One day I woke up in a place tied to the waters streaming through a city.
As it grew around it's canals over the years with the taming of the calm Amstel River. This particular place became famous and internationally recognised for its canals, bike tours, beautiful bent houses, and the so-called coffee shops and not to mention, the famous Red-Light District in western part of Europe. There is plenty to experience in the vibrant town than most visitors can imagine. Amsterdam is a place for everyone to explore. One of the most popular municipality city of the Netherlands.
Time in London had come to an end, just like all good things in life and I had no choice but to leave the UK due to my visa was about to expire. Last minute hits, I decided to go on a spontaneous adventure to explore what the fuss was all about of Amsterdam. After hearing many crazy adventures and exciting tales from my English housemates. The freedom of smoking weed in the trendy hazy cafés and the easy access to a foundation of variety of drugs you could possible name. I'll admit that at times, I do love the adrenaline when I put myself on an edge, feeling the rush of fear or excitement at the same time from the effects. It had became very clear to my vision, visit Amsterdam before I moved back to the calm quiet life on the French Riviera in the south of France to be with my not so crazy but sweat 'n' loveable French girlfriend with terms and conditions applied to keep the relationship alive. (It was always for the best interest.) Although she was a quite catch. My sensitive heart fell into a special place for her. I had given up on the common party drugs, cut back on the ganja and only consumed wine and beer for 17 months, since the day I meet her in Côte d'Azur. But it was time to allow myself to have a little more edgy excitement without distractions.
Once I checked in to my hostel and went into my 12-bunk dorm room, within seconds my eyes locked onto a bottom bunk uninhabited, so I quickly tag it to my belongings to the libre mattress and made it my territory. (Bottom bunks are the best way to go bout in hostels for many reasons) I meet a guy from Boston in the common room who I clicked with quickly and he had seemed cool enough to hang out with for a few rounds of refreshing Dutch pints and a few other guys from Portugal who spoke in very little English. The young Portuguese lads were only in Amsterdam to get high, nothing more, nothing less. Just get baked as fuck and go back home to their mum and dad's house in Lisbon. The hostel was located at the heart of St. Christopher at The Winston (Winston Kingdom Nightclub), which is right in the middle of all the action Amsterdam has to offer. Dangerously, the Red-Light District was just outside of our backs of the hostel and a one minute walk from Dam Square where it actually was the centre of the city and you can get anywhere from there.
Giving the fact I only had a short amount of time to stay in one of the most popular cities in Europe. I woke up on my second day after my premier day walking into numerous cafés, smoking pre-rolled joints onto leading towards the Irish pubs in the nightfall and linking up with the guy from Boston. The following day, the sun was out and the weather was chilly outside, it was the month of April and the Dutch have a saying of that particular month of the year, "April does whatever it wishes to do, which can include anything from abundant sunshine and almost summertime temperatures or an overcast grey day" During that day in the capital city of Holland, I had signed up for the free walk tour as I figure it would be a good way learn some history of Amsterdam and allow the tour guide to show the people where the major attractions are, and explore all those narrow winding calm canals. After two hours ending the tour at the Royal Palace on Dam Square. The weather had warmed up and I began develop a thirst of some refreshing Dutch beer and I decide to head off to The Heineken Experience. Since I would be able to get a few free beers especially my finance was tight at the time, so it seemed to be a good idea. After the beer tour, I have to admit that I was disappointed with the outcome. To be honest, it was fucking lame. The tour basically starts of how the art of the crafting beer of Heineken was born to serve men and women with a cool alcoholic brew, followed by with a short story/introduction, then the group walks along as the tour guide leads us to demonstrate the process of making the beer today. Anyone who wishes to participate with the tour, receives only two free beers. No crazy stories, no inside surprises. At one point after my 1st beer on an empty stomach, I confidently threw a question out to the tour guide towards the end of the dull walk through the factory, I had raised my voice and said "Mate, everyone here knows how beer is made, can you tell us any crazy stories or history of Heineken apart from the making of the beer and how the company process the fine beer today ?" I didn't try to embarrass him or anything and I'll never forget the look on his face after I asked him the question. His facial expression read - Piss off if you don't like the tour and I honestly didn't think he had the passion for his job and shrugged off continuing the tour. A few people laughed but not out loud and to my relief, I was not the only one who was losing interest in the current situation. Personally, in comparison to the Steam Whistle brewery in Toronto, that tour was far more entertaining. Thinking that Heineken had been brewing beer long before the Canadian premium pilsner, that the Dutch would have more to tell. Or just maybe the tour guide on that particular day was an unmotivated to deliver the excitement or his girlfriend happen to leave him for a woman that day. Who knows the reasons. I advise others to eat a space cake or smoke a pleasant joint of Mary Jane before you decide to take that journey down brewery drain.
After a few days blazing around Amsterdam and got lost in the Arty Jordaan as known to be the most charming neighbourhood in the city. I took a stroll admiring all the different types female beauty in the red-light district, I was very tempted to allow some girls to take the pressure off some of my frustrations and needed some temporary lovin' but I was in a committed relationship at the time and walking away being proud of myself that I had control my manhood not to be sucked into unknown territory. It was not easy because they were all very sexy and I had appreciated all different types of women on the display windows. Later on, visited The Anne Frank House, the Dutch markets, listened to records in the vinyl stores and meet two French speaking guys from Belgium and together we went to check out the Madame Tussauds, shortly after a quick stop at a café following a boat cruise along the canal tours.
I met up with my American friend from Boston one afternoon. We both found a nice trendy bar and hit the drinks and enjoyed the view. After a few rounds, we reached a connecting point between us and began to develop a some sort of friendship. Later on, we decided to leave the pub. We walked along beside the canals, heading towards to, one of the famous café shops in Amsterdam and light up some cherries with a bong between us. The weed was so good since the strain of the herb was not too strong as I didn't feel paranoid. I felt very relaxed and stoned even though I had been smoking four days straight, there was something in this strain of ganja that was just perfect fit for me and my buddy had picked the right choice of breed. He picked the perfect bud. As we continued talking and I found out that he came to Europe to celebrate St Patricks Day in Dublin as his family had an Irish background. After he had enjoyed Dublin so much, he then decided to extend his trip and troll around and travel the wonders of the European roads. He also asked me if I had "Shrooms" in the pass while he was observing the list of mushrooms on the menu on his phone as he showed me the different types. I told him my only one time experience I had with the substance. (Once, My friends and I at 17 years old had eaten some shrooms, but I didn't really notice anything, maybe they weren't strong enough or I didn't consume enough for me to feel the effects) While he showed me the magic truffles list, and explain to me that they were not really magic mushrooms but similar and they're not as strong but also safer, the duration of the trip could last about 20 minutes to one hour. I was taking all this new information and believing in every word he said then it just hit me that he wanted to go on a magical journey so I asked him if that was true and he confirmed. As the topic continued on, I knew before anything that I wanted to get really shitfaced baked. View the city from different perception and wonder onto a magical journey.
We headed off to a shop to be known as Smart Shop and I just followed Bostie's lead with excitement and nervous at the same time, like a dog getting over exited to be off the leash and run wild in the park. We purchased our philosopher's Stone (Truffles). The staff in the store were very helpful and provided me some useful information and recommendations for non-frequent users. We decided to munch our Truffles in The Vondelpark which is a public urban park. I wanted to buy some beers, but I was advised not drink any alcohol until later on and drink some tea or water to begin with. We parked into a normal cafe to purchase some tea before we reached our destination. It was late afternoon and sun was setting down slowly, found dry spot to chill, away we munched out of our bag, like chips only chew every bit slowly, drinking some tea to help digest my food. Bostie had brought a truffle a bit more intense compared to what I purchased. We sat around for 20 mins and then decided to walk around. By the time we had left the park. I started to feel very different in a way I had never felt in my entire life at that point of time.
Before I go on any further, I am not encouraging anyone to do or consume anything that they or yourself, feel uncomfortable with. Drugs are bad for your health and can be dangerous. I am here purely to share some life experience of my own.
Most people know that it is important to understand what kind of state of mind & mood your body should be feeling which is to be positive and stress free for first timers. Feel calm & relaxed which will help the experience to be a positive outcome. You should never have any second thoughts or doubts as nature of the truffles trip depends upon the person taking the substance and the emotional state of mind he or she is feeling. Each experience will still be unique and very very personal and everyone is different. If you have a bad trip, it will make you feel confused, irritated or suffer from panic attack and that is because you had doubts before consuming. That must be avoid at all cost. Since I was in a good mood and very relexed from inhaling all of what Mary Jane had to offer in her store. I began to enjoy my little journey.
As we glided thought the city, wondering around clueless and lost in reality, absolutely feeling happiness and contentment and just walking and walking, step by step and staring at random scenes a for periods of time. At the same time, I knew what was happing and where I was. At one point Bostie and I would laugh hysterically for no reason and I would join him. We small talked here and there, but I was too high to maintain any conversation because my eyes where pooping all over the place. Usually when I get high on dope, I like to step back a from the crowds and be in my own world and collect my deep thoughts.
Sky was very clear with the street lights shining bright and the rays from the lights were changing colors rapidly from white to red to blue to green then a combination of all and the reflections of the buildings from the canal also freak me out at times but very entertaining after the first shock. I observed the slow blending reflection transform into one or somewhat of a few cartoon characters with arms. Time continues on and come to find a suitable 'normal' café and sat outside, ordered some pints. As I gently nursed my beer with my palm glued to the glass, distracted by the colours reflection of the bent houses across the canal. Like the most important part of a film that grabs your full attention since you want to see what happens next. The best way I can describe my current highness at that level was very much like the photo above this story. An intense sight of colours, sounds and some open eyed visual transformations mixing together in shapes. Everything started to blend in nicely and I just sat in one spot completely entertained by the building shifting & waving towards me and waving side by side at times like the famous Mexican wave. Colours were fading darker and then glowing brighter, blending. Patches of the bricks on the old 1800's ground was reaching towards me and defaming oddly. Bostie was talking to a few people beside us, which I don't know how he was in a chatting mood. But then again, he was at his place where he was enjoying himself highly. After a while I felt it was time for me just to return back to the hostel and was feeling spaced out. Bostie was cool that I had to be alone. He walked me back to the hostel and hit the bar under the hostel as I fled up the stairs. I just wanted to find a comfortable chair and plug some music into my hearing aid. I had chosen to listen to Deep Purple, led Zeppelin and the 13 Floor Elevators including some likewise music related from that era, just to let everything come together naturally with enjoyment creating my own story in my mind. Away from people. My body felt very sensitive and deeply sucked into the one seat sofa as I hear sounds and melodies playing, relaxing me gently.
Waking up the day after, I have to admit that I felt like I had a great night out and had enjoyed the Truffle journey. I was absolutely fine but a little dehydrated and hungry of course. Spending the day chilling at the hostel, burning blunts after blunts. Grabbed a farewell drink with Bostie in the afternoon with some travellers before we departed Amsterdam and seek off to our separate ways.
The TGV stops at the platform after 11 hours rolling on the tracks. I stepped out and walked towards the exit of the Gare d'Antibes. I had pulled up aside, there was a breath of freshness with a feeling of pleasure to be back in France. Quality food. Beautiful women. Good weather. Bord de mer. Wine.
Nevertheless, Amsterdam is unique. Definitely would like to revisit.
I miss Amsterdam.