Pacific Northwest Travelogue Part 6
As Michael Taylor’s bus approaches the Greyhound station in Seattle, he wonders if his nephew will be waiting for him. Owing to a slight mix-up, he is arriving by bus rather than by train – and 2 hours later than scheduled.
The number of homes and buildings was starting to outnumber the trees. The sylvan landscape that had accompanied me most of my way south of the US-Canadian border was slowly morphing into suburbs.
I knew we were getting close Seattle when the Greyhound bus I was riding on started moving at a snail’s pace.
And then, in the distance, I could see the magnificent Seattle skyline, with the Space Needle off to centre right, the harbour in the distance, and snow-capped mountains all about.
“Now this is what I call a city!” I thought. “Seattle looks like my kind of town!”
Slight Mix-up
My nephew was supposed to meet me at the train station at about 4 in the afternoon. Owing to a slight mix-up, I was arriving by bus rather than train – and about 2 hours later than I had originally planned.
My mobile phone wasn’t functioning so I couldn’t call him. I had sent him a message on Facebook at the train-cum-bus station in Vancouver about the change in plans. Had my nephew received it?
When our bus pulled into the station, I saw a tall man dressed in black leather standing on the platform. He was even wearing a black leather hat!
“He got my message,” I thought.
Even though I hadn’t seen Erik in about 25 years, there was no mistaking him. He had been named Washington State Mr Leather – one of the reasons for my first visit to the United States in 12 years.
After I got off the bus, we hugged. We made small talk. We made our way by public transport to my motel. My 9 day adventure in Seattle had just begun.