I walked past a man who happened to be making this remark to his companion, "It is strangely hot today, it usually doesn't get this hot in Seattle till about July."
I kinda decided today would be a day spent downtown. Anyway, I figured I wouldn't have much time to explore Seattle today since I came out of the house late and I would need to be back at Charles' place for another homecooked dinner in the evening. His mom, Aunt Lynette, is coming into town today from Vancouver and has promised him a Hainanese chicken rice meal - well, it's just too bad I'm not a chicken rice fan, but I have to be home anyhow.
Didn't really want to shop, so I thought my first stop would be the Pike Fish Market. I've been there like maybe two or three years ago when I first visited Charles and I was really behaving like a tourist then. But, then I didn't have the sense to take any pictures, so I thought I should spice up my journals with some fishy stuff.
There is a public market, and then a 'sanitary market'. I don't know what's up with these markets.
I almost thought there was piped-in music like in a shopping mall. Then I realized it was a busking piano player. It was that cool.
Restaurant with an alfresco dining deck. I thought it looked so cosy but I didn't want to spend that kind of money on lunch.
I am always delighted, and amused at the same time, to see Chinese shops run by Chinese folks selling Chinese pastries in foreign lands. For a moment, I thought they were selling 'mee sua' and 'dim sum'.
The fish market lies right smack in the midst of the city center. Skyscrapers (and construction sites) line the view beyond.
But this is real key highlight of why people bother to visit the Pike Fish Market - the Pike Place Fish Co. guys.
These guys make fishmongering a very happy job. They shout, they sing, they make their customers laugh. In fact, I'm not quite sure if their fish and seafood are indeed of the highest quality, nor if they do get a huge load of business everyday, because most folks crowd around their stall, just to watch them at work (or play, some will say) and take pictures (like me). They don't seem to mind all the attention. They are so well-known, they are the ones who inspired the book "Fish! Tales: Real Life Stories to Help You Transform Your Workplace and Your Life". In fact, I had read the book myself just before I first visited Seattle 3 or 4 years ago. I remember feeling quite excited then about seeing the fish guys in the flesh. Silly me.
I just had to sneak in this picture of a little fella chilling out under a car.
Pretty-looking caramel apples sitting in the window. I sneaked a picture while the sales lady was busy handing out samplers to passer-bys. Not my cup of tea, though, caramel.
Three Dog Bakery! My favorite. One day, I shall own this store (through franchising of course).
Caught a glimpse of one of the grand mountains of Washington. Unfortunately, I'm not sure which of the three mountains I was looking at here.
This is one part of Seattle that absolutely reminds me of Frisco - slippery slopes.
Captured another view of yet another one of the mountains. But still, I'm clueless about its identity.
There are new modern buildings all around the fish market, like these residential buildings. I think it's a pretty weird sight.
And this is where you buy your dirty videos.
I'm so freakin' glad I did not hop onto one of these boat-ride-on-wheels thingy. It would've been quite embarassing to be seen on one, wouldn't it?
There wasn't really anything much in the Pike Fish Market, save for the singing fishmongers. I was quite disappointed, especially since I've been to Frisco and tend to compare this market to the Fisherman's Wharf in Frisco. I must say, Fisherman's in Frisco is more authentic, it's bigger, and there are more stalls selling fresh seafood cooked rightaway in front of you. I devoured on crab cakes in Fisherman's. I could find none in Pike.
Still, the slow walk in Pike Fish Market took me an hour or so. I wanted to take a seat at some quaint little restaurant and have some clam chowder, but decided against it since I wasn't hungry at all. I took a look at my watch, decided I hadn't much time left for the rest of the day, and thought I should move on.
Problem was, I didn't exactly know what my next stop would be. I thought perhaps I should just walk through downtown and see if I could find any information center who could give me better directions elsewhere. Big mistake. What a big mistake.
I ended popping into stores and buying stuff 'along the way'. Against my intentions.
I don't usually do Banana Republic because they are a tad too expensive for my taste. But I thought, maybe some retail therapy might just help me feel a little better.
So I picked up item after item of clothing soon as I walked in (ok, in my desperation to get healed by retail therapy, I still had the mind to check out only items on sale racks) and headed straight for the fitting rooms.
I took a long while in the fitting room. The one thing I appreciate about shopping in the U.S. is that there are plenty of fitting rooms usually and the sales assistants (mostly gays by the way) usually do not care the number of items you want to try out. You just take your own sweet time, changing in and out of clothes, pondering over what to buy and what not. Once in a while, if you do take an unusually long time locked up inside the room, the sales assistant would call out and check if you need help. So nice. It also does help that the rooms are usually big and relatively comfortable (chairs or sofas provided, thank you).
Nice top... that I did NOT buy, just so you can see.
State of undress! *gasp*... NOT. Haha.
I had fun in that dressing room. And the guy did come around knocking on my door, asking if I was ok with the sizes and all. I decided I should stop fooling around in the room.
The next place of 'evilness'. Control was in play, though.
I was kinda done with shopping. Good thing nothing in Gap enticed me, and I refrained from walking into many other stores. Actually, I thought if I really wanted to, I should do my shopping in Portland, where they do not charge freakin' 8 percent sales tax. Good gosh.
Decided then that I should just start looking for a cafe where I can sit and load up the pictures into my pbook. My legs could use the rest too.
I once read in the internet that there was such an informal tour as a "clock tour" in downtown Seattle. Obviously they have many such quaint old clock towers... that I didn't really see.
Resisted, refrained, and finally succumbed to the temptation. In the hot sun, I was dying to have some ice-cream, but to pay freakin' 4 bucks for ice-cream was a little too 'luxurious' for me. Still, I did not regret my caramel latte/pistachio treat. Cold Stone Creamery was awesome.
While having my ice-cream, sitting down, I took out my city map and realized I was quite done with downtown. Nothing much left for me. I decided, maybe I should just walk down to the Space Needle. It was almost five, and folks were already rushing out of offices heading for the buses. I just hoped I wouldn't reach the Needle to find it closed for the day.
Walking down 5th Street, I couldn't help but stop and smile at this sign.
After a busy city, some quiet residential apartments, I finally chanced upon something I've been wanting to find - nice little pubs and restaurants like these. The first thing that caught my eye was a Boddington's signboard, I made up my mind.
Ducks in the city.
A good view of the Space Needle, still a distance away. I had to snap the picture because the clouds were just so beautiful.
Space Needle right in front of me!
Grand entrance.
And guess what? I didn't go up. It would've cost me 13 bucks and I wasn't sure if the money would be spent worthily. I found out, though, that the Needle doesn't close till 11 in the night. Maybe, I might just come back tomorrow for a night view from the top.
Next to the Space Needle was the building of Komo TV. Some news channel, I figured. I like this picture of Ichiro on a building.
A nicely 'vandalized' bus-stop that might not even be approved in Singapore.
I walked back to the pubs and decided to make it my last stop for the day - but not before having some good beer. Headed straight for the cafe (hmm, realized it's a cafe by day, pub by night, very versatile) where the Boddington's signboard hung. That last stop made me feel lucky - it was still happy hour and so the beer on tap cost me only $3.25; I got free wireless internet connection as well. I think I know where I'm heading tomorrow again.
1 comment:
Nice pictures.. Enjoy the rest of your trip.. :)
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