Amsterdam - First timer!

[couzens]

Hi folks,

Booked a little three day break to Amsterdam with the other half and looking for some advice on must do's/see etc.
we're both wanting to try out the cafes, but neither of us smoke and haven't really dabbled in the drugs scene much, are brownies/cake best to break into it?

Things like the RL District we'd like to have a walk down but is there anything else we must do whilst we're there? Places to eat etc...

Thanks in advance.
Ryan.

[DJRC]

Just have a mooch about. Pop into a cafe if you want, they advertise what they offer. It's bloody busy at the moment, was stag and hen central last weekend. O'Reillys is a useful ex pat pub to know.

[numtumfutunch]

Fond memories of going to Amsterdam a long time ago

I could roll my own back in the day and had even taken some old tube tickets to use as roaches but one of my pals was a non smoker but keen to try the local wares

He's also a hardcore and pretty snobby musician and after having his first hash cookie proclaimed it had no effect
Shortly afterwards a Phil Collins song came on the cafe PA at which point he started wildly proclaiming it was the best song ever

On a serious note its a huge industry over there, although I havent been for many years but it cant have changed much

You can buy any manner of product from raw ingredients to "ready meals"
Or in other words grass, resin, ready made cigarettes/Camberwell carrots as well as cookies etc for non smokers
Just beware of anything hallucinogenic especially skunk

[oxford drinker]

Try some passive smoking in Café Belgique (Gravenstraat 2, just off Damrak) whilst you enjoy some Belgian beer!

Plenty of nice bars - try Café Hoppe (Spui 18-20) and, if you like beer and olde worlde charm, In de Wildeman at Kolksteeg 3.

[Aphex]

Truffles

[Ste1987]

Speaking from experience, never have more than one piece of space cake in one day! Never again!

[C0ffin D0dger]

If you truly are a first timer be very careful. When you smoke the stuff the effects come on fairly quickly but you have an element of control over it all, i.e. have a few puffs, leave it for a bit, see how you like it, if you want more smoke more, if you don't like it stop. You won't get any higher and the effects will wear off in a few hours.

Eating it means that you have all of it in your stomach getting absorbed, it will build and build until it has passed through you digestive system. This is okay if you're comfortable with the effects, but if you don't like it then there is no way out for several hours at least. Queue potential paranoia, panic attacks, etc. This is worsened by the fact that a lot of the stuff (e.g. skunk) is so damned strong these days.

[Aphex]

C0ffin D0dger said:

panic attacks

Very scary if this happens to your partner

[couzens]

Thanks for the heads up guys. I'll try out some places mentioned. Just looking for somewhere relaxed and chilled where we won't be laughed at for doing it all wrong haha.

[technodup]

couzens said:

Thanks for the heads up guys. I'll try out some places mentioned. Just looking for somewhere relaxed and chilled where we won't be laughed at for doing it all wrong haha.

Going to a foreign country to try something you've never done before, in doses you don't know doesn't sound like the best idea to me.

I don't do weed but I've been to Amsterdam, Rotterdam and various other places and done 'various things' and it's always that bit more edgy when you don't know the place and the lingo. Plus taxi drivers can really take the piss...

I'd dabble at home first. As for Amsterdam I'm not a fan. Rotterdam is the business.

[couzens]

Well I could illegally buy it of the dodgy bloke on the corner of a street and still not know anything about quantity or quality? At least its regulated and sold by people who know what it entails! It's also not the only reason we wanted to go, merely a by product we're willing to dabble in