Thursday 15th January 2004, Day 124/273 - Seattle, Washington.
Today is orientation day in Seattle. Whenever you first arrive in a city the plan is to find the tourist information office, get a map and find out what there is to do over a beer and a bagel. I can't say that I'm totally enamoured with the whole US breakfast thing, but I do quite enjoy a toasted bagel and cream cheese. Not quite at the 12 pancakes covered in goo stage.
On first impressions Seattle has a big downtown area that is well used and very varied. It kind of reminds me of a darker San Francisco. There appears to be something for everyone and Seattle has definitely just happened as opposed to being planned and structured. There is a big live music scene and it's the sort of place with comic book stores and little antique shops. There's a wharf, much like the one in San Francisco and a vibrant fish market. In short Seattle has things that are sadly lacking in many US cities. It has things that attract people into the town centre. It's not clean, but it's not dirty, it's just well used.
It's probably not convenient for most Americans. You've got to get out of your car to visit the bank, the chemist, the off license and the take away. The lack of structure in the layout doesn't stop you from finding anything. As an example of the random nature of Seattle you come out of the hostel and you pass in this order :- convenience store, STD clinic, wig shop, nail parlour, teriyaki shop, wig shop, peep show, pawn shop, grocery, trainer shop, sandwich shop, coffee shop, bank and then strip club with huge neon sign out front. I didn't get any further. No idea why they need 2 wig shops on this block.
The hostel is nice enough. $22 a night with free internet and breakfast. I didn't expect there to be quite this many travellers here. It's very popular. As ever with American hostels there are lots of Americans, just kind of bumming around.
A sample of things that happened today so that you know your advertising campaign is working.
1st conversation with a sale assistant.
Assistant - 'So where you from?'
Bloo - 'England'
Assistant - 'That's cool. So what do you think of David Beckham moving to Barcelona?'
2nd conversation with Japanese guy in dorm.
Jap - 'So where you from?'
Bloo - 'England'
Jap - 'Ingrand?'
Bloo - 'No, En- ger-land'
Jap - 'ah, Breckham'
Bloo - 'Yes, Beckham'
3rd is an excerpt from the Seahawks Stadium Brochure. The 3rd reason why you should tour the stadium was :-
'In July 2002 we held a friendly between Celtic and Manchester United. Yes that's David Beckham et al.'
Depressing huh! So I'm going to tell you a joke.
An elderly Irishman lay dying in his bed.
While suffering the agonies of impending death, he suddenly smelled the aroma of his favourite chocolate chip cookies wafting up the stairs. He gathered his remaining strength, and lifted himself from the bed.
Leaning against the wall, he slowly made his way out of the bedroom, and with even greater effort, gripping the railing with both hands, he crawled downstairs. With laboured breath, he leaned against the door frame, gazing into the kitchen.
Were it not for death's agony, he would have thought himself already in heaven, for there, spread out upon waxed paper on the kitchen table were literally hundreds of his favourite chocolate chip cookies. Was it heaven?
Or was it one final act of heroic love from his devoted Irish wife of sixty years, seeing to it that he left this world a happy man?
Mustering one great final effort, he threw himself toward the table, landing on his knees in a rumpled posture. His parched lips parted, the wondrous taste of the cookie was already in his mouth, seemingly bringing him back to life.
The aged and withered hand trembled on its way to a cookie at the edge of the table, when it was suddenly smacked with a spatula by his wife......
"#*$& off" she said, "they're for the funeral."
