Sunday, September 30, 2018

[SEATTLE] Of Glassblowing and Hiking

 

Before we go back to Chihuly, let’s get Little Si Trailhead out of the way first, shall we? Hiking is not really my thing, and I did not have the appropriate footwear. To give you an idea, I was wearing elevator leather brogues. My rubber shoes bailed on me last year, okay? I ended up trading my dress shoes for Havaianas. Have you ever hiked up a mountain on Havaianas? I did. It was challenging but obviously way better than hiking while donning a meeting room get-up, no? How was the hike?

I’m not a very fit person, bruh. I work out once every two years. I do love walking but after getting back to the 9-5 routine, I’ve been pretty much a couch potato for a year now. This hike gave me more endorphins in 2 hours than the last 12 months combined! It’s a good thing that the breeze was cool; the views, nice. In the end, it was all worth it in my book. This is way better than nursing a hangover in my hostel room. I don’t think I could have done it alone, though. I wouldn’t dare hike alone anywhere. I feel like I will eventually get lost, slip and hit my head on a sharp rock, die, and go to hell. Wow, how detailed.

This is also one of the reasons why I enjoy catching up with friends more lately than just wandering aimlessly in a new city. While your interests don’t always jive, there are always times like this when they do and then you end up having a good time. As for the views, I’m talking about the majestic mountains. I do not remember seeing Seattle’s cityscape from afar. I guess this was a pleasant surprise given how I know basically next to nothing about Washington state aside from what they show you on TV and movies, which is mostly Seattle’s urban sprawl. At least we know that there are a lot of options out there for nature enthusiasts as well.

 

Early dinner was had at Twin Peaks, a traditional ‘Merican diner in the middle of nowhere en route to the road back to the city. An hour and a half drive followed back to the hostel before the three of us bid one another goodbye and called it a night. My flight the next day leaves at 6:30 AM, so I have no choice but to doze off earlier than usual and take an Uber back to SeaTac. New York is waiting.

 

Oops, we almost forgot Chihuly. So, what is the deal? Chihuly Garden and Glass is a museum downtown that permanently features the artwork of Dale Chihuly. While I don’t really like museums per se, I enjoyed this one because it’s just so unique. I don’t know if you are familiar with Glassblowing. This art form involves heating glass and molding it to form different shapes by inflating the molten material into a bubble. I never thought that glass could be this malleable, so this was a new learning experience for me.

The museum features art in different forms made from the same material: colorful glass. Since the museum has its own garden, a unique combo of colorful glass and natural flora is waiting for you outside. Since the Space Needle is right next to the museum, you can take a lot of pictures and selfies with that tower in the background, either outside in the garden or inside the greenhouse with the tower visible outside from the glass roof. I even managed to get the tower and some of the colorful glass sculptures in one frame, one complementing the other. Suffice it to say that there’s no boring spot for photography here!

And that was Seattle for me. Overall, I could have stayed longer but unfortunately, I just didn’t have the time. Downtown was also ok, but somehow Seattle gives me this sort of big/small town vibe that I just couldn’t place. I feel like should I move here, I would be comfortable, but boredom would also come easily. Anyway, this won’t be my last time in the West Coast. If only I had a Canadian Visa, I could have visited Vancouver as well. But hey, there’s always next time!


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