Seattle - It didn't Rain!!

Seattle

So we arrived into Downtown Seattle and set forth on the journey to find somewhere to live for the next 6 days. The first hote we tried was well out of our league, a real posh boutique little number, he sent us packing, cheapest rate was $199.00 a night, no thank you very much!! On our way again with our backpacks, 20 hours bus journey on us and our new jansport backpack, so technically Jav was carrying 2 backpacks!! We went to another two hotels which were still to expensive. When we thought all was lost, there it was glistening in the sun was the beautiful Days Inn (Although we had a bad experience at our first Days Inn, they were the cheapest we could find, without stopping in the whore house across the road). So we went up to our room with low expectations and were pleasently surprised. It was clean, big and most important, a 5 minute walk from downtown life and the Space Needle and across the road literally 20 yards from our door was the mighty Hurricane 24 hour Cafe Bar!!!

After a well deserved sleep catch up, we finally awoke around 12pm and decided to take a stroll to the 'SFM & EMP' for all you back at home this is the Science Fiction Musuem, yes i did just write that (whats wrong with sci-fi??? Jav) and The Experience Music Project. We had a walk up and it was literally about 10 minute walk from our place. The buildings were really cool and was right next to the Space Needle. We went in got our tix and set off. I was armed with my camera, practically dragging Sian in. Then we were told that no photo's were allowed to be taken!!! What's that about?? And bags had to be checked. All I can tell you, is that is was the most amazing place that either of us have ever seen. It was just out of this World....but unfortunately we have no photo's to prove anything (i actually have to admit it was pretty cool!!!) Full of Star Wars stuff, Star Trek, Battlestar Gallactica, Terminators, Jetsons (My favourite bit - Sian), Matrix, Six Million Dollar Man, Blade Runner, E.T. It was cool. Me and Sian are currently sitting in an internet cafe dressed as a Klingon and an Ewok (i'm the Klingon - Sian). Then it was off to the 'Experience Music Project' next door. This was another thing I was really looking forward too as it had an entire Jimi Hendrix collection and some of my favourite bands are from there so thought it would be pretty cool. As we walk in, the Jimi exhibition is closed due to renovation!!!! What are the chances that would happen the days we were there?? Anyway we walked around and they had some pretty cool exhibits. The Tower of Guitars (see photo) and loads of stuff about the local music scene with Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Nirvana amongst others. But again, no photo's allowed. Except for the Tower Of Guitars. There was an entire exhibit for Guitars. Including lots of Blues players guitars, a Kurt Cobain one and the Kinks (Dedicated Follower of Fashion, Oh Yes he is!!) There was a little studio in there so I had a bash about on the guitar, tried to get Sian to have a shot of some bongo's but she weren't 'avin any of it. (I have no musical talent at all, although i did try didn't i Mom?) how much musical talent do you really need to play bongo's??? We then finished up and went off to get our Monorail back to downtown for some shopping and food, then catched up again on some sleep!!!!

The next day we decided to take it easy, do some emails, explore downtown and catch a movie. We went to see 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall'. For those of you who haven't seen this movie, go i was wetting my knickers, it was so funny. The Americans were all loving Russell Brand and just yesterday we saw an advert for his stand up show in LA, with an extra date because the other is sold out!!!! After the movie we grabbed some dinner and then headed back to the Days Inn to get our glad rags on (or at least the best clothes we could pull out of our backpacks)!! That night we went out for 'Drunk Night' (These nights dont come around very often I tell you!!! - Jav) Thats probably because Jav drinks so much beer all the time he can't get drunk anymore!!! Anyway the night got off to a good start, after drinking Heineken for all the time in America, i decided i wanted a nice drink (apologies to those Heineken lovers!) (This is Sian writing by the way incase you haven't noticed, I would never bad mouth Heiny - Jav) so i went for a Cherry Vodka with Coke, when i asked for it the waitress was like 'oh ok, that could be nice' and believe me it was until later on that night!! So we had one in the Vons bar where i got to spin the 'Wheel of Fortune' which was to dertermine which alcoholic beverage was on a special for that hour, my spin led to Tequila for $2. The crowd wasn't best pleased! Next we went to the 'Green Room' which was Seattle's version of the Academy. Some metal band were playing. Well playing something that came close to basically screaming at the top of your voice in a fake demon accent and turning the instruments up so loud that it just sounded like 40,000 hoovers on at the same time. Sian loved it! As im sure you all could imagine (By the way this is Jav now) (Thankfully we were far enough away for me to enjoy my second cherry vodka with real cherries - Sian) As much as she didnt like the music, she did want to stay for another one, but I was on the search for Seattles best bar. So we ventured on, had a guy try to sell me his hip-hop cd, i took it, then he said "$5" (i've never seen Jav give something back so fast and we were crossing the road at the time!!) had another guy trying to tell (sell) me the best places to go. After we shook him off he asked for a couple of dollars for a drink. We then landed on this Irish bar which sounded from the outside like a really really bad bar on St. Paddies day. Irish band booming from the inside. We thought we'd go in for one, we'd been walking for about 15 minutes, our throats we're getting dry and I was spitting feathers. "$10 cover each to get in" No chance. Found this bar that wasnt the best, but it was free and friendly and the drinks were good. Sian still on her Cherry Vodkas and I switched to the Grey Goose vodka. That stuff is lovely let me tell you! Try it!! Anyway, we had a lot of drinks. Went downstairs and put some choooons on the jukebox, talked alot of crap then went back upstairs and carried on more drinking. Then dancing started. More and more grey gooses and cherry vods, and more dancing. More talking crap. Then met a man named John. An alcoholic John. I hear alot of you saying that you have one of them in Birmignham. After this night. I am convinced that anywhere on Earth, you are never more than 50 feet from an Alchoholic John. He was cool, he liked dancing as much as me and Sian did that night. He was with his friends who enjoyed a dance too. Carried on drinking again, then our new bessy mate John insisted we all go back to his apartment and carry on the drinking (To the Boss, Mother Roe and Papa Roach, we used our street smarts, and decided it was in our best interests to go) so we did. And it was a cracker of night. This John fella was quite a well of kid. He said his dad owned an Ice Cream company and in return John got himself a near penthouse apartment in this Seattle city block. On his balcony you was in the Seattle Skyline. He gave me whiskey and Sian this really sweet wine (Not a good idea was it Nas!!!) drank my whiskey and headed for that sweetstuff. At 3 in the morning it was quite tasty. At this little shin-dig there was me and Sian obviously. Alchoholic John, Slutty Julie, Luke who kept on trying to do the English accent "Bullocks!!!!!!" he shouted every few minutes, Suicidal Dan. This cat was weird. He just got dumped by his girlfriend and wasn't too happy about it. But then would tell me about his liking of Asian women and how he thought it was best if he went out and tried to get himself one. I agreed in that drunk way you do in the middle of the morning "Yea Dan, that's what you gotta do man!! Make sure you do!!!" And Alchoholic John's two dogs. A massive husky and sausage Jack Russell. They were cool. They were all cool. Even Suicidal Dan I suppose. Given the fact that it looked like he was about to burst out crying at any given moment. Just had to keep on bringing up asian women and he'd snap out of it. We played some songs, drank some more 'orrible wine and wrestled with dogs....and Julie. Then said our goodbyes and headed back on our walk home. Made it back about 4:30am, I went over to the Hurricane Cafe!! Got myself a killer cheeseburger and a coffee. Then headed back and collapsed in bed with Sian at about 5ish.

The next day or shoudl we say afternoon/evening was a write off. I was in a terrible mess (This is Sian back by the way), Jav not so bad. After taking about 1.5 hours to get on a t-shirt and some jeans we headed across the road for some food. I had Mac and Cheese (bad move on a hangover day) Jav had the best Raspberry (handmade) Milkshake in the world!! (Not sure how he knows this as we have only just started around the world!). Went back to the hotel and got back into bed, watched Jurassic Park, Oceans 12, Jackie Brown only to get out of bed for a McDonalds! (Jav is sitting next to me now, prompting that yes it was him that got out of bed, walked to McDonalds and got our Dinner).

Our last day, feeling much better we headed out to visit the Space Needle. We went right to the top in a gold elevator for a 360 view. After another monorail ride downtown we went to the Pike Place market (The 1st ever Starbucks is here) looked around and visited the 'Gum Wall', basically says what it is on the tin. A wall with loads of chewed chewing gum on it. Had a mexican which was very tasty and then walked back home to get packed for our 4am rise the next morning for our flight to Vegas!!!

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