Goa - Amsterdam

Address: Kloveniersburgwal 42, 1012CW

This was the last coffeeshop that SWIM went to before leaving the Netherlands, and he was very impressed. It consists of three seating areas; a more typical cafe area, outside seating, and a more lounge style area next to the windows. There is a very natural, friendly feel to the place and both tourists and non-tourists were present. Strangers could more comfortable starting conversations than with coffeeshops aimed at tourists, and to SWIM it seemed as if just the right amount of people were there. The coffeeshop is positioned a short way from the main coffeeshop street in a side street.

It is run by a very welcoming lady who loves what she does (this shows in the atmosphere and the little details and thought that have gone into the coffeeshop) and has extended talks with all of the customers. There are "smoke for charity" donations boxes and pictures of the owner volunteering in poverty stricken African villages.

SWIM is no expert, but while the menu was of a similar and limited size to most of the tourist coffeeshops, but had some less typical strains on offer; it seemed to SWIM as though it were the kind of menu a connoisseur would make if their coffeeshop was too small to have a huge selection. The hash cakes (which cost 4.50 euros instead of the usual 5 and are apparently very potent) looked especially nice and chocolatey, and a sign to the side said the amount and type of hash used to make them - something that SWIM had thought should be present in all of the other coffeeshops he had been in. A bowl on the counter was ful of a tobacco alternative that was free for anyone to use, and though the vaporiser was being washed when SWIM came in he later asked if he could use it. SWIM had never used a vaporiser before and the owner was very helpful verbally as well as having gone to the effort to stick hand written instructions on the side and later asking how SWIM was enjoying it. They sell freshly made orcange juice, apple joice, and very nice coffee.