in order to try an avoid looking like a complete prick. Don’t think it worked as she just asked if I knew where I was going and kind off sped off in a dust cloud ~ oh well, made me laugh again.
A good 20 minutes must have passed before the path re-directed through some housing roads and I eventually saw a sign pointing the way of Haarlem centre (I know the picture is not much but you would not believe how happy this find made me!) Constantly on the look out for a shop that I could buy a cold drink in I was in no luck and another 15 or so minutes of walking passed by before I saw a curved canal and the famous windmill that I was originally looking for on the train. Even spotted Willy Wortels Indica shop on the road the other side of the canal which was my obvious first destination now I had noticed it – now only to get over the canal, which was easier said than done. I had to cut back on myself before finally finding the road which led across the revolving bridge; I had to wait for several boats to pass through before crossing but it was an nice sight to see what happens no doubt everyday in the life of this town.
I had Willy Wortels Indica in sight and was ready to leap through the door when greeted by lots of building work and noise going on in the interior ~ it did look as though the counter was still open for business however I was too hot and sweaty to fancy going in with sawdust and building going down. Not a major problem as I knew the way down to the Sinsemilla fairly well but I was dying of thirst on another very hot day – it seems common with my trips to Haarlem as last time here was just as hot too.
A little while later and I was approaching the Sinsemilla shop. Headed upstairs and into the well-decorated room, nothing seemed to have changed since my previous trip except the menu which I had a good look at. The dealer was helpful and willing to show the merchandise off but didn’t seem in the mood for a chat when I was there. I purchased a gram of Willys Choice at €6 and 2g of Super Polm for €17, along with two bottles of chilled water and headed over to the Far Eastern decorated corner with the cushion style stools. The WW Choice didn’t smell much for a weed but fluffed up real nice when I used my grinder – it caused lots of thick smoke and didn’t really go down well when toked in a bowl, it may have been much better in a joint but unfortunately this was the only weed which I didn’t finish the whole trip. As for the Polm, that was the nicest hash I smoked all trip and reminded me exactly of the stuff I smoked at the Indica on my last trip. There were a couple of customer on the balcony outside but the interior was empty apart from the barmaid and the dealer. I would normally try an engage in a conversation with someone sitting at the counter but in this case the Polm had completely evaporated any social skills I had. Last time here I smoked some ice-hash and monged out taking pictures on my phone, this time was pretty similar when all I felt like doing in my stoned hash state was look at pretty patterns and pictures. A few pictures later and I decided to go for a walk through the shopping streets.
I had a very slow walk through the pedestrian shopping streets which were packed with locals; despite being busier than my last trip it was most relaxing and peaceful walking through the streets staring in every window seeing how the shops compared to the ones I am used to in the UK. I bought an ice cream somewhere along one of the streets that was so moreish I went back for another by the time I had reached the end of the road. I also decided on a mission to find Regine just to kill my curiosity when I didn’t find it last time – I searched endlessly round the streets where I had it marked on my map, but still with no luck, even after asking a guy standing outside his shop where it was I could not put his directions into practical use…oh well third time lucky I guess next time around.
As beautiful and peaceful as Haarlem always is, I did find as I was on my own it to be slightly more boring than last time around so decided on stopping off in the Willy Wortels Sativa before catching a train back into Amsterdam earlier than planned around 3pm. The walk back was pretty un-eventful apart from when I was about 5 shops away from the Sativa, two young Moroccan(?) kids (looking around 14-15) whispered me over to the side of the road offering me some bags of marijuana – I could only laugh as a response and point to the coffeeshop I was about to enter. I like the café style atmosphere the Sativa offers as I bought an orange juice along with a gram of Sticky Fingers at €7. This was a nice smoke and could immediately see where the name comes from as it almost welded my grinder shut. I didn’t stay too long here, just finished my drink and long enough to get a bigger buzz back for the journey home.
I walked up to the Central Station and waited patiently for the train which was not long – it’s funny how you almost get the same rush of adrenaline when you approach Amsterdam Central as you get on arrival day, just this time feeling a bit more hazy. Arriving back I headed straight for De Kuil and bought a gram of Blueberry again for a vapo bag. Feeling the effects of the puffs of vapo almost immediately, along with the beer I had just bought, I had to offer the bag to some guy from California next to me who was happy to help me out in finishing it off. We chatted briefly although I can only remember the topic of the weather coming up as he said the current heat wave in Amsterdam was much like the weather in California. I soon realised that if I were to last all night again I would need to eat something and maybe have a rest back in the hotel again. I stopped off at an open front chip stall on Damrak, I noticed a lot of other people eating their chips so figured they must be the most popular – I don’t know why I always buy the biggest size of foods because I never finish them, which was the case here when I ended up throwing half my mayonnaise drenched chips in the bin.
I went to the hotel room about 5pm and before I knew it was woken my alarm at half 7. A quick shower and change before a pre-RLD smoke in The Coin, bought some more pollen hash in here which was not quite as good as the Willy Wortel stuff but was a nice clean tasting smoke with a more of a high buzz than stoned. Also stopped in Smoking Bull just round the corner in Lange Niezel for a beer – I glanced at their menu and contemplated getting the ice-hash I bought last time but decided against and nothing else really took my fancy so after my beer I went on a couple of laps round the canals, before finally going in to see the dark haired Polish girl on Bethlemsteeg, she is very attractive but there were better lookers around, it was her body that made my mind up for me (and the lingerie!). A very talkative and friendly girl who seemed to talk just for the sake of it, and on any subject that sprang to her mind. Looking at the time afterwards was a bonus as I was just in time for the football too, so I went about a minutes walk away to the back entrance of Stones Café, bought a beer looked for an available seat in a very busy pub until the big, bald Dutch barman happily searched one out for me – I recognise him from previous trips here and he is always laughing and joking with the punters.
Not the greatest football matches, as England ended up losing to Northern Ireland 1-0. Seems as though I’m jinxed at football in Amsterdam as I also watched England get knocked out of the European Cup on penalties to Portugal on my trip with a friend in the summer of 2004. At least losing a football match whilst in Amsterdam doesn’t seem half as bad as when I am back home, there is always ways of making up for a good night instead
I chose to go for a random walk, which took me towards the Singel RLD direction, some real beauties at the this time and I was most tempted by a couple of the ladies but was up for another smoke instead so headed back and went to Route99, just off Damrak. Not the best shop in Amsterdam but I like it as it reminds me of my first trip a few years back when my friends and I played pool downstairs – they usually have pretty staff too and the girl behind the counter confirmed my suspicions. Since it was my last night in Amsterdam I really wanted to go and have another drink in Excalibur so that is where I headed next.The same barman was in there and almost greeted me with a large mug of Heineken before I could have ordered it (he seems to get friendlier the more you see him), still only €4 a mug which is cheaper than Stones Café and most others I found. I took a chair by the front window again and was shortly joined by a couple of French guys at the end of the long table – they spoke basic English and seemed very stoned so conversation was limited for the while they were there. I left around half midnight before I got completely trashed and still felt coordinated to walk the streets in safety. I was greeted in the next window to Excalibur by an older lady in her kamer wearing business/secretary style clothing and I must say I was nearly tempted until I glanced across the road and saw the young blonde beauty I had eyed up the previous two nights.
Needless to say I hurried round the nearest bridge and was inside her door before any negotiations had started – she said she was glad I eventually came to see her and was I damn glad to see HER. Excellent value for my €50 and she was a very sweet girl as well.
Certainly ended my final full night in Amsterdam on a high and I bought some ham & pineapple pizza and a waffle on the way back to my hotel room, before finally going to sleep smoking some more hash whilst watching some music channels on the TV.
