Our bikes got loaded up and we boarded the train to Seattle for a two day ride. The seats had much more leg room than expected and they have a nice footrest. Still found it hard to sleep well though. It didn't help that they blasted the a/c the entire trip- even during the night. Amtrak does offer a $15 "souvenir" blanket, but we avoided that scam and I chose to shiver in my cargo shorts and t-shirt instead.
On the train we met two well traveled guys, each on their own journeys. Chad is a glass blower from Wisconsin who had bought a 30 day rail pass and was making his way to L.A. and then Flagstaff before continuing wherever he wanted to go.
Michael is an Irish man who is passionate about politics, to say the least, and an author to boot. He had decided to traverse the earth on its surface between walking, trains, and whatever other mode of transport was available. Michael shared many stories of his travels and even sang us an Irish folk song while exploring Seattle.
We found a travelers bond between the four of us and decided after the grueling train ride we would all chip in on a hotel to have a hot shower, a bed, and hopefully a jacuzzi.
When we arrived at Seattle we found that Amtrak had lost Simeon's bag with all of his camping gear and first aid kits. There was no time to stress about that, however, we had arrived in a new place with new friends to help us explore and enjoy Seattle. Josh and Simeon decided to leave the bikes with amtrak and traverse Seattle on foot with their new companions.
The Quality Inn that we stayed at exceeded expectations by offering us a slightly larger room, a sauna,pool, jacuzzi, and a huge free breakfast to show us off. The trip only allowed us a day and a half to explore but we found the city to have a wonderfully relaxed vibe with an abundance of friendly and helpful locals. Pike st. market was interesting, with the fish market; where the fish are ordered and then thrown thru the air to a worker who caught and wrapped it up for the waiting customer.
After only a day of wandering as a group of four Josh and Simeon had to bid farewell to the two travelers that joined them. Chad and Michael were off to continue their journeys and we had to catch a train the following morning to take us to Vancouver, B.C. After wandering around a rather depressing Chinatown area we found the Freemont troll which was a site to see as well. Made of concrete and sand, the sculpture sits beneath a bridge with a real VW beetle clutched in its grasp. The Freemont area was a hotspot for the artistic and interesting young people of the area. It reminded us a lot of the Riverwest neighborhood in Milwaukee, possibly minus the scattered crime. Thai restaurants seemed to dominate the streets but we didn't stop at any while we wandered.
After exploring Freemont we started making our way back to the train station where we figured we could spend the night inside while we waited for our departure. Upon arriving at the station at around midnight, we found out that the station closed sometime around 10pm. By that time the "street zombies" were abundant and Josh and Simeon were trying to decide where to spend the remainder of the night. After scanning the immediate area around the station they happened upon a young man by the name of Alexander who had been backpacking and had taken a train to Seattle looking for work after he was laid off from his welding job in California. When we found him he looked a little bewildered as to where he was going to spend the night as well.
While we talked and got to know each other we were approached by 2-3 zombies and luckily avoided losing our brains. The three of us decided to find some cardboard to insulate the concrete and bunker down behind a concrete construction barrier that should keep us out of site and shielded from the chilly wind. As we constructed our hobo spot there were a couple rat sitings which unnerved all of us but Josh. Alexander let us use his late father's U.S.A. Vietnam war issue blanket to shield us from the cold. That blanket was a life saver because our clothes bags were still checked with Amtrak.
The construction barrier did the job in concealing us all from the zombies for the rest of the night, but Simeon stayed awake most of the night on rat watch, although none approached closer than a few feet. At one point it sounded like there was a rat fight, possibly over which one would get to feed off us first. Alexander awoke with abruptly shouting a choice word and said one of the rats just walked across his shoulders. So, Sim with pocket knife in hand, sat up a little taller watching the shadows around the shelter just in case we were discovered by zombies or killer rats.
When the station finally opened, Alexander went on his way into Seattle and Josh and Simeon found their way to the next train to take them to Canada.
"A traveler with a tongue does not lose his way"
- Kenyan proverb-
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