DocGonzo42s 4/20/2024: The whole 9 days

[docgonzo42]

I landed in Europe on April 8th in Geneva Switzerland. This was the start of my last European bucket trip list that I planned back when my bride was alive. From the 8th to the 13th, I drove through Switzerland and Italy visiting famous graves, a hell inspired art museum, the Alps, and a bar designed by the artist that created Alien (HR Geiger).

On September 14th I landed in Amsterdam and got a train ticket to a town I had visited back in 2011 called Soest that I found when I went to MC Escher’s Grave. The train arrived at 4:00; and there being no taxis or Ubers so far out from a city on a late Sunday; I started the 1.3 km walk to my Air B and B with 50 pounds of gear. I chose this place because I knew once I hit Amsterdam on the 17th that I would need 3 days of peace before the amazing plans ACD created for this very inspired trip for 2024.

The Air B and B I chose was because it was 200 m from Coffeeshop Hacas which was the only place within 20 kms to enjoy smoke. I was given permission to use the very manicured garden provided by my host which made for great breakfasts. It sunny/ rained for 3 days, and I slept and smoked constantly after being 6 days clean at the start of the trip.

April 14th through April 16th
Coffeeshop Hacas being the only place within walking distance got all my business over the next 3 days. I spent 3 + hours there every day sitting by myself and smoking while conversing with the 3 very incredible budtenders. This was very much a buy and fly world and spent those 3 days alone in a beautiful empty coffeeshop. The combo of no tobacco use in shops and covid changed everything they said. I just binge smoked but being I could only buy 5 grams a day (I’m used to 10 to 12) I slowed down to enjoy it all.
I consumed the following.
April 14th
3 grams of Cerial Milk (perfect tight buds and perfect first day first high)
2 grams of Beldia Hash (light Brown Hard to break Hash but so good)
April 15th
3 grams of Wedding Cake (devastating high)
2 grams of Pink Kush (good complement to the Hash)
April 16th
3 grams of Amnesia (good hybrid sativa)
2 grams of Eighty8 Hash (lite brown that broke apart like soft cookie dough)
Ate great food in town every night and a friend met me, and she took me to Kroller Muller museum on day 3 so I could see the second largest Van Gogh collection along with a mix of other favorite artists. We then stopped by MC Escher’s House where he created his iconic works and his grave.
If you ever make it there go by and enjoy the best and only weed in town. All top-notch stuff,

August 17th
Train back to Amsterdam and 50 pd sack put in Locker by 11:30. 6-day tram pass bought and walked to 420 café for traditional first smoke of trip. Bought 2 grams of Pineapple Chunk and sat at bar to start killing the 3 hours until check in.
Being a Zappa fan, I was wearing a Zappa hat and met a musician in town to play in Tilburg that week. He also plays in a Zappa tribute band (Gozortenplat) playing, among other instruments, the theremin. He knew of the ACD website and was interested in attending a Toke and Talk when he got back on Sunday the 21st if he could make it back. (see Sunday the 21st)
I had been staying in very nice Air B and Bs and hotels this trip so far, so I planned on purpose to torture myself for the next 6 days. I got a room at the top floor of a 3-story walkup called the Quinton Golden Bear. 47 treacherous steps every time I came and went so when I left, I made sure I came back only when I needed to. Checked into a room with no heat and took a nap.

Hunters Bar meet up started at 8:00 so I got there to find Lemming and Igraine already ensconced at a front table. Noticed for the first time the bars had bouncers wearing matching shirts and no baseball caps rules in effect so that helped stop me wearing my Zappa Hat for the rest of the trip. Occasional Bowl and Gapie soon joined and started our first session together for the start of the trip. Trad and Sammysarah completed the evening with their wonderful presence. After one walk to Hashtag (so I could show them the Tiffany Case house from Diamonds are Forever) we went back to Hunters to finish the first night.
Left to walk back to sleep in my no heated room with it getting down to 43 that night. I made an igloo out of the bedding and created a snorkel hole to breathe and slept until10:00 the next day.

August 18th
Woke up to a “Jesus its fucking cold moment” and decided to get a hot shower. Oops no water either. Decided to get up and take a walk in Vondelpark to get my blood warm and make my way to the 420 Café for Trads Wake and bake. Got there and bought 3 grams of Nevilles Haze. Trad and Sammysarah arrived, and we had an amazing couple of hours before they had cheese shop reservations.

Last year I met Trad early on the trip and Sammysarah at the Stud for only an hour at the end. I publicly proclaimed on my report last year her Goddessness and this trip showed me her Goddesslike nature only scratched the surface. She let me know up front she acknowledges my very correct review of her, and she will never be my 4th wife. (I told friends last year I had met my 4th wife; maybe met the 3rd wife before I left the states)
Talking with Trevor over the next week showed me my newest want to grow up and be like him person in my life.
Smoked all I had and walked with them to the Cheese shop. As I walked to the meet at Bagheera I saw fire and police put out a fire from an ATM in a wall on Damrack. That was fun while high.

Bagheera
Get there to find a full table of ACDers along with AZ Lazer (Fellow American- different coasts but same weed desires). The tables full so I buy to start building a good supply to get ready for 420 and the upcoming boat trip and roll on a table near them.
3.5 grams of Ice Cream Candy(first Cali weed of trip)
1 gram of RS11X Candy Coffin Bubble hash rosin
Smoked a bowl of yummy goodness of those combined. Fun conversations and brotherhood all around and session lasting an (hour?) Started making our way to Siberie.

Siberie
The place where I met all the ACDers last year always deserves a visit while in Amsterdam. Very nice budtenders.
For old times’ sake got 2 grams of White Widow.
All ACDers were able to sit at one table and a corporate decision was made that the weather was too volatile to risk a beach walk. We all just got high for a couple hours and agreed to meet later. As the next couple days went on it was fun finding spots as we toured to fit our crowd. Met at Batavia for a nice night of bar smoking and football cheering.

Terps Army 2
Stopped in to get some Cali weed to be smoked on the 420 boat on 420.
2 grams of Kosher Kush
3.5 grams of Biscotti X Sherbanger(Cali weed)
At this point in the trip there is no way to measure any difference in weed quality and strength because we all were sharing the best we have got along with what we got…It’s just a high haze from this point forward.

April 19th
So, yay for me the heat was working on when I made it back that night but still no water so “extra deodorant for me” day ahead. The night before I had let Lemming know that I would make sure that I was at Het Gelderse to meet Ghost on his arrival if they wanted to sleep in. I left at 11:00 from Batavia but they were planning to stay out longer.
Got there about 10:40 so I could get a good seat and asked for a drink upon arrival. The Budtender said they only sell drinks if you are buying weed which I had planned to do anyway so I purchased some really excellent bud from them.

Het Gelderse
1 gram of Wagyu (Good Cali weed )
Occasional Bowl and Bedge showed up, so we were enjoying a windy/ rainy/ sunny morning when Ghost walked in.(bags in hand still fresh from arrival) He got out his gear and we were then introduced to the heart of the trip for ACDers Herby the pot frog. I think that’s the name we all settled on eventually. Great session going on watching the intermittent rain followed by intense sun for 15 minutes. During a rain break we started to head toward Kadinski 2 but first walked with Ghost to drop his bag off if possible, at his place of choice. That done we headed across Dam Square to the next place of order.

Kadinski 2
1 gram of Rollex Kush
Full crew at Kadinski 2 upon arrival and I got in line to get some Rollex kush. While purchasing I didn’t notice the crew was heading out and I saw Lemming as the last one so as I finished I ran out and couldn’t find anyone. We had met there to go to The Stud so I figured they had gathered to hit the tram. Walked to the tram stop and no one was there. Sent a note on the site just to find out they had left and walked across the Alley to the Kadinski 2 bar. Went back and got a seat for us to discover it was a no smoking bar, so we had a drink to gather ourselves for the trek to The Stud. AZLazer and Sammysarah were showing fun videos of them at Keukenhof promoting the new release by Taylor Swift to very confused travelers.

The Stud
There is nothing like the feeling you get by being treated like royalty at The Stud. Truly. Not playing around here dear readers. We arrive and get escorted to the back room that already has the Volcano ready to go and we fit ourselves in comfortably. They are there to show off their supply not just show off.
Mjhowy gets us situated and has drink orders taken then comes back. He says today we have a new strain on the menu and wants us to be the first to try it. It’s called Apples and Bananas. I take a whiff and say “Hell I’ll Take 3 grams now” which gets a laugh from him. He’s like” no man this our gift to you today “and proceeds to lay bags on each table. We get the Volcano warmed up and bags of it just start being handed around by Lemming while Led Zeppelin’s greatest hits (request by Trad) starts playing. Drinks and smoke all around and the host says now last year you were one of my hash smokers correct and proceeds to put a nice flat brick on the table of Fruity Hash and says enjoy. So, with all that going on about the next thing a tray of chocolate shavings is brought out along with fresh strawberries. Yep, all were infused with thc. We are joined by two new ACDers at that stop Talkrum and Jazmin who just joined right in the party. So, 3 hours later that both flew and crawled by we were then given gift bags with one of the nicest shirts I’ll ever own I think.
We as a group went outside for our Stud group pic and bid grateful thanks for what this place does for us. Don’t be afraid to go slightly out of the way to visit this best of the modern day coffeeshops that Amsterdam offers.

We all make our way 3 blocks following our tour guide Gapie to The Rum Barrel where a supper of tapas plates is quickly brought to us and a feast ensues. After that it’s a blur. I know we got back to the city center and went to a bar/bars to smoke but I’m not sure where we went or when we were done. I know I made back to my hotel to find both heat and water finally.

Side note… God how much do we all just love Gapie and unfortunately his story ends a little worse for wear by the end of this travelogue. (See Sunday the 21st)


April 20th 4/20
Woke up…Got out of bed…Dragged a comb across my head. After a much-needed shower made my way downstairs and had a smoke at my next door neighbor The Dolphins. Had a few tears as it was the place my wife loved the most on her only trip to Amsterdam; because it felt like you were in a fish tank she said. First time I had been there since we went. Good way to start the day. I like punishing myself with cathartic(ness).
Headed over to Siberie to meet the start of the morning crew and took that time to make 8 -2-gram cone joints of all the Cali weed I had bought since arrival. This was my own personal smoking challenge for the day. Along with the remaining hash I wanted to finish all I had purchased so far to get a fresh start the next day.

We headed over to 420 café to try to get a spot as Trad had let us know it was filling up.I walked ahead a little and when I walked in the table on the left of the door was open so I pulled out my smoking gear and started arranging seats. The bar was full and the window had 4 people in it. We had 3 stools so our 6 people started crowding in and grabbing spots.
Now over the past 2 years I’ve noticed this great human condition when it comes to young stoners. When a group of older fun boisterous stoners come in and smoke as heavily as we do it takes about 15 minutes for them to give each other that lets smoke up and get out of here vibe going. These stoners were resilient though and stayed in the window and the bar up to about 3:55. Suddenly 2 people at the bar left so we grabbed those chairs and then the window started clearing out.

Side note: My happy place
Since my 1st trip 1st shop experience the 420 Café or DeKuil was my happy place on earth. Mainly the window stool on the far right looking out to the greatest human fishtank ever of world people coming together in a alley, Ive sat in that spot for at least a combined full day (24 hrs in 8 trips)of my journey in this realm of life Ive gotten the joy to be a watcher of.
So I got my window seat.

On 4/20 at 4;20 I got to enjoy 420 at 420 in my happy place. This time through I got to sit there surrounded by a wonderful family of fellow ACDers.I had Trad and Occasional Bowl beside me sitting while above us at the table was Samantha, AZ lazer, Lemming , Igrane, stevesec,jolylilhun,Talkrum. From 4:05 to 4:15 easily a hundred people walked in the double doors at 420 Cafe and did a once around and went right back out because there was no place at all to stand. The traditional rolling of a single huge cone joint I(I say it was at least 28 grams) was rolled by the 420 crew and the countdown was on.
The next 25 minutes were a blur lost in time.
I recall getting up once to see the cloud hanging above us throughout the shop but gravity said fuck you. I left about 530 to run back to the room to shower, eat 2 bananas, a lil hummus, hydrate and change into warmer clothes and grab my rain gear for the night.
Met the crew at Resin and really loved that I gotten used to finding a shop by looking for Trad outside smoking a cig at that point. We all gathered up and made our way to the smoke boat. As it showed up, we gathered to get in with our people and 4 innocent bystanders who just happened to think it would be a place they could drink wine and enjoy tobacco. Then the Olympic Pot Smoking Team gold medalists showed up.

Side note: AZ Lazer says 3 people on his review I remember 4…please clarity if anyone else remembers or has pictures.

The ACDers then started having a conversation with the captain and crewmember about the hookah we had arranged for the trip. The crewmember was saying yes we have a nice tobacco and many flavors to choose from and we were saying no we just want to pile a bunch of our collective weed in a bowl and smoke it through the hookah. She was like sorry we can’t do this because people would throw up if they allowed that. I believe AZ Lazer got the biggest laugh out of that and said I think that this crew will be fine by smoking that much weed at once. At this point the 4 innocents started taking in a language I didn’t understand but I do read body language and they started laughing in amazement when all 14 of us started lighting up joints, bongs, vapes. Every time we said something they would laugh then repeat what we had said. We then asked the captain to close all the plastic windows so we could hotbox the boat for the trip. That lasted about 20 minutes as the 4 innocents’ laughter and second-hand high made it to the point they opened a back window so they could get some of that pesky oxygen.

It rained most the time even though we were hoping for a sunset like cruise. Still, it was a joyous occasion filled with smoke love and great conversations. Back at the dock we all piled out with the innocents last, and we asked if they had fun and one said it was most interesting. I hope we changed them a little forever.
At that point all I wanted was to say goodnight and go back to the hotel for Walk to Wok. I had planned a trip to the Hague but had not had any wanting to go so I made a corporate decision at 7:30 am to put a note on the Watts App sleeping in.
Met my 8 joint goal and smoked my hash at The Dolphins for an end of night Hot Chocolate.

April 21st
By skipping The Hague the morning was my oyster and I slept until 11:00 eventually. Bananas and strawberries for breakfast with a macadamia nut chaser to start the day then gathered up for the meet at Green Place.
Green Place
3 Grams of Oreoz
1 gram of GMO X Gelanade bubble hash
Smoked a little with crew but then we started our trek to Het Ballonnetje

Het Ballonnetje
This was a place I heard off from a friend who lived near there back in 2009 and always wanted to go to. This beautiful 2 level shop is the place to go in this section of Amsterdam and should be for all travelers. We get there and are met by The (owner?) who leads us up the usual Amsterdam stairs to our personal use loft where Bruce had the biggest chance of hitting his head on the low ceiling. At this point the whole membership has its privileges sets in. We first get 3 2 grams packs of weed and 1 2-gram pack of hash set on every table. Each table got a mix and not every table got the same, so it was a true tasting of the menu.
I was sitting by myself at the table at the very top of the staircase and this is what was put on my table.
2 grams of Day wrecker
2 grams of Cinnamon Milk
2 grams of Gelato Sorbeto
2 grams of Strawberry Punch Hash

Staged a 2 gram cone of Cinnamon Milk and started with that. Then drinks were delivered along with a bit later huge sandwiches and chips for each table. A ACDer who was a local showed up and was from near my state and smoked bubble hash through a bubbler the entire time and was a joy to meet.

At about that time Gapie(Sten) showed by sit crawling up the stars next to us in obvious pain. He had injured his ankle on the way (I believe a bus was involved) over to the Toke and Talk and said damn this world I’m going anyway. He went downstairs once to use the restroom and it goes down as the most painful thing I’ve ever witnessed. In Gapies own words the eventual outcome was “Friday surgery and 1 a 2 months staying home aaarghhh but all ok” and “Surgery is over no pain 1 month in caster and recovering”. But But But on that day this beautiful human being said screw the gods of fate and jumped down the road on one leg for the rest of the night.

Then about 2 hours in I screwed up and smoked a bowl of Day Wrecker with little pearls of Strawberry Punch on top and lost my brain for 2 hours. Went downstairs once because all the voices upstairs had combined into one as I lost touch with all reality. At that point the Zappa tribute band /theremin player contacted me to see if the pinball tourney was still on at The Spirit. I asked Lemming and Igraine if it was Ok for him to join us and they said they were good but ask Ghost also.

Side note: Ghost has the most amazing spirit of anyone I have met

I let him know that I don’t know this guy at all except for Zappa and I met him on Minute one 4 days ago and had forgotten he wanted to join. I told Ghost that I take all responsibility for this guy’s appearance because all these ACD people know all these ACD people and a new person sometimes doesn’t mix but a stoners a stoners. Also, when the hell do you get to hang out with a theremin player/guitar shredder.
After many hours we said goodbye and headed to the Spirit for the pinball tourney.

The Spirit
2 grams of Rollex OG Kush
The 2 hours at Spirit was just a beautiful evening of smoking and pinball. Jon showed up and joined the crowd explaining what a theremin was and the music he makes around the world. I had told him that getting to be with these people was a gift and he treated it as so. I hope he gets on the site so we can meet there again one day. We picked a machine (ACDC) I think. I got a high score(10,330,000) leading into the last two people. Then my new fave ACDer Talkrum won by 2million and took home the coveted prize of the ACD Tigger. Nite being done for me I went back to The Dolphins to finish all I had left.

April 22nd
Woke up late again and enjoyed an hour of watching a movie in the room and just relaxing.
Decided to walk over to Overtoom and make a couple tram changes to make my way toward that side of Amsterdam to start our PIJP crawl.

Got to DNA about 1245 and went in not knowing it was a fly and buy so I bought a pre roll of White Widow1,2 grams for the hell of it, The crew were talking on Whatts App and said they were making their way toward me in a bit. I went to a shop and got some fresh fruit for breakfast and made my way back to a little bench across from DNA to enjoy the early afternoon sun.
About this time, I heard a ruckus down the rd that got louder as it approached. The smallest possible(car) you ever seen that could fit two people was coming down the road and swerving. It went off the road across from me and parked on the sidewalk. A young Dutch man got out of the car and started circling it and yelling. Then a young Dutch girl got out and started yelling back and hitting him.. Of course I started recording. They yelled until he just turned and stomped across the street to DNA to get weed, While he was inside she was yelling into her phone until he came out and opened the hood to crank the car. They drove off down the sidewalk, I decided to move to Dekade.

DeKade
Hands down this out the way locals shop may be the most beautiful I’ve ever seen. Nicely decorated with a huge Mucha painting inside its just pure class. The bathrooms have something I’d never seen by the way soap on a rotating post at the sink. Took a table near the back and got seats gathered for the crew. I had told them I was the first of many on the way and got some fresh weed.

3 grams of Zoap.

The days ACD crew showed up and the shop brought us nice DeKade t shirts. We stayed there for many hours and later agreed we should never have left. We spent that time reliving all we had seen over the last week and reminiscing about it.
We left and walked by Katsu and Club Media but decided to go to the last stop of YO YO. This was a place I had been in 2011 that had apple pie and outdoor grown weed, so I was excited to go back and bring the crew.

YO YO
So, this was a bad idea I had. YO YO has been run for many decades by an older Dutch lady who really just didn’t want us there. They no longer sell pies and even though it was huge place only the front section with maybe 12 seats was the smoking session. She already said she didn’t want us to stay because our crowd of 9 was way too many and people won’t come in to smoke if all of you are in here, the option to sit in the upper section was not an option s as it was coffee only. 2 girls took a small table to give us the table with 6 seats. One of us sat on a couch while I stood by the table. The owner came out to deliver coffee and said no you can’t stand here as ill be in the way if others come in. At that point 6 of us were done with this nonsense and left to head back to the center of Dam. I gave Lemming and Igraine my everlasting respect and love as I was going to go pack, get dinner, head to sleep as I was heading out at 630 in the morning for my flight. So, I left angry leaving my wallet behind. At the stop Ghost told me that Lemming had sent a Whatts App letting me know and told all at the stop how much joy they had brought into my life this week and thanked them. Went back and got my wallet and headed to the room.

Packed everything except what I had left weed wise and a Dolphins last remembrance smoke to honor my wife Allison yet again. Walked across the street to toss my grinder and hash pipe in the trash then walked up those damn hotel 47 stairs for last time ever I hope.

Last side note:
All the love and respect in the world for Lemming and Igraine for being the glue that keeps this world together. Cant even come close to letting you know all the feels I have for these two.
Lets check those totals:
41 grams of weed smoked
8 grams of Hash Consumed
Who knows how much free weed and hash given by The Stud and Het Ballonnetje
New shirts for my stage collection from The Stud and Het Ballonnetje
4 innocents tainted forever.
One ankle broken.
One impromptu Taylor Swift release party at a flower park
One theremin player met (also amazing Zappa guitarist) check Gozortenplat on You Tube
One hookahless boat ride
47 steps
5 new ACDers met.
Got to sit in my happy place at the right time in the right place.
Love to all.

[Ghost]

Excellent read there @DocGonzo There were 4 people at the back of the boat tour who were non ACD members.

It was a truly epic 420 week again and getting to meet new and interesting members all over again is fantastic and the coffeeshop invites which we receive are amazing and thanks can not be expressed enough to all involved in them

[HitTheNorth]

Sick report man. Thanks for posting

[Kermit]

Outstanding trip report, thanks for sharing

[Lemming]

Great stuff, DocGonzo! Thanks for posting.
One minor correction: I don't think Bedge was with us at Hunters. He didn't arrive until the next day.

[docgonzo42]

Thanks Lemming...fixed that.

[AzLaker]

Great write up Doc., it was great meeting you. Checked you out on YouTube!!
Nice band…big.
I’ll edit the number of people on the boat.

AzLaker

[docgonzo42]

Lol my band is on You Tube as Fullthrottlesc....thats Jon's Zappaband who sat next to you at The Spirit as the guitarist...hes a true guitar shredder while I'm just a noodler...Speaking of noodles got a tat today of The Flying Spaghetti Monster...Sorry about the blood

[docgonzo42]

Lol my band is on You Tube as Fullthrottlebandsc....thats Jon's Zappaband who sat next to you at The Spirit as the guitarist...hes a true guitar shredder while I'm just a noodler...Speaking of noodles got a tat today of The Flying Spaghetti Monster...Sorry about the blood

[jollylittlehun]

Great read mate. Glad you had a good time and was brilliant to meet you. Maybe we can actually get some time to have a proper chat next time.

[AzLaker]

Lol my band is on You Tube as Fullthrottlebandsc....thats Jon's Zappaband who sat next to you at The Spirit as the guitarist...hes a true guitar shredder while I'm just a noodler...Speaking of noodles got a tat today of The Flying Spaghetti Monster...Sorry about the blood

No wonder I couldn't find you in the clip. Wrong show, wrong band.

AzLaker