"Why are you going to Seattle?" asked the lad we were chatting to at the bus stop. Why indeed! It is not really on anyone's “To See” list unless perhaps you are a diehard romantic movie fan and just have to see where Tom Hank’s character found himself “Sleepless”. (Actually can you believe there are corny souvenir nightgowns with “Sleepless in Seattle on them?)

“It’s much cheaper to take a bus to Seattle then fly to Ecuador from there than to fly out from Vancouver. So Seattle it is” was our answer.

Our bus stop companion was from Poland and had been away from his country for two years. He was catching the bus to Seattle, after travelling and working in Canada and now wanted to see a bit of the USA . We discussed the imminent border crossing into the USA and we said we had eaten up the last of our food in preparation. He looked aghast.

“Do you mean I won’t be able to take my herbs with me? I have lots of good herbs” he said. “They won’t search us if we go by bus will they?”

We said they probably will and they had searched our campervan when we had entered a few days earlier, but he said he thought he would take his chances. At the border they did indeed search us and brought in sniffer dogs.Our new found Poland friend was taken away to an interview room. His seat remained empty on the bus after we all had completed customs. As the bus took off without him we wondered about him and assumed the U.S of A didn’t take kindly to his good herbs!

But back to the reason we are going to Seattle. It is surprising sometimes the difference in price for an airline ticket for flying out of a different place in reasonably close proximity. Going to Seattle from Vancouver was a 4 hour bus ride (including Customs time) that cost only $36 each. Flying out of Vancouver to Ecuador would add a hefty $400 each.

We had a couple of days more in Vancouver before we headed off to Seattle. The weather was inclement but we did go out walking, get our laundry done (all our clothes smelt of campfire smoke from our campervan days!) and caught up on some writing and planning. It was Canada’s Thanksgiving weekend (different date to the USA) and so we dutifully ate turkey to get into the spirit.

The incessant rain and wind continued for us again in Seattle but we donned our rain gear and got out and about to see some sights. Luckily Seattle’s iconic space needle was visible from our hotel window. We were in another “secret saver” hotel where you buy the room on the internet for a cheap price without knowing the actual hotel until after it is paid. We scored the Holiday Inn with breakfast (and the Space Needle view) included, and felt like kings in the castle in our 6th floor room.

This will be our last chance for a long time, for a taste of luxury however, as we head off now to Ecuador in South America. There's no "secret savers" to be had where we are going. Backpacker accommodation and “chicken buses” will be the order of the day for the next 6 weeks as we travel through the northern countries of South America.