After a not bad night sleep, I repacked the bags and headed back to LAX via the motel shuttle. Was ready and waiting inside the foyer well before the many who needed the shuttle, however when the driver said he could only take 11, some very rude, insistent people were determined that the line was outside and they were here first. So myself and a family of 6 were relegated to wait for the driver to return and take us in the second swing. I was ok with that as I (as always) had planned plenty of time to get to my flight. However that did not stop me from wishing flight cancellations and uncomfortable seat buddies to the 3 groups who took the shuttle first.
The flight to Seattle was beautiful - I decided to put away the electronics and just read a book and look out the window and what a choice that was. It felt like we followed the fault line the whole way up as we passed over mountain ranges some with high snow-topped peaks, and cratered lakes so blue it seemed impossible the colour was real.
The train ride from the airport into town was about 30minutes and I struck up a conversation with a horticulturalist who was over visiting from the east coast. I now have a new instagram friend and have convinced him that the spiders and snakes aren’t as bad as he has heard, so he may add Australia to his travel list.
Quick stop at my very austere hostel, the cheapest place to stay in Seattle at $220 per night. I essentially have a bunk bed and a desk in my room and share a bathroom and common areas with many others. I do have my own room - it would be cheaper to stay in the dorms but I could be lynched for my snoring so better to pay for some solitude!
The afternoon was spent exploring Pike Place Market - a rabbit warren of market stalls that sells a myriad of different items. A late lunch of clam chowder in one of the restaurants was welcome and as I sat staring out at the harbour, “Mystify” by INXS began to play - talk about an Aussie moment for a bit of home.
Back to the hostel to get my room key and officially move in for the next three nights, then a short walk to T-Mobile Park to watch the Seattle Mariners take on the LA Angels in a baseball match. The home team lost 5-1 but it was certainly a spectacle and lots of things the Australian stadiums could learn from, including the diversity of food and drink available - not the same thing at every stall but lots of different choices.
I had a fried chicken burger, served by a lovely fellow who complimented me on my accent, enjoyed a spiked peach drink (750ml at 5% alcohol made the loss much easier) and was surprised at the technology buying the drink. You scan your credit card to enter and as you take things out of the fridge, it registers and then as you walk out they say thanks and you are done. No registers, no cash - just a card and sensors that watch what you get and then charge to your credit card - like magic. I don’t know how they know me and my credit card but determined to find out a little more! My favourite thing though was the ice cream in a baseball helmet - my own little bit of Mariners to take home.
Slow walk back to the hostel talking to my boy back home and tucked into my non-air-conditioned. The tiny fan gives just enough air movement to give the illusion of cooling the room ready for a refreshing night’s sleep.
Until then, stay safe and see you tomorrow.
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