20 March

Today was filled with mixed fortunes.
After getting ready and going down for the continental breakfast, the continent has now shrunk to the size of Churchill Island. Those unfamiliar with it, it is an island off Phillip Island and is about twenty acres. Breakfast offerings were correspondingly small. However, I made do.
I put most of the material to be posted in the last carton to be sent to Australia from here, together with some postcards and some DVDs. Then, not long after 7, I was off to the Boeing factory. The SatNav gave me an ETA of about 8:30 BUT forgot to take into account Tacoma and Seattle commuter traffic. I eventually arrived at 8:55, locked the car and ran with myself (no jacket or camera, which all contained prohibited items, so there are no photos from within the factory itself) only and just got into the 9 tour. The advantage of being early (well, on an early tour) was there are not that many participants. So even though I arrived late, I had no problem fitting in.
There were only about thirty all up, so we headed into the theatre for the (almost obligatory) preview film. Then there was a quick commentary (go to the toilet now – yes, those were the words used – as there are no restrooms from here on) and then we were on the bus. The tour guide was an ex-factory employee.
We went through two bays in the main assembly building and saw a 747, a 777 and a 787 being put together. The place was HUGE – REALLY HUGE – and even I was impressed. We accessed the viewing areas through service tunnels and unlike the ones in the movies, these were immaculately clean and had no steam popping out through any pipes (and no Bruce Willis chasing the bad guys). The whole assembly area was also immaculate and the lighting keeps the building warm. The commentary was very good and the guide was able to answer nearly all questions, even those from a 747 pilot who came from Manchester to see how his plane was put together (he was working, going back to London, later today – what a hard life!).
After looking through the small display they have there – and theirs was one of the most fair displays I have seen, crediting all involved whether from Boeing or on – I went into Seattle to work out the fate of the rental car. After navigating Seattle’s one-way streets (oh, why can’t Melbourne learn), I got to the Hilton Hotel (Alamo’s depot is upmarket here) and finally resolved the situation. My original rental runs out on Saturday, so I return the car by 11 and then pick up another car, new agreement, and drive into Canada. Saturday afternoon (after the border crossing formalities are done with) is for touring BC – little time I know, but that’s the way things are. On Sunday, at the same time, I drop the car. Then I look around Vancouver on foot while my luggage (hopefully) is at the train station. Getting out took a little time, because all the roadworks mean that entries are not where the SatNav thinks they are, so there is a bit of guesswork involved sometimes. However, I was soon out and to a post office to post some postcards (if you miss out, there are more I haven’t written yet – perhaps tonight, otherwise tomorrow night while the washing is on, but they are mainly for non-email people), my LAST US parcel and some DVDs. Memo to self – always choose to patronise a rural post office because they are always the most helpful, irrespective of country.
I had the option of Mt Ranier or the Olympics (mountains, not sport) and chose the Olympics because it looked rainier. My predictions were verified along the way (one good point about the Pontiac is it has variable dwell wipers, so I am not driven mad putting them on and off) so the beautiful wooded hills, blue bays (they should look that way but they were grey for me), timber houses and small rural communities and holiday resorts are not recorded pictorially (no photos, but why put it simply when a thousand words can paint a linguistic picture). I went up beside the Hood Canal and returned along Puget Sound.
I have heard all the songs on my iPod – the 20 GB one – over the last forty-odd days in the car. It’s amazing what’s there, so I’ll have to listen to them next year when tootling around in my little motorhome (or the year after, if the sharemarket keeps as low as it is at the moment).
Back at the motel I got my US map out to mark all my travels in on (so I can refer to it when in other countries and remember myself where I have been – who am I – what am I doing here – has Alzheimers hit me already!) and the postcards to finish writing.
Tomorrow I will try Mt Rainier, but I have to be back in time to do the laundry, pack everything, dispose of any surplus and to get a good night’s sleep before hitting the border (and immigration and customs) of the US and Canada.