We arrived at the Seattle bus terminal on the evening of Monday 30 April. Our hosts had provided us with super-detailed instructions on how to get to their house in New Holly, so we had no troubles navigating the public transport :-) We would be staying with an old frind of Monique's, Andy, and his wife Jamie and 3-year-old daugher Maya. Monique met Andy years ago on a church camp in South Africa and later visited again after working on a Summer Camp in America. They are all really cool and it was so nice to be in their home and chat and share meals together. That evening we were pretty tired, so after dinner we didn't hang around too long and headed down to bed - which was amazing! So big and snug :-)

Tuesday we got to sleep in a bit, which was great, and then took the train to downtown Seattle to see the sights. As we were walking from the train station to Pike Place Market, we spotted a taco truck in the shape of a giant pig - so naturally we had to stop for some :-) They were pretty good if a little overpriced. Pike Place Market is quite cool - a huge maze of stalls selling all kinds of things like fresh fruit & veggies, fresh fish, deli meats, vintage records & comic-books and all types of handcrafts. It is also the site of the original Starbucks, so naturally we stopped there for a coffee. Afterwards we wandered along the waterfront area towards the Seattle Center, stopping at the Olympic Sculptures Park on the way. The Seattle Center is the site of the Worlds Fair in 1962, so there were some 50th anniversary celebrations going on. Of course with it being 1 May there some other "demonstrations" going on as well - peaceful enough though, quite a lot of cops around. We got to see the main attractions like the Space Needle, International Fountain, EMP museum (didn't go inside) and the monorail before catching the bus and train home for dinner. We were both pretty tired so Kevin headed down to bed while Monique joined Andy at a talk that he was going to that night.

Wednesday morning saw Kevin not feeling exactly 100%, so he stayed home while Monique joined Jamie and Maya on their trip to the zoo. In the afternoon we walked down the the local Safeway and got some tacos for lunch. Later the four of us (plus O'Mally the dog) all went for a quick play in the park before heading out to the nearby farmers market. We walked around the market and then to this awesome retro-themed ice-cream shop down the main street, complete with old-school arcades games and everything :-) The ice-creams were really good! Back at home we played with Maya while Andy & Jamie got ready to go out to the theatre that evening. We managed to put Maya to bed and then just relaxed on the couch wathing Netflix and eating M&M's :-) Mmmmm....

Thursday we were up early and just chatted with Jamie over breakfast. Then we took the train back to downtown to see a few more of the sights. On the first Thursday of every month all the museums in the city are free entrance :-) so we visited the Seattle Art Museum which was pretty cool. It was a bit of a rainy day, so we took shelter in a nearby Starbucks, before heading to the Central Building of the Seattle Public Library. It is far and away the coolest (and biggest) library we have ever seen - 10 floors in a cool modern-looking building. Afterwards we took a bus uptown to a shop called Trader Joes to get some things for dinner. Monique whipped up a delicious meal of chicken and mashed potato and chocolate mousse which we all enjoyed over a nice bottle of wine :-) We then headed downstairs to pack.

Friday we joined Andy on the train to work - we needed to get off at the same stop as him, so he was able to show us exactly where to go. We said our last goodbyes and then checked in and boarded our train down to San Fransisco. The train was pretty big - long enough that we couldn't see the front and all double decker carriages. We were fortunately on the top level, so were able to get a nice view along the way. We travelled through all kinds of scenery, from industrial areas to vast, green fields to big, clear lakes to snow-covered pine forests. The journey was overnight but there was plenty of room and the seats were pretty big and comfy. We had been struggling to find a CouchSurfing host in San Fransisco, so the next afternoon when we arrived in the city, we still had no place to stay... :-/

We really felt so blessed being able to stay with Andy & Jamie and Maya. They were such kind, hospitable hosts and so easy to talk to. It was so nice being in their home and just experiencing how life is in Seattle. You guys are amazing - we would not have had nearly as nice a time if it wasn't for you. Hopefully will see you again one day :-)