dam shrooms (29.07.05)

so i was chilling out in my bedroom last night listening to the first keane album when i decided to have a look through some of my old travel diaries. i came across a rather obscure and hasty entry that i think i was hoping to forget. it told the story of the first day of my trip to amsterdam with frank in late july 2005 (additional commentary in bold):

got into dam +-1pm. met jon near bulldog and door's cafe's (if turn right outside station and past ibis hotel). found hostel - tourist inn (5 bed room - euro32/each/day). went to shop - got shrooms. apparently got the weak ones (mexican) because we were virgins [jon intially wanted to get the intermediate ones, but we erred on the side of caution - there is a time and a place for hero's]. chick said, "light buzz, see some nice colours". little did we know - they should have given us a little warning - those things are dangerous.

(approx 3pm) went to a quiet pub just outside redlight district. had a beer and ate about 70% of the shrooms. sitting there chilling when an old chinese lady fell off her bicycle right in front of us. [jon, demonstrating the putting-your-foot-down-movement with his hand: "i couldn't do that if i tried... i would have to bypass my natural reaction sysem"]. we started giggling [everyone else rushed over to help] and couldn't stop - then the shrooms kicked in - and all hell broke loose.

couldn't function properly. didn't know where i was. physcadelic colours everywhere. couldn't think properly - everything became a mission [literally] - getting cigarettes, going to the loo, finding our way back to the hostel, etc. was def tripping - must be like an lsd trip (jon said it was like acid). tried to keep away from crowds and from children (didn't want to scare them).

tried to head for a quiet place - "the forest" but ended up on a bench over-looking a river, with hostel card in hand, puzzling over how to get back [myself to jon: "dude... what we gonna do?". jon to me: "just hold on and hope for the best... weather the storm", followed by a little jon giggle - it was then that i knew we were in serious trouble].

eventually [after an unknown period of time] plucked up the courage to find a way home - and as the effects wore off, we managed to go home and sleep. we needed a quiet room - but all the others came blundering in soon afterward. went for a few beers and got to bed approx 12pm.

follow up: we went for beers the next day and had the left over shrooms in our pockets. we sure did treat those things with respect. it kinda felt like that feeling you get when you're about to grip one of those electric shock machines - excited but super scared. there was defintitely some under-estimation on our part with regards to our initial shroom use.

i did some research on wikipedia on the effects of shrooms. i can definitely vouch for the following:

general:

"As with many psychoactive substances, the effects of any mushrooms consumed are subjective and unpredictable. Generally speaking, the experience of psilocybin containing mushrooms lasts four to six hours or more. The effect is typically inwardly oriented, with strong visual and auditory components. Visions and revelations may be experienced, and the effect can range from exhilarating to distraught. There can be also a total absence of effects, even with large doses."

physical:

"weakness in the limbs (making locomotion difficult)"
"pupil dilation"

sensory:

"As with many hallucinogens, the sensory effects are often the most dramatic of the experience. Most general doses cause a noticeable enhancement and contrasting of worldly colors, surfaces that seem to ripple, shimmer, or breathe, and some visual hallucinations." - hmm... let me think... floating dolphins, midgets in west ham kits, physcadelic flowers.

emotional:

"Some users may experience intense episodes of hilarity." - NB NB NB (this is when you know you are mashed for sure).
"Also, anxiety and paranoia are possible." - my fear of children. jon's fear of water.

psychological:

"Mushrooms cause the mind to conduct itself in an unusual manner." - yep... can't say i disagree with this statement.
"The mind seems to flow more lucidly from idea to idea." - we refered to this as goldfish-bowl memory. you can't concentrate on any one idea for more than 3 or 4 seconds.
"Time dilation has been reported, with minutes and seconds taking an unusually large amount of time to pass." - felt like we were on that bench forever.
"There may also be some indecisiveness in deciding what to do or get." - hence myself and frank sitting on a bench near a river clutching onto the hostel card for dear life unable to get home. that card was our lifeline... our umbilical cord back to reality.