Pike Place Market

One thing Kendra and I have noticed about Seattle since moving here is that people love being in touch with their "green" side. Wal-Mart is the devil and farmers markets are a spiritual experience. On Saturday evening, Kendra and I headed downtown and found ourselves at the famous Pike Place Market- the Mecca of farmers markets. Neither of us had been there before, and we were excited to visit the popular tourist destination.
WHAT A DUMP!
Aside from the abundant filth covering the marketplace, there is a strong odor of fish mixed with urine. Bums nearly outnumber the tourists.
We first walked into a seating area that looks out at Elliot Bay. There were two other people there plus a bum who was pretty out of it. The bum was barely standing up, hunched over on the table for balance. At one point, he looked up and then toppled over like a tree- smashing his head on the edge of the table on his way down. As he laid on the ground we noticed that he had wet his pants. One lady suggested we do something. I was thinking, "yeah, take a picture for the blog." I wasn't about to touch the bum- I could see that he was breathing and that was good enough for me. Fortunately, there was a guy that came along who wasn't afraid to make contact with the bum.
Joining the crowd around this time was a group of teenagers, one of whom was armed with a camera. He wasn't subtle about taking a picture, and as he lined up for the shot he loudly lamented that his battery died. "Geez, talk about the perfect time for the battery to die on my camera!" The lady standing next to us rolled her eyes in disgust at the adolescent's behavior. I did my best to appear disgusted as well but inwardly felt the teenager's pain. After a minute or two of heavy shaking, the bum lifted his head, opened his eyes, and then laid back down. Satisfied that he wasn't dead, the growing crowd began to disperse.
The rest of the night was a bit of a letdown after the initial excitement. The shops and stands all sell overpriced junk that looks like the bargain bin at a second-hand store. There was one guy selling some very good landscape photos that we enjoyed looking at, but again, it was all overpriced.
I hate shopping at Wal-Mart as much as anybody else in Seattle, but at least the junk they peddle has a return policy. However, what you won't find at Wal-Mart is a memory filled experience you can tell your friends about. That is why I encourage all of you to visit the Pike Place Market next time you are in Seattle. Just don't forget your hand sanitizer!