It has been one of the most talked about places on earth ..
Why ?! Well the reasons are obvious - Weed ... a.k.a Mary Jane
Smoking weed in Malaysia carries a very heavy sentence if prosecuted . To add more spice to the fuckin' curry , the cops are given the authority to conduct random urine checks at clubs and bars . If you are found to be positive , you are literally F-U-C-K-E-D . But to be all honest with you guys , nobody really gives a shit and everyone has a good smoke every now and then . Come on - We live neighbouring to Thailand for fucks sake !
When you have a good smoke , you turn rather mellow and happy but smoking in Malaysia can make you paranoid and nervous - you are constantly on guard of being apprehended . When you look at the bigger picture , it's a fuckin' plant . Anyway , I am not campaigning on legalising marijuana or anything of that sort , I am not even a big fan . I am writing on behalf of all my friends who have been curious what this place is all about ..
Amsterdam baby !!
The mood was already kicking in ..
Upon reaching Amsterdam airport Schiphol , we resulted in having a couple of Heineken's
If you have Stella Artois in Belgium , you gotta have a Hainy in Holland - Motherland !
As you can imagine , we were nice and happy by the time we left the airport . Despite getting a bit lost in the beggining , it weren't too long before we were matched with the herbal smells soaring across the streets ..
We were doing nothing but smiling ... seriously fuckin' smiling !
We decided to take a group photo before we prevailed the cafe's . Where the magic happens ..
Walk up to the counter .. choose what you think would hit it off with you . Let the names and titles entice you with excitement , stimulation and animation ..
There were approximately 30 types of marijuana to choose from in each cafe ..
So the rolling started ...
Bubble gum's we chewed , White widow's we came across . In the name of Holland's hope we flew in search of the Northern Lights :)
It is vital for you to go in a group of energetic and crazy bunch as Amsterdam has got alot to offer . You really want a group of people who would be up for trying new things and not be too stoned to move !
Easier said then done really .. cause , here I was with 2 guys who really loved their smokes .. I was conned and manipulated but I was not complaining , the stone was awesome :)
On the first night , we had stretched out our sleeping bags next to the famous river - The Venice of the North
This saved us 200 Euros amongst us and the sleep was rather peaceful and muted .. except one of our friends went missing and we only found him the next afternoon loitering around , hahaha !
We checked into a hostel right in the heart of it all .. For 15 Euros each , we got a decent bed and bathroom . We had the most amazing view of the streets , the canal and the red light district :)
People in Amsterdam seemed rather friendly for very obvious reasons . Everyone greeted each other when eyes met or shared a joint always trying to make a conversation .. :)
Marijuana does in a way manufacture a very stoned bunch of people and I do agree that not many people abuse the system although given the privilege to light up freely ..
Some dude from a very ineteresting part of the world . Previn's soul mate from above .. :)
Anyways .. there were a couple of things I really wanted to try in Amsterdam . The most anticipated space cakes .. Well , a cake that basically takes you to space to be precise . When we went to try out these magical cakes , I was rather hungry and decided to have two of them .. this proved to be a huge gaffe as within 30 minutes - I was slowly being swallowed by the couch we were seated on ..
It was definitely a scene from Trainspotting !! The air was not sufficient and everything was moving so slowly ... It was one heck of an experience ! I had to get out of the coffee shop and respire , fresh air was much needed . I sat next to the canal and stared into the water .. My mind was blanked out by extremely slow motion movements and lots and lots of colours .. I felt much better after about 20 minutes and joined the rest of the guys who didn't really notice my disappearance .. I wonder why !! :)
The space cake experience was different compared to smoking the herbs itself . The high was rather intense but manageable .. I would have preferred to have been more active while stuffing myself rather than being indoors , confined .. Perhaps a nice walk or a boat ride around town would have been epic . Next time , I would be outdoors .. in my shades and definitely afloat ! That simply would be the bollocks ..
Our group was quite diverse .. two of em' liked the smokes , one was really into the booze , I was excited about trying the Amsterdam mushrooms and the last member of the pack just went with the flow :)
This is Stevie boy .. Trying his best to join in the conversation but often dozed off yet never let his beer can slip outta his hands ..
Looks like all the herbs is taking its toll on Radox .. It was his first time experiencing everything !
Whether he is coming back to Amsterdam we don't know but it was definitely a memory for life :)
We spent a fair amount of time in the room every now and then just to refresh or when the tank is low on energy .. While we were in the room , we did nothing but smoke different types of herbs .. name it and I think we sunk it :)
The godfather had the joints coming one after one that I usually felt I was living in my dream itself ..
Me giving it a 100 % and trying to make a joint .. thanks for the tutorials guys . It took me 30 minutes to make - it felt way more than an hour , ahhaa !
I don't have much to write about our stay at the hostel except that I have very vague memories and most of the times we just spent laughing at everything and munching on some chocolates . Another favourite past time was to put our heads out of the window and watch all the people in action . We had an approximate 50 people passing the hostel every minute plus the boats etc .. it was an interesting activity !
A glimpse of the view from our window .. 5 star mother fuckers :)
One of the best bars we went to in Amsterdam without a doubt was called The Grasshopper . You can choose either to sit outside or go underground - more like my thing especially because they had really good sound systems and very good soothing interiors . We spent a good 4 hours in this bar .. having some nice coffee , chocolate cakes and having a decent smoke .. I must admit that I had smoked way too much beyond my limitations but just when I thought I was hitting the brick wall , they started playing Thom Yorke's album The Eraser .. if you are a music fan , you should know that it really does not get better than this ...
They sold considerably good herbs in here and the crowd were very pleasant .. It seemed like a place where artists and musicians gathered for a bit of knowledge interference sessions . If you were to head to Amsterdam , you ought to get this experience as it was priceless !
Whilst I was in the middle of this roller coaster , I witnessed a family having dinner . They were seated opposite me on an elevated ground and we were separated by a small wall barrier . What got my attention was the smell of the food they ordered . I was sneaking into the food as it was very temptatious and gave you the cravings ...
What really caught my attention was the moment when the family that comprised of mum , dad , 2 sons and a sister - all teenagers , finished their meal . Both the sons proceeded to roll a couple of joints and THE WHOLE FAMILY HAD A NICE SMOKE TOGETHER . I dunno if this is a norm from where you come from but for me , this was a phenomena . I was shocked .. but from the looks of it , they seemed soooooo relaxed and I think they do it quite often .. Wonder if this happens anywhere else in the world :)
The blend of creativity suddenly unfolds in a click
There was not much conversations on our table .. we smiled at each other everynow and then but that was about it . I really didn't have much to say as I was drowning within myself listening to Thom Yorke spill his guts .. what a moment :/ One of the most perfect moments I must enforce !
I have been a fan of mushrooms as each tripp as you can put it comes with a storyline , a verse , a bridge , a chorus and a lesson . Mushrooms have been around for thousands of years and even the Shamans in the amazons have used them as a journey to reach adulthood - to be able to see the inner spirituality of mother nature . Anyway .. I had been down to a local store and purchased 2 packs of mushrooms - From Equador and Brazil ..
It was a sunny afternoon and I had munched on the Equadorian shrooms while walking down the streets of Amsterdam . I consumed 8 mushrooms ( although reccommended 4 every 8 hours ) . Although I was hoping to find a spot and chill out , somehow the shrooms seemed to have worked its magic even before I was prepared for a journey .. Basically , I found this shrooms to be rather immense . There were split moments of a twitch .. my eyes begun to ache forcing me to close them in order to reach some sort of inner peace within . I remember wanting to drink a bottle of orange juice and it had bits in it .. I stared into the bottle for almost an hour and shook it repeatedly .
It seemed like there was so much more into things around us that we have failed to realise . With my eyes closed .. I played some of my favourite tunes on my ipod and was waft away into a very peaceful place . In this place , I saw fellow comrades sitting around a fire in the forest .. as I came into the picture they received me in a very upbeat way .
I sat there with them ..trying to penetrate my surroundings that seemed so mysterious yet furtive . Besides this tripp , I also had moments trying to find myself although I had to force myself to concentrate every now and then . It was a very colourful journey but I have to divulge that there is a time and place to be on shrooms . Perhaps , in the middle of the forest around sunset .. things would have made sense .. but overall , there was no regrets .. nice , psychedelic calming effect with a very unwinding come down :)
We did hit the clubs .. Dutch women were saucy and as hot as an Argentinian steak . There was not much edginess while trying to get into the club and the people were all friendly as fuck . There was even a counter where you could check the contents of the pills you embrace . For 1 Euro , they would tell you what exactly is in the pills .. by percentage . I found this to be very informative and it was an eye opener .. Why take pills stuffed with shite when you can get a proper , non contaminated , well harmonised raptures ..
The clubbing scene was awesome .. you didn't have to worry about accidentally walking into a shitty RnB or Hip Hop clubs ( Sorry guys I hate those music ) . Holland is all about Techno and Trance .. you can find a fair amount of electro and house clubs within a stones throw !! Paradiso :)
Introduction to the Red Light District was a startling experience for me . If you find - seeing girls in little booths who would have sex with you no matter how ugly you are , AMUSING .. then perhaps this would be a good place for you to release yourself . Yes - There were really hot girls and I would be able to fuck them for a mere 50 Euro .. but I think this entire circumstance kinda woke me up to what extend the legislation has gone in order to satisfy the tourists . If you wanna have a debate , we can go on all night but I doubt that any girl would go into prostitution without a story to hold herself ..
There were fat ugly men .. seeking thrills by having a good 10 minutes of their lifes .. - I wonder how the girls felt when they were pounded upon . As for me , it was an awakening walk but I guess this is a completely different topic to be pondered upon .
If you think I sound silly perhaps you may need to read up on human trafficking .. conceivably you may open your fuckin' eyes . I am somehow glad that from the year 2010 , the government is coming hard to overcome this problem . If you want a shag and can't get one - You must really suck . If you ever paid for sex - you gotta be a loser ! Sorry mate ..
Being around the streets of Amsterdam - I felt free , I felt revived .. I felt like there were no boundaries to what one can do . At the same time , there were things that made you think about precincts . It is an experience you must feel for yourselves but there is always a greater mind then one itself . This was almost like a land of physics .. you do the maths and come up with your own solutions ...
Towards the end of the trip here .. we had nice meals , nice outings to nice bars and nice walks around town . This beautiful town is literally drawn within the canal itself .. It was a town that never sleeps .. there's constantly something happening and it felt magical in many ways ..
I know how to party and have lived my life partying but I came to the extend whereby a week was well enough .. It felt nice to have come but at the same time , I was eager to hit home .. hit my bed and be in a more chilled environment . Commercialism is huge in Amsterdam and it did hit me after a while . On the last day , whilst trying to smoke all the remaining herbs .. by the time we got to the airport , we were all well frenzied . As much as I loved Amsterdam .. it was time to leave !
For some weird reason , I love this picture .. taken at the airport while waiting for the flight . I think there's really not much to say .. The photo does depict alot !
Lukey navigating the way to the train station ..
Stevie doing a little dance prior to departure although we were actually running because we were late !
At the departure lounge .. people were giving their stares but we really couldn't give a flying fuck . We just sat there and dazed into the well decorated carpets !
It was an awesome flight home , I didn't remember much as I was flying way before I boarded the flight . The smell of pringles that Previn purchased kept me awake for a while but the guy next to me proved much more than life itself . He snored like a tiger and woke up to the sounds of his snores , looked at me smiled .. said hi and went back to dreamland . This happened continuously until we reached London :) Niceee ...
Reached London .. I was quite happy to be reunited with my Larajinha ( Orange baby ) .. Dropped everyone home and went home , had a good nap . I must say .. these 4 people I traveled with I would not change in anyway . It was definitely the perfect group to conquer Amsterdam with . Thanks guys for the beautiful memories .. Maybe not now .. but definitely in the near future :) Love it !!!
