Day 5 - Seattle Underground and Space Needle

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The first thing I decided to do today was take the underground city tour. However, before going there, I first took a quick walk and look around the Pike Markets, just outside my hostel. There was plenty of seafood for sale and I considered buying something later on.

By 10am, I was at Pioneer Square where I bought myself the underground tour - we all got together, and our tour guide, yet another comedian, gave us a history briefing and got to know some of us, myself included.

I learnt some interesting things today. The old city was built below the shoreline at high-tide, and it was designed so that when high-tide came in, it would bring all the sewage back out with it. However, there were problems; sometimes, the sewage would wash back up into the city. It was said to be their Number 1 problem. And their Number 2 problem.

Today's Seattle is built above the underground city, where landfill was used, and the tide doesn't reach. Throughout the tour I was pleasantly happy with what I was seeing. Some of these areas were said to house ghosts. I do believe in ghosts, but sometimes the stories are not true. I didn't feel any presence of a ghost; or at least, I don't think I did.

Anyway, after the tour was over, I grabbed some pizza for lunch, then headed to the Space Needle later on in the day.

I took the monorail there. It cost $18 to get to the observation deck. Plus tax. I should mention, here they never tell you the tax; they always just present it to you. Unlike in Australia, the tax is already included in the displayed price. But here, if something is displayed for $18, you're not going to pay $18. You're going to pay an extra 94 cents without knowing about it beforehand. For the newcomer; always have more money than what you need to pay for.

The Space Needle tower offered excellent views. I spent a bit of time up here, and also got a picture of myself arranged - in front of a Seattle cityscape background.

I then took a walk through some residential areas of Seattle, where I tried to find a good observation point of the city including the Space Needle tower. Then it was back to the hostel - and while I was at it, I did indeed, buy something from the Pike Markets. I bought myself ten pieces of squid, cooked them and ate them. My day is done.

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