Seattle, we loves ya!

In Seattle, sitting in a cafe with internet access while Ed types away (he's actually run off somewhere now. Here he comes again. Monica sits in the front window doing the crossword in the Seattle Times. Seattle and coffee go together like Michael Jackson and young (snip! this post has been edited).

Anyway, flew into Seattle last night after spending a whole day either travelling or sitting around in Chicago trying to catch a glimpse of the distant city. In the end it didn't matter as our Seattle flight went out over downtown and I was able to get a look at the Tribune building. Nice.

In Chicago airport the toilet seats had an automatic plastic cover that extended around the rim whenever you waved your hand or whatever in front of a sensor. I'm just saying. I was thrown, for a second, and then amused at the fact an industry had built up around this 'need'.

On the flight to Seattle we sat next to a really kind, talkative (but not overly so) girl who turned out to be a baby photographer whos lives in this city. When we left the plane she wished us luck, and us her. Just the kind of fleeting conversation stoked up by the human need to communicate when you're trapped in a tin can 30,000 feet above the earth.

As we flew in over the endless light of Seattle, you could see fireworks below us, being shot into the air and exploding in streams of colour against the patchwork of streets lit by orange light below.

In Seattle airport we met Monica and her friend Eric, and chatted about this and that while Ed sorted out the hire car details. After a game of cat and mouse on the roads around the University district, we finally found our Motel: a Travelodge manned by some strange dude who gives the worst directions and (we found out this morning) attempted to overcharge us.

Last night, because we were exhausted, we only went out for a couple of drinks, in a bar in the U. As we approached, the street was under a cloud of smoke, and explosions rocked the area. Across from the bar, some kids were throwing seriously heavy fireworks around. As we sat in the bar, cheers went up as the heavy explosive pounded the streetscape. On leaving, everything was quiet, and a couple of cops prowled the car park across from us. Welcome to America on the eve of the 4th of July.

Tonight we get a ferry out to an island across from Seattle and camp there with a bunch of Monica's friends, We'll be able to watch the firework scenes in Seattle from there too.