i was in amsterdam for 4-20-08. i bought a gram per day for a week. either blonde hash or kind bud.
all the kind bud is the same, all the blonde hash is the same, doesn't matter what coffeeshop you go to, it's all the same.
i tried different strains, all the same. i tried identical strains from different coffeeshops, all the same.
i was not impressed.
none of the coffee shops were crowded, usually i was the only one in there. the end of april is still early for the tourist season.
i'd ask to check out a menu, ask to see the product, buy something, order a coffee, drink coffee and smoke. then i'd sit and roll a joint or two before heading back out onto the town.
you can buy product and smoke it there without getting coffee, but they frown upon bringing something else in to smoke without buying their coffee.
the coffee is a rip off. you get ~2oz. of coffee and it's weak. a coffee's like 2euros and a gram is like 10euros. which would you prefer?
i recommend the blonde hash from "the doors" coffee shop, it's on the east side of downtown. there's a cool headshop next door with a bunch of americans working there. i partied down with them one night. hash was my favorite because i usually can't buy any here.
i'd also recommend eating as many spacecakes/cookies/candies as you can, i can't get those here either.
i stayed at "the flying pig" downtown. "the blues bros." coffeeshop across the street was decent, had pool tables and a balcony.
eat some mushrooms and go to vondelspark, i wasn't impressed with the mushrooms either. but "when in rome, do as romans do"
i'm spoiled, i was disappointed with the quality there. i thought it would be the best quality i'd seen, it's nothing special.