The Portland Story

As I write this, I'm sitting in the hostel freezing to death. I was going to go out before double checking my Greyhound schedule for Seattle tommorow and realizing I have to be up a 6... AM... so I might still go out but with great reluctance, because its a nonrefundable ticket should I miss the bus. Anyway, the past few days...
My flight left Thursday at 5:25pm and I got in Portland at 12am. My friend David, whom I met over the summer in New York at a hostel during one of my random, impulsive road trips, picked me up and took me to a motel. That sounded bad, so let me rephrase: He dropped me off at a motel. The hostel's front desk closed at 12 and since we didn't leave the airport until 1230 and the bastards refused to stay thirty minutes more to check me in, I had to pay $65 for a room I felt gross breathing in. Moving on- the following morning, I checked in to the hostel and tooled around the city all day.
Let me take this time to harp on the amazingness of this city. I haven't been to Seattle, but it will be a tough act to follow. Portland is a rare gem. It has the history and architecture of DC, the variety and culture of New York (without the attitude), the friendliness and quaintness of Small Town Pennsylvania, and the heart of Houston. Public transportation (free in the most popular areas) is fantastic and easily accessible, which is great cause I'm lazy. There is art everywhere as well as a gazillion trees. It was hard to take photos of some of the building cuz of all the trees. My roommate from raddy told me I would come here and never want to leave, and she was kinda right. Don't let it go to your head Kay. Anywho, this place has one drawback: not the rain, because I love rain, but the lack of trashcans. I carried a wadded up piece of pastry bag for blocks looking for somewhere to dump it, to no avail.
So Friday I walked all over, and instead of telling you all about what I saw, go look at the photos. They say a thousand words. Appaarently. http://aliway.shutterfly.com/
In the evening, the girls from my dorm in the hostel and I went to dinner at a brewery called Bridgewater (see photos) and was joined at 12 by David who sat with me until 2 talking about nothing and everything. Like a gentleman only funnier, David walked me back to the hostel and I went to bed. Until 5am.Then some drunk chick starts banging on the front door, waking half the hostel because she lost her key and couldn't get in. She also threw rocks at our window. We were pissed. Then Saturday, today, I walked around and took more pics, and just chilled. It was fun. I'll put those photos up later. Ciao!