08/02/04’s illustrious band:

Clipper Trip

Northwest Notes, Chapter 10

Brought to you by the Victoria Clipper and Amy 2.0.
On Sunday, July 11, G-Doc and I bid a fond farewell to Victoria, Vancouver Island, and Canada in general. At 10:30, we checked in to board the Victoria Clipper, the ferry that would take us by water to Seattle to visit Amy 2.0. Since it was an international crossing, we passed through immigration and customs before boarding. G-Doc got quizzed about the reason for his visit to British Columbia, the length of his stay, and what he was bringing back with him. All very routine stuff.

My experience was more surreal than routine. My customs agent asked me if I was from "Wintersota" BEFORE I crossed to his desk and handed him my ID. How did he know where I lived? I think a Canadian Big Brother was watching me. Either the agent made a dang good guess, or some sort of high-tech gadget scanned my facial features, my passport, or my driver's license -- or all three -- as I stood in the waiting area, then popped my info up on his screen as I approached. We chatted for a few moments about the climate in Wintersota, the movie Fargo and how it was actually filmed more in Minnesota than in North Dakota, and about the general flatness of North Dakota. And then he waved me onto the Clipper without a single mention of my sojourn in Canada. Hmm.

The crossing was uneventful. I spent a few wind-whipped minutes on deck looking for whales but spotted only a surfacing submarine before ducking back inside. G-Doc actually had more fun than I did, despite not being a big fan of water travel. As seemed inevitable, he found that he was seated across from a charming Canadian lady with a strong interest in gardening and landscaping, and they talked plants and compared accents (I say "howse," you say "hoose") for much of the journey. I got some reading done. And then we were there.

Amy 2.0 was one of the first people we saw upon disembarking in Seattle. We managed to finger-hug through the fence separating arrivals from greeters, and we had plenty of time to make plans for the afternoon before the line began moving us toward baggage claim. Amy was as excited to see us as we were to see her, which we were doing for the first time since last fall. Our Canadian hosts and guides had been terrific, but there's nothing like reuniting with an old friend.

And if I can just interject some personal baggage here for a moment, I'll tell you about the worst thing that happened to me the entire trip. My travel-weary suitcase had lost a handle somewhere between Minneapolis and Vancouver Island. When we got to Seattle, I found that the zipper attaching the auxiliary pouch to the main bag had given way as well, though both pieces arrived safely. Oh, the tragedy! Yeah, that really was the worst thing that happened. Well, that and the raw oyster.

Anyway. We filled out the day easily with a stroll through the famous Pike Place Market, where I ate a divine pierogi and washed it down with sweet, plump cherries that had been picked just that morning. The PPM is the granddaddy of all farmers' markets and street fairs, covering several city blocks overlooking the harbor. The happy chaos of the PPM arcade was a bit of a culture shock after the less crowded, more orderly streets of Victoria, but it sure was cool.

A nice leg-stretching walk took us into one of Seattle's older shopping districts, where we found many shops in which to browse, including an independent bookstore in a wood-and-stone building that could have captivated me all day. But we needed food and drink -- especially drink. We asked around for places to get a good dinner and a great martini and were referred to, among other places, a martini bar up the street and Bimbo's Bitchin' Burrito Kitchen. Despite the enticing name, we opted for Thai food at Typhoon instead, where Amy and I each enjoyed a chocolate martini while G-Doc puckered up for a lemon one. My dinner consisted of Drunken Noodles, a name that I swear refers to the method of preparation, not to my state during consumption.

After dinner, winding down, we stopped at Trader Joe's for modestly priced, high-fun munchies. The chocolate-covered raspberry sticks, the wasabi peas, and the lemon ginger cookies emerged as particular favorites. Then we piled back into the BeLuvMobile for a long, steep climb (the first of many!) to the top of Queen Anne Hill for a breathtaking view of Seattle. Then, finally, it was down and up and over and up and down to Amy's apartment, also on a hillside, with spectacular views of mountains, bays, and city. We were tired enough to fall asleep without even dishing up the ice cream. Now that's tired!

Tomorrow: Ditching a landmark in favor of a geekfest.

Today around the world: August 2 is Kadooment in Bahamas and Barbados. Kadooment is a carnival/festival that sounds like loads of fun. Since today also marks a number of August holidays and Picnic days, let Kadooment stand for them all.

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