[Note: I'm going to wait on posting concerning opening ceremonies or the day of the 18th because I'd rather save that for another day. Trust me, it's for the best, I don't want this review to be too existential. 
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There were three shiny happy purple shuttles that spirited smoked up judges from by the Central Station to the Power zone. As the bus rolled along the joints wouldn't stop coming, either I was lighting up or I was being offered. The bus looked like a moving smoke stack as it carefully wove through the frenzy of Amsterdam traffic where trains, bikes, and cars seemed to almost move together under some unseen force guiding them all safely.
By the time we pulled up in front of the Power Zone everyone on the shuttle/bus was seriously fucking budded from an onslaught of G-13 Haze. As soon as the doors opened the smoke and the judges stumbled off of the bus and into the club.
The Power Zone
Daniel Goedkoopstraat 1
I took the top shot from a flight of stairs I was just ascending after vaping DNA's Chocolope. A smoke hung in the air throughout the venue that smelled of the sweetest sensimilla. Whew, I put my camera back in its case and walked to the top of the stairs where more booths and bongs and bubblers and bubble hash and I was bubble eyed and bewildered. I rounded a corner and who did I see but Master Soma staring back at me. He was surrounded by all these absolutely gorgeous tattooed babes and a couple dudes. The smell of his Amnesia Haze wafted from his booth with authority. As I stood for a moment ogling the buds my nose had a smellerific smellgasm sensation of sensory sustinence.
Even now I shudder, shake, shake, shake, shake.
Soma has been a big influence in my growing life and has assisted me--through his book--in learning the value of organic gardening. For me it was no small feat to have had the opportunity to meet him. I slowly approached the booth where there was naturally a lot of activity. I moved through the crowd and pushed my hand out in front of him. He looked at me with such gentle eyes and a kind smile while reaching back to shake my hand. I quickly blurted out, "you have been a great influence in my gardening and have helped me take it to another level." He smiled a huge grin which fully exposed his gold plated front tooth. "Can I get a picture with you?" I asked timidly. He agreed and I handed my camera to a fellow smoker. Soma stood up, put arm over my shoulder and pulled me closer for the shot. [FLASH] It's one of my best memories of the Cup.
Thanks Soma.
I walked around the Power Zone smoking more weed than the average human mind can imagine. My focus was no longer on what buds should win because it was apparent to me from the time I got there that all of the buds were good. IMHO there is no possible way to determine any winner of a Cup like this. The judges had been smoking weed since they hit the city and breezed through the Coffeeshops, how does one discriminate the sublties of highs when you're fucked up beyond comprehension? I mean I saw vaporizer balloons going up every couple seconds at one point. This was yet another point and reason for me to be cynical about the Cannabis Cup.
The Participants were pushing their products like used car salesmen. And coincidentally many of the booths were staffed be sexy women that were more than willing to put a vape tube in front of your mouth if you just looked in their direction. I didn't feel manipulated by all of this because I knew what they were doing. They were using the event as a means not to judge the best cannabis in the world but as a means to further and enrich themselves. [Note: If you want to judge the best cannabis, start growing your own and grow a variety. People look at the Cannabis Cup results and clamor for the seeds not thinking that there is already so much powerful and good marijuana in the world, instead they shell out a bunch of money for trendy seeds. There are good genetics all over the place for affordable prices; it's more prudent to consider your seed purchases especially anything suggested by High Times. The Cup entries were on the same level as the buds I grow myself, that's it. They aren't Earth shattering, but they were damn good though.]
With my tolerance taking a severe beating I made my way to stage where Arjan was due to "educate" everyone with a "grow seminar."