Sunday, 6 September 2009
Apologies if my spelling and flow is worse than usual. John Hughes' directorial debut, "Sixteen Candles", just started on telly.
Road Trip Day 18
First there's an administrative issue to address. For lunch yesterday I was getting real hungry and thirsty so I took the easy option and had a MacDonald's. Their new "Third Pounder" isn't bad really. Hold the damn pickle though. Anyhoo, that moment of weakness increases my "Burgers Eaten" count rises by one to a shamefully high total of 11.
Another "Largest, Tallest, Biggest, Smallest"
I started with a big first stop on my way north today, dropping by the "Future of Flight and Boeing Tour at their Everett plant just north of Seattle.
I've seen the plant featured in a couple of Discovery Channel documentaries, its main claim to being that it is the largest building in the world, by volume. The plant produces 747 Jumbos, 767, 777 and the shiny new 787. Doesn't look very big from this photo so trust me, it's bloody enormous.
Being Boeing (sorry) it's all very slick and professional and is something of a self-congratulatory slap on the back the company. That doesn't detract from the fact that it's pretty cool looking over the production lines for huge airliners, especially if you are a bit of a geek like me.
The weird looking 747 above is one of three custom made "DreamLifters" which are used to fly in huge sections of fuselage and other huge parts from around the world. Kind of looks like a Jumbo Jet with the Mumps.
Oh, Canada
So, onward and northward along US Interstate 5 to Canada and a two day stop in Vancouver. Quick formalities at customs included the usual questions about tobacco, alcohol, how much cash I had on me plus the interesting question of "Is there any particular reason you are visiting on September 6th?" I managed not to admit I have almost no clue what day of the week it is, let alone what date in the month and just said it is when I happen to be passing this way.
Sadly he didn't rubber stamp my passport so I don't have a nice Canadian stamp to show off alongside my US, Brazilian and Argentine ones. I'll have to get one when I go to Toronto instead.
Queen Elizabeth II
Two things have thrown me since I arrived in Canada. First, I wasn't aware they use the metric system here. All of a sudden I have to avoid breaking a speed limit of 100. I've switched my Sat Nav to Kms to help, but now it keeps telling me to make turns in 1.2 kilometres... however far that is?
The other weirdness was that when I looked at my shiny bunch of notes from the ATM there was The Queen's face looking back at me. She looks even grumpier on Canuck notes than she does on British currency. I thought the Canadians had shaken off the old imperial stuff ages ago.
British Monarch on the bank notes and French on the signs with distances in Kilometres? This place is weird.
Ruby Murray
I've had a craving for Indian food for ages and I finally satisfied that urge tonight. A very pleasant little place called Jolly's on a strip which seemed to consist of only restaurants and coffee shops. Tandoori Chicken to start followed by Butter Chicken with rice and a Naan thrown in.
Possibly the most enjoyable part of the meal though was the drink I chose, Ginger Lemonade. They take root ginger, lemon and a pinch of salt, blend them to a fine pulp and then add 7 Up. Bloody lovely and something I'll try to recreate when I have access to ingredients and a blender.
Movie and Bed
Now, to pay closer attention to the movie before I go to bed. Tomorrow I have a one day tour of Vancouver to enjoy.
Goodnight.
View Driving Day 18 in a larger map
Stats - Day Forty-Four
Distance travelled - 159 Miles Seattle to Vancouver via the Boeing Factory at Everett.
State count - 18 + DC + British Columbia, Canada... hereafter referred to as B.C.
Burgers eaten - 11 (well, the 11th was yesterday... today's lunch was Chicken Strips from Jack-in-the-Box which were not great)
Room numbers stayed in - 203, 1, 148, 212, 205, 210, 246, 118, 3, 145, 229, 111, 207, 206
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