Day 27: Portland

My alarm goes off at 7 a.m. We have an appointment with the fire department at 10:30 a.m., so we can't dawdle. According to the route planner, it takes over an hour to get to the city by public transportation. So we march to the bus stop at 9 a.m. The cost is $5 per person. The children don't have to pay. In return, we can ride all day. I think it's relatively cheap. 37 minutes later, we get off the bus to switch to a tram. But the ride is short. The fire station is right by the tram stop and we arrive at 10:15 a.m. Unfortunately, we are informed that our appointment had to be canceled because the firefighters are out of town for training. They offer us the opportunity to do a tour at another station. We agree. Rene urgently needs to use the restroom, but as it goes, when you need one, there isn't one. We can't use the restroom at the fire station, the nearby public restroom is being cleaned, cafes are closed, and the office complex is only for employees. I suggest we just take the tram for 3 stops and ask at the Visitor Center. So that's what we do. Erik also needs to go by now. We find a restroom in the department store. Meanwhile, I stroll through the handbag and shoe department. A pair of Chanel shoes for $1,100, what a price.

Then we take the tram and go to the other fire station. It is small and houses a ladder truck and a fire engine. The special thing about the ladder truck is that it requires a second driver in the back. They greet us warmly and we receive a detailed tour. The firefighter is very interested in Rene's work. After 1 hour, an alarm goes off and we finish the tour. Unfortunately, there are no t-shirts available. Now it's lunchtime, time for a snack. There are food trucks everywhere in the city. So we choose a cheesesteak sandwich. It's ground beef with cheese and vegetables in bread. Very delicious. Erik has a hotdog. Pionier Square is a square like a train station, where the tram lines intersect. It's busy here. Until 1951, the Portland Hotel, where the presidents used to stay, stood here. It was demolished for a parking lot. The residents reclaimed the land and turned it into a square. Today, it's crowded because the Oregon State University Beavers are winning the national championship in baseball this year. Now all the fans gather to celebrate their team. And we're right in the middle of it at the food truck. We retreat to the Waterfront Bay Park for lunch. It's right by the river and we pause there on a bench. Then we stroll along the river for a bit and head back 5 blocks into the city. I want to take a look at the Heathman Hotel. For all the 50 Shades of Grey fans who know why I'm here. Unfortunately, it's covered up a bit and we quickly end up back at Pionier Square. We're tired and decide to go to Fire Station 1 again to see if we can get a t-shirt this time. Now someone has time and we get a little tour for photos. Unfortunately, all the t-shirts are sold out, and a size S tank top is definitely not for Rene. Now we want to go back to the campground. The tram stop is a few blocks away. The area is bad, dirty, and poorer. There are many strange people on the streets. It makes us uncomfortable and we want to get away quickly. The wait for the tram feels like an eternity. We see strange people all day long. The guidebook says that the people of Portland are different, more eccentric, crazier, and more peculiar. The same goes for the tram, inside and out. A woman is wearing cheap vampire teeth, crazy.
After 20 minutes on the tram, we get back on the bus. We choose a different route in the hope of getting to our destination faster and more relaxed. We sit on the bus and wait for 20 minutes before continuing. Unfortunately, we have to go to Vancouver (Washington), which is on the other side of the river, and then get off at our campground on the return trip. That takes another 30 minutes, it's rush hour again. David shouts half of the way and eventually falls asleep on my arms. We're very happy to finally be at our destination. Because now we're all going swimming. It's warm and the sun is shining all day. The water is refreshing and we relax a bit. The kids go to bed on time tonight and we spend the evening outdoors, with bad internet.