Back online and I can't see the spaceneedle..

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Hello - I've been in Seattle for about 15 hours having survived the long haul from Fiji and the Southern Pacific generally.

Fiji was beautiful and the locals and tourists I met were great but the heat and the sand flies and the cane toads and the giant spider in my bathroom were something of a distraction. There was a huge amount of rain as well but it is a fabulous place and ideal if you just want to relax on a tropical beach and indulge yourself.

The big flight from Nadi to Los Angeles was tolerable and I actually slept for a few hours thereon. The views over LA as we came into LAX were stunning and I would love to have been able to take some pictures.

The flight to Seattle was ok though I was so very tired. We arrived in the dark and in fog and I then shared an interesting shuttle ride to the hotel from SeaTac (Seattle Tacoma Airport). The driver was pleasant, knowledgeable and entertaining and my fellow passengers were a most interesting young couple of Christian Missionaries living and working in Guatemala. The husband was in fact a direct descendant of Chief "Sealth" of the "Duwamish" tribe after whom the City is named. A first for me and even for our driver. They were even nice enough to affer me some high quality Guatemalan coffee (it was coffee they said - I think?)- but I had to decline on the grounds (no pun intended) of lack of luggage space.

This is a really fascinating area of Seattle know as the "Counterbalance" which name, I would guess, has both geographical and cultural connotations. It's almost a parody of Seattle: the grungy, bohemian, artistic, coffee-mad town. My hotel and room are great (and bug free). Last night I had meatloaf, mashed potatos and gravy at a cafe across the road - it tasted as good as it sounds and was excellent fare for the pathalogically weary. This morning I went back there and had an (almost) equally wonderful breakfast of cornbeef hash and eggs with, literally?, a gallon of coffee.

Only dissapointment/surprise so far is the lack of an internet cafe for which I've spent hours searching. There are virtually none here in the home of Microsoft because everyone has their own laptop. There are thousands of connections but very few PCs and I'm using one in the hotel. (Apologies to Fiji for any small criticism about the internet). Also, the Hendrix Experience Museum (Frank Gehry building - like a smashed up Strat?) isn't open on Tuesdays so I'll go tomorrow (after a run). I've got some postcards and IF I can get stamps? - I'll write and send a very few).

Now I'n going to post a few photos - usual Seattle sights - which means good to look at. I wish I was here longer.

Best regrds to all. Apologees for any typos.

Glenn

PS - I have just seen an old newspaper cutting and "counterbalance" may have reffered to the submerged cable mechanism which dragged the old trams up this very steep street.

PPS - Frasier "lives" on the counterbalance but I gather that the "Elliott Bay Tower" doesn't really exist and of course I was closer to the reality when I flew over Burbank.

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