Stopover Seattle

11.01.-14.01.2018 After 10 fairly relaxed hours of flying, we landed in Seattle. A short stopover on our way further north. We were supposed to stay here for three days. Three days full of sightseeing and American food. But let's start from the beginning.

Everything in North America is bigger: the buildings, of course. The cars too. SUVs that appear big in Germany and Europe seem almost tiny here. The same goes, of course, for the beloved pick-up truck. And also the roads. They are bigger too. Everything is planned and built bigger than what we're used to in densely populated Europe. The way to the Link, the train that was supposed to take us from the airport to Seattle, felt like it was 3 km long and seemed to take hours. Once we arrived at the station, we headed to the city. Since we didn't have an opportunity to double-check where exactly our hotel was, we relied on our research from a few days earlier, which at least told us on which street our hotel was located. That decision would come back to haunt us.

We had indeed gotten off at the station closest to the street we were looking for, but we were at the wrong end of it. Far away from our hotel. Well, we thought, let's walk then. We were used to being able to walk long distances in Berlin. Unfortunately, we encountered a highway that didn't have a pedestrian path. So we had to go back to the Link station. On the way, we asked the locals how to get to where we wanted to go. We met Steve at the T-Mobile store. He was happy to help two clumsy German backpackers, as he had been in Berlin just a few months prior and would have never found his way without the help of Berliners. He took us to the right stop, where we just had to catch our bus and ride it to the final stop. From there, it was only 'just' 7 blocks to our accommodation... Finally at the hotel, we threw our stuff in the corner, took off our overly thick winter clothes (it was actually warmer in Seattle than we had expected), and went to the nearest supermarket to get something to eat.

After surviving the first night, we went to one of the many restaurants nearby and treated ourselves to a typical American breakfast....well, at least I did. Bella opted for something healthier. After that, we explored the city a bit, which would be our home for the next few days. We headed towards the waterfront and visited the area, especially the old market hall (still original wood), which had many small stands, especially culinary ones. These stands were spread over several levels, turning the market hall into a maze. At one of the many stands, we enjoyed a small and very delicious snack (shrimp and salmon sandwich). The 'chefs' were super nice and we got to leave our mark on a world map with a colorful pin. After that, we slowly made our way to the Space Needle. A ride on the monorail was a good option for that, as it was built for the World's Fair in the 60s. You're several meters above street level. We had received two tickets for the Space Needle as a gift from our volleyball team. Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate completely and the Space Needle itself was partly under construction. So we could only walk along half of the rim. We made the best of it and enjoyed the view of the many skyscrapers and the surrounding mountains. In a single day, we had seen all the important sights within the city...

At the beginning of the second day, we went to another typical American diner and enjoyed another greasy American-style breakfast. This time, not just me. It was delicious. But you can't indulge in something like that every day.

Next, we went to Pioneer Square, the historical center of Seattle, where we listened to a guided tour about the city's history - we had to pass the time somehow. The guide was very similar to a stand-up comedian, but surprisingly he was able to vividly illustrate the development of Seattle. We rarely understood his 'jokes'....there was too much gum English and too many specific facts that we didn't know. Never mind. We learned that most of Seattle was destroyed in a fire at the end of the 18th century. Due to its proximity to the sea and the risk of flooding, as well as the poor sewage system, which became inoperative during high tide and caused reverse flushing of toilets, bringing back the fecal matter - the entire street level was raised by up to 10 meters. So there is a city beneath the city. We learned something new again. We then went to the Columbia Tower, the tallest building in Seattle. With good weather this time, we had an amazing view of the whole city and the mountains that surround it. We also got a glimpse of Mount Rainier, which is only visible for a few days a year (the last eruption was apparently in 1843). We ended the day in a relaxed manner - dinner in bed. A whole day outdoors also makes you tired.

On our last half day in Seattle, we went to the 'Serious Pie and Biscuit' restaurant. Biscuits with hearty ingredients seems to be a Seattle thing. Another greasy meal. Well, it just felt like vacation. And it was, in a way. After that, we went to Union Lake and enjoyed the beautiful weather. It would be the last day with sunshine for a long time. But more about that in future entries. After picking up our things from the hotel and saddling up, we went to the bus station, from where one of the legendary Greyhound buses was supposed to take us to Vancouver. True to our German nature, we were there way too early. And true to American fashion, our bus driver didn't quite stick to the schedule, so our bus was delayed. By the way, what they say about Greyhound is true: it's the transportation of the poor and tourists. And that's what it was. The waiting area of the terminal and later the bus itself were filled with American lower class and tourists. With a bit less delay than expected, we finally headed towards the Canadian border, close to our destination. Before saying goodbye, Mount Rainier gave us a brief glimpse of its entire face. As I said, we were lucky with the weather. I wonder what it will be like in Canada....