A Visit to the Holy Land

A trip to the holy land

It wasnâ??t a trip Iâ??d planned to take. But I found myself in England with my
four adult children and several days to spare so I decided on a whim to visit The
Netherlands. I hadnâ??t planned to visit Amsterdam so I didnâ??t allow enough time to
really explore. I will be criticized in some circles for what some might perceive as
irresponsibility, nevertheless we had a wonderful time.
It started in Cambridge, England with my motherâ??s birthday party and
family reunion in early July. After the party was over and cleaned up we were left
with a few days to spare, and not a lot of money. A quick review of local hot spots
revealed Amsterdam to be the venue of choice. After a bit of research it was
discovered the most economical unplanned travel was Eurolines, a bus line that
ran every hour or so for about $105 USD round trip. It was the individual drivers
choice to go by ferry or the Chunnel. In either case almost a twelve hour ride. If
we had booked as little as two weeks ahead we could have taken the one and a
half hour flight for about $35 USD
By accident we discovered the mid week is the best time to visit. Although
it was hard to believe sometimes, weekends were even more crowded and rooms
were harder to find. We found several options for rooms. My daughter (16) and I
took rooms in the three star Hotel Eden, which just happens to be a Best
Western. Her single was about $65USD, my double (#207) overlooking the
intersection of three canals and with a fantastic view of the old city was $100
USD a night. Two of my boys (25 and 22) found another place for $75 USD for
two persons. These rooms all included a continental breakfast, although the Hotel
Eden had a really respectable buffet that ran for three hours. During the summer
many homes open spare rooms for lodging and some exceptional deals can be
had by walking the side streets between eleven and one. When the top half of the
door is open you ask if they have any rooms. Most Dutch spoke enough English
to exchange simple concepts. and were friendly and helpful. After a short tour you
had the option to accept or decline. We found a room for five, with a private bath
and a view of a beautiful garden for $115 USD. A continental breakfast was
included, with an assortment of fruit and cheese. Dinner was negotiable. The
owner suggested we might enjoy the polka band playing that night in the
Vondlepark. He was right.
Everyone who comes to Amsterdam visits the Red Light district, and the
overwhelming majority are just looking. The best part of the city for me is the old
city. Inside all the canals the houses grew like crazy, one house holding up its
neighbor. There are canal boats that float by and more â?? coffee shopsâ? than you
can count. One for every taste it seems.
Now Iâ??m a quiet person and not too enthused about elbowing my way to
the counter through crowds and blindingly loud music. I am also a morning person
and many of the coffeeshops did not open until after 6 P.M.. Most of the big name
coffeshops like the Bulldog and Barneys open early (10-11am) and are packed all
day long. There is always a great haze inside the most popular shops. The
ventilation may not have been the best, upgrades are never easy in a four
hundred year old building, but the crowd was doing its best to overwhelm a
hurricane. The dreaded London pea soup fog has nothing on the crowded hash
bar fog in Amsterdam. Unless you enjoy crowds, hustlers, and the occasional
pickpocket, these are places to approach with care. Several of the best known
shops like the Bulldog have a souvenir shop next door, making it possible to get a
T shirt or the like without having to beat your way to the bar.
There are over 250 licensed coffeshops in Amsterdam alone. Each
licensed shop is required to follow the health and safety standards set by the
licensing board. You must be at least eighteen to enter. The amount of product
they are allowed to have on hand is strictly regulated and occasionally the police
will come in and check. No hard drugs are to be sold or used on the premises.
The Cannabis sold is intended to be consumed on site. Technically Cannabis is
illegal in the Netherlands, but the authorities have chosen to take a â??blind eyeâ?
approach. The Coffeshop system exists to give people access to the Cannabis
they would be smoking, while regulating and taxing the business. The supplies for
the shops are provided by a union of growers. Each shop purchases from an
average of sixteen growers. Growers are limited in the number of plants and the
amount of product they are allowed to have on hand. Growers provide product for
a specific shop and are not allowed to sell to the public. Penalties for sales
outside of the regulated system are severe, jail if you are hard of hearing. Street
purchases are most often bogus, or a set up.
If you are a Cannabis aficionado this is your Holy Land. The dark little
hash bars of the eighties have evolved into bright airy little store fronts. Each
shop carries a greater assortment of flavors than your average candy store. They
still carry several varieties of Hashish, but the menu today focuses on a dozen or
more organically grown strains of the finest sinsemilla. With names like â??Jack
Flashâ? and â??K2â? , each strain offers a different flavor or high. â??Orange Crushâ?
offers a citrus like smell when rubbed, while the â??Choco Mistâ? is such a deep
purple it looks almost brown. Barneyâ??s â??Sweet Toothâ? looks as if it was dusted
with confectioners sugar. The man in the trench coat at the back of the bar is
gone, replaced by a brightly lit counter with a helpful clerk who has a digital scale
and a dozen Tupperware tubs full of herb. Prices and strains are posted. Some
clerks will let you smell the product before you buy it. Please do not touch or
handle the product before purchase. Pre rolled joints are available, unless you
specify they will give you European style; half tobacco. The hash bon bons and
space cakes at Chocolata are the real thing, handle with care.
My sons had arrived two days before I did and when I arrived they took me
to a nice quiet place with soft jazz from the speakers and a great glassed view of
the street. Prices were fair and the quality was great. What am I saying, the stuff
was blinding! The first day I could only smoke ordinary joints, it took a while to get
into the swing of things. It is easy to tell someone who has been in town for a
while, look for the cone shaped joints. The boys enjoyed a little shop called the
Hemp Hotel; they had rooms upstairs (all booked ) and a little mineral water bar in
the basement. Buy a mineral water and feel free to light up and blaze away.
Because they were too close to the local school they could not sell any herbs but
they were happy to point you somewhere you could. The place was done in an
Indian Hemp motif with posters and artifacts of the Indian hash trade. Entertaining
and educational, with an international staff.
Itâ??s the only city where I truly feel comfortable. From the moment I set foot
in Holland I feel less stressed and by the time I get to Amsterdam I am ready to
let go and relax. I try to stay in small local establishments like the Hotel de Munck
at Achtergracht 3 near the heart of the Red Light District. Managers of smaller
places are always ready to share a local treasure; a restaurant or a band playing
somewhere. Like any city there is a stream of exhibits and live entertainment, as
well as an excellent mass transit system to get you there.
My oldest and my youngest are non smokers and they found more than
enough to keep them occupied. My daughter ran through the antique district with
a vengeance, my credit card is only now recovering. She fell in love with
Hempworks where she found everything from hemp based cosmetics and
personal care products to shoes and clothes, all made from hemp and its
extracts.
My oldest son found plenty of drug free night spots and clubs to keep him
dancing through the night. Every morning we tried to do something together; a
museum or a canal tour. Then after lunch we would split up and explore.
It is possible to tour the old city entirely on foot, but a bicycle can be a real
help. Rental bicycles are available, check around for the best deal. Expect to pay
about $6 USD a day . Not enough can be said for bicycle locks, if you wish to use
your bicycle again plan on using at least two quality locks. The trams and city
busses run everywhere and there are river taxies and busses on the canals, so it
really is easy to get around. A word of warning about bicycles. The locals are all
on bicycles and bicycles have the right of way over pedestrians. Every one has a
little bell on the handlebars and when you hear them ringing you need to get out
of the way.
I thought I was in better shape but I was wrong! I wore my feet out the first
couple of days. Bring plenty of socks, and foot powder. There were some
showers in the afternoons so you might want to buy an umbrella when you get
there. But six bucks or so will get you a taxi to or from almost everywhere in the
old city. And there is so much to do, I mean you canâ??t just sit around chain
smoking joints the WHOLE time; and there are so many distractions. The ancient
buildings, the pretty girls, the antique shops, the cafes, the street performers,
museums, flea markets. Just wander blind from place to place, it was
tremendously entertaining.
The center of old town is Dam square. Many cafes, clubs and restaurants
surround the square. As we waited to cross the street we noticed a crowd on the
sidewalk. A mime artist was working the crowd with lots of enthusiasm. He was
using everything possible for props, telephone poles, the passing trams;
pedestrians, this guy was great. I had to sit down and buy a mineral water at an
outdoor cafe so I could watch. It was a great show and all free. One afternoon in
the flower market my daughter pointed out a very muscular gentleman wearing a
feathered boa and a sequined G string rollerblading through the crowd. Then I
noticed the large snake curled around his upper body.
The last day came and we went back to a quiet shop called STIX on
Utrechtsestraat 21 to enjoy a final smoke. As we enjoyed a last smoke two
Americans came in and sat down. It was easy to tell they were just arrived in
country. Their amazement was plain to see. Jet lag forgotten, they sat wide-eyed
at the table, snapping photographs of the buds, the shop, and the street. We
were consuming a cigar-sized smoke and they kept looking over at us in wonder.
Perhaps it was the waist length hair on my sons, or the obvious family
resemblance. In any case a discussion ensued. Where is this, where is that; we
spent a few minutes marking a map with notes from our experiences.
My brother was right when I asked him what he recommended after his
previous visits. â??Donâ??t follow the guide booksâ? he told me â??by the time these
places make it to the book either theyâ??ve gone out of business or the entire
character of the place has changed. Walk the streets and check out what
interests youâ?. In Amsterdam there is lots to check out

Side Bars or Guidebook Notes
Getting there
The nearest Airport is Schiphol, about 10 miles from the center of old
Amsterdam. Trains and busses arrive at Central Station which is a long walk
from Dam Square, the center of old Amsterdam. Taxis and Trams run all the time
KLM, American, British Air,
Where to Stay
Bobs Youth Hostel, Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 92 Ph# 623 00 63 fax #675 64 46
16-20 Euros/night (About $20 US) Cheap dorm style lodging, lock boxes are
available for security. Lotâ??s of backpackers
Hotel de Munck, Achtergracht 3 Ph# 623 62 83 fax #620 66 47
www.hoteldemunck.com/ or email to [email protected]
Doubles 75-95 euros/night (about $100 US)Beautiful 18th century captains home
with 14 rooms, freshly remodeled with modern facilities. Most rooms have a
private bath. Walking distance to museums and shopping.
Hemp Hotel, Frederiksplein 15 Ph# 625 44 25 Fax # 471 52 42
www.hemp-hotel.com/ or email to [email protected] doubles with
private shower 70 euros (about $80 USD) doubles with shared shower 65 euros.
These rooms are themed to reflect the cultures of India, Tibet, Afghanistan, the
Caribbean, with carved furniture, murals, and scenic photos. Very friendly, but
only five rooms
Eden Hotel Amstel 144 Ph# 532 78 78 Fax# 623 32 67 www.bestwestern.nl
go to the â??Hotels in the Netherlandsâ? section, hotels are arranged by city. Doubles
are130Euros($145 USD). Externally this looks like several old houses, inside itâ??s
a Best Western. Currency exchanges for guests can be done at the front desk.
Room 207 (double) has a fantastic view. The breakfast buffet runs from 6am to
9am and has everything! With 327 rooms, there is usually something available.
American Hotel Leidsekade 97 Phone 556 30 00 fax 556 30 01 Doubles
350-400 euros/ night (about $440 US) All the amenities you would expect from a
four star hotel, including room service and drycleaning.
The best lodging can be found by walking the side streets between 11 am and
one. Private houses with spare rooms will open the top half of the street door and
will happily lead you through what is available. Prices are good ($25USD/person
and up) and include at least breakfast, sometimes a family dinner as well.
Reservations are not possible, although repeat visitors are sometimes granted
priority.
Where to Eat
Everywhere. The city has innumerable cafes and restaurants. Bakeries sell the
most amazing sandwiches and pastries. French and Italian food predominate.
Although there are many wonderful Asian (Indian and Thai) and Spanish
restaurants. While most coffeshops carry little more than hand food, the
Greenhouse carries a full vegetarian menu. The market north of Dam square
provides great produce and food stuffs.
De Bolhed, Prinsengracht 60 Ph#626 18 03
Canalside Vegetarian/vegan restaurant, respectable and mellow. $$
Balthazarâ??s Keuken, Elandsgracht 108 Ph#420 21 14
Open kitchen with Mediterranean cooking in a lively atmosphere, with a fixed
three course menu. Reservations recommended $$$
Donâ??t Miss
Museums like the Van Gogh Museum (Paulus Potterstraat 7 Ph# 570 52 00)
with 200 paintings and 500 drawings on permanent exhibition, art lovers should
not miss this. Open from 10am to 6pm, the E7 (about $8 US) admission is
money well spent.
The Rijksmuseum (Stadhouderskade 42 Ph# 674 70 47) houses the worlds
largest collection of Dutch Masters, including Rembrandts â??Night Watchâ?. Open
10am -5pm Admission is E8.50 ( About $9.30 US)
The Scheepvaartmuseum is housed in a 17th century rigging house of the
Amsterdam Admiralty and is devoted to the history and techniques of navigation
that were the driving force behind the Dutch Golden Age. Located at
Kattenburgerplein 1 the museum is open 10am to 5 p.m., and is closed on
Mondays. Ph# 523 22 22 Admission is E7. (about $8 USD)
The Hash Marihuana Hemp Museum, Oudezijds Achterburgwal 148 Ph# 623 59
61 is dedicated to cannabis and it many uses. Open every day from 11am to 10
p.m. admission is only E6 (about $7 USD) While the Tattoo Museum, Oudezijds
Achterburgwal 130 Ph# 625 15 65 illustrates the history and practice of tattooing.
Open Tuesday through Sunday admission is only E3.50 (about $4 USD)
More Information
www.amsterdamhotspots.nl has all sorts of good things; web cams,
weather reports, hotels and restaurants, a list of several dozen coffeshops, and
reviews of all of the above