Doctor G, still at the 'Dam

The only real constant is Amsterdam is change; but that seems to be the case in any big city. Some of the shops we remember fondly have evolved and are not what we remember but are still pleasant. I remember my brother, thirty years ago, telling me that by the time a place or an activity made it to the guide books it was changed on the street and not worth searching for. And for most things he is right. We tried to find a restaurant the kids had enjoyed in 2001 and when we located the address it was still a restaurant but now it had changed ownership and the ethnicity of the food. They were searching for a Chinese restaurant and now it was Persian. The food was still good and the neighborhood was interesting, but it wasnâ??t the place they had remembered. The 2500 seat Sea Palace is still there and still Chinese, but itâ??s a landmark of sorts and is on a number of tour companies lists. It is the largest floating restaurant in the city and as such attracts a bit of attention. As long as a dozen tour busses drop off sixty persons at a time the place will keep its atmosphere.
We headed for Siberie as it is a cofeeshop we thought well of during the 2000 cup and on later visits it maintained a consistent positive rating with us. While it has changed a bit over the years it is still comfortable and worth visiting. We had the Organic Mango and it was wonderful. The buds were small and tight, without a grinder it was a little extra effort to break them up; and we had some concerns about how it would burn in a joint. There was nothing to worry about, the flavor was very fruity and sweet, with a citrus aftertaste that stayed with the flavor all the way to the bottom of the cone. The effect was not quite â??heartstoppenâ?� as the Dutch would say, but it was quite stony and long lasting. The shop at one time had a row of computers and all manner of souvenirs but now itâ??s just one terminal and plenty of seating. The old tables are gone; replaced with some newer plank style tables and comfortable chairs with backs. There are a few upholstered benches to sit on but for the most part itâ??s more like your kitchen than your living room. It is a coffeeshop for locals and most of the people inside, a little after six in the evening, looked like local construction workers just off work. A couple of tourists in the 18 to 20 year old range came in and ordered mineral waters while they rolled and toked something they had brought in. I saw evidence of the tightening of the rules when the dealer refused to serve some obviously underage locals that had wandered in. Like youth anywhere they took the refusal personally and were obnoxious as they left the shop. While the dealer was a woman there were few single women in the place. The majority of the clients were 20 and 30 something local males relaxing after a hard day. The music was traditional jazz and the television was tuned to Olympic speed skating, in Dutch of course. Overall it is a nice local shop where stoned people might turn to you and ask for a light because they canâ??t find their matches.
:stoned:

Sure is nice, wish you could all be here. Or that it was like this at home. Take care
Doctor G

Have a great time, docter. I am currently saving up for a trip to the dam and in europe. I got about 1,000, but i have to wait till next nov or after till i am 18. I got lots of palnning ahead of me!

-peace

Thanks for the wish ~doctor G~ :smokin: especially the description of Organic Mango Mmm :smokin:

i was gonna go for my 19th birthday, but due to my m8s couldnt afford it! we went to sheffield instead!