179 lines
7.6 KiB
Plaintext
179 lines
7.6 KiB
Plaintext
From tukki.jyu.fi!news.funet.fi!sunic!hagbard!eru!bloom-beacon!mintaka!olivea!samsung!cs.utexas.edu!usc!coriolis!marsthom Sun May 19 19:14:38 EET DST 1991
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Article: 9740 of alt.drugs
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Path: tukki.jyu.fi!news.funet.fi!sunic!hagbard!eru!bloom-beacon!mintaka!olivea!samsung!cs.utexas.edu!usc!coriolis!marsthom
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From: marsthom@coriolis.UUCP (marsthom)
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Newsgroups: alt.drugs
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Subject: News from Amsterdam?
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Message-ID: <19T521w164w@coriolis.UUCP>
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Date: 18 May 91 07:49:23 GMT
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Organization: Albedo Communications
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Lines: 165
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I've been contemplating a trip to Nederlands for a while, and
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decided to pick up some canned information. The only travel book
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I found that wasn't completely obsessed with hotels and old
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buildings was _THE REAL GUIDE: AMSTERDAM_ which I ran across in
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a Crown Books franchise near Los Angeles. They also carry the
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_Routledge Dutch Dictionary_ in paperback. I've also found
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copies of Dutch newspapers at some of the more fanatically
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massive newstands in the area.
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
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Relevant excerpts from:
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_THE REAL GUIDE - AMSTERDAM (The Guide for the '90s)_
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by Martin Dunford and Jack Holland, published by Prentice Hall Travel.
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-------------------------------------
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POLICE TROUBLE - AND A NOTE ON DRUGS
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You're unlikely to come into much contact with Amsterdam's
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police force (Politie), a long-haired, easy-going bunch driving
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miniature patrol cars. Few walk a beat, and in any case
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Amsterdam is one of the safest cities in Europe. Bar-room
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brawls are highly unusual, muggings uncommon, and street crime
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much less conspicuous than it is in many other capitals.
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Nonetheless, it's always a worth taking precautions against
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petty crime: secure your gear in a locker when staying in a
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dorm; never leave any valuables in a tent; and if you've brought
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a car, remove the tape deck and park in a well-lit, public place
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if you can't find a parking lot. As far as personal safety goes,
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it's possible to walk anywhere in the city center at any time of
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day or night - though women might get tirred of being hassled if
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they walk through the red-light areas alone; see p. 16 for more
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on women and sexual harassment.
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If you're unlucky enough to have something stolen, you'll need
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to report it to a police station and get them to write a
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statement for your insurance company (in the unlikely event that
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your policy cover such incidents; see 'Health and Insurance'
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section above).
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The police emergency number in Amsterdam is 22-22-22.
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-----
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DRUGS
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Some residents claim that the liberal municipal attitude toward
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the sale of drugs has attracted all sorts of undesirables to the
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city. This is partly true, but the "cleaning up" of the Zeedijk,
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once Amsterdam's heroin-dealing quarter, seems to have made open
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trafficking less frequent and the city a safer place.
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Amsterdam has sanctioned the sale of cannabis at the Melkweg and
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Paradiso nightspots, and at many coffee shops, since the 1960's.
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It's also acceptible to smoke in some bars, but since many are
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strongly against it, don't make any automatic assumptions. If in
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doubt, ask the barperson. Purchasing, transporting, or consuming
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cannabis products elsewhere is inadvisable. Although busts are
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rare, legally you're allowed to possess only 28 grams for
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personal use. Bear in mind, also, that while there's a lively
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and growing trade in cocaine and herion, possession of either
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could mean a stay in one of The Netherland's lively and growing
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prisons. For drug-related problems, the Drug Advice Center,
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Keisergracht 812 (Mon.-Fri. 1:00-3:00pm; phone: 23-78-65),
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offers help and advice.
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-------------------------
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COFFEE SHOPS AND TEA ROOMS
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As with bars, there are two types of Amsterdam coffee shops:
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those whose principal business is the buying, selling, and
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consuming of dope, and the more traditional places that sell
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neither dope nor alcohol but do serve sandwiches or a light menu
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for lower prices than you'd pay in a full-fledged restaurant;
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some offer pastries or chocolates.
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The so-called "smoking" coffee shops are easy to identify:
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brightly lit, with starkly modern furniture and an accent on
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healthy food, they're about as far from the cozy Dutch 'brown
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cafe' as it's possible to get. Smoking dope is the primary
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pastime (all sell a range of hash and grass), and most also have
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video (loud) music, and a selection of games from baccarat to
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pool; they're open roughly from late morning/midday until around
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midnight. They are currently booming, and the major Amsterdam
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chains - The Bulldog, Prix d'Ami, Fancy Free - seem to be
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opening new branches all the time: they may be identified by a
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cannabis-leaf sign and a slogan claiming that they serve the
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best quality goods on the Amsterdam dope scene. For real dope
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heads there's the Hash Info Museum (p93) which survives despite
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crackdowns. For more on dope see p.12.
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---------
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"SMOKING"
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Basjoe, Kloveniersburgal 62. Dark and convivial coffee shop.
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Biba, Hazanstraat 15. In a street of coffee shops, this is one
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of the best.
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Bon Ami, Brouwersgracht 137. Very loud music.
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The Bulldog, Leidseplein 13-17; O.Z. Voorburgwal 90; O.Z.
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Voorburgwal 132 Helkveld 7. The biggest and most famous of the
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coffee-shop chains, this has come a long way from its pokey Red
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Light district-dive origins. With a main branch housed in the
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former police station on glitzy Leidseplein (the "Palace"), the
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Bulldog has now reached the height of - and commerical success.
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The dope they sell comes in neat little brand-labeled packets
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and the Leidsplein branch has a large cocktail bar, coffee shop,
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juice bar, souvenir shop, and a GVB ticket counter.
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Extase, Oude Hoogstraat 2. Part of a chain run by the initiator
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of the Hash Info Museum. Considerably less chichi than the big cheeses.
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Fairy Nuff, 2e Laurierdwarstraat 1b. Small and quiet,
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with a low-key atmosphere.
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Fancy Free, Martelaarsgracht 4;
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Haarlemmerstraat 64; Leliegracht 6. Slick plush, and commerical,
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very much in The Bulldog mold.
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Goa, Kloveniersburgwal 42. A member of the Extase chain (see above)
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Grand Prix, Reguliersdwarsstraat 29. Once part of the Prix d'Ami outfit,
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and little changed since. Grasshopper, N.Z. Voorburgwal 59. One of
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the city's more welcoming "smoking" coffee shops, though at
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times overwhelmed by tourists.
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Haussmann, Singel 485; Zieseniskade 2. White, modernistic coffee
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shop with more than a hint of soulessness
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Pie in the Sky, 2e Laurierdwarsstraat 64. Beautiful
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canal-corner setting, great for outside summer lodging
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Prix d'Ami, Haringpakkersteeg 3; Nieuwendijk 239.
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Super-entrepreneurial Amsterdam chain, but with little of the
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character of its rivals.
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Roma, O.Z. Achterburgwal 162. Red Light district smoker, par of
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the Extase/Goa concern.
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Rusland, Rusland 16. One of the first Amsterdam coffee shops,
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and a cramped and vibrant place that's a favorite with both dope
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fans and tea addicts (43 different kinds). A little worse for
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the recent extension, but still a cut above the rest.
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Siberie, Brouwersgracht 11. Set up by the former staff of
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Rusland and notable for the way it has avoided the
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over-commercialization of the large chains. Very relaxed, very
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friendly, and worth a visit whether you want to smoke or not.
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So Fine, Prinsengracht 30. Long-established, coffee shop, big
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on atmosphere at night with good food and music. a pool table,
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and a video room.
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