Seattle: Part 1 Seattle: Part 2 With those monstrous doughnuts still haunting my mind, I leave behind the fast-paced commerce of the market and head right into one of the narrower passageways adjoined to the Main Arcade. I pass a cheese shop, a sausage shop, and then wham! land in the middle of nowhere. There are corners and alleys that are deserted, with nary a soul in sight, complete with shuttered windows and dusty doors. I’m not creeped out – I have a lousy sense of direction -- but it’s only after consulting my map that I get back to civilization. one of the arcades off of the Main Arcade There are several levels below the main (market) level that house a labyrinth of shops featuring everything from a used bookstore, cookware stores, craft stores, a tattoo parlor, and so much more. Tucked into an area of the market called the Sanitary Market (so named because back in the horse and carriage era, horses were not allowed here), is the Pike Place ...

Seattle: Part 1 Seattle: Part 3 The Pike Place Market is visited by more than 10 million people each year, making it the most visited landmark in the Pacific Northwest. It has something for everyone but most especially for food lovers. To partake of its endless bounty, be stimulated by a variety of smells, sights, and sounds, and to feed off of its diversity and vibrancy, this is what I imagine utopia -- my utopia -- to be. The Pike Place Market actually just celebrated its centennial last August 17, and I’m psyched to be here less than a month later. The place began as a farmers market in 1907, an “experiment” by the Seattle City Council to appease its citizens’ anger over high food prices. Food was bought directly from the producers, thus lowering grocery bills. Over the past century, the market has had its share of ups and downs, but today it’s a nine acre National Historic District, home to more than 250 permanent businesses, and more than 200 farmers and craftspeople. As a tourist, I’m surprised to learn that on site, there’s also a hotel, a clinic, child care facilities, a tarot card ...

Seattle: Part 2 Seattle: Part 3 Midway between our stay in Vancouver, my family and I drive across the Canada-US border and make our way into Seattle for a 2-night, 3-day stay. Of course when I think of this American city, I think of the cult-hit movie, “Sleepless in Seattle,” grunge, and more importantly, it’s the birthplace of Starbucks, the coffee behemoth of the world. view from Seattle's waterfront Though I’ve stopped over at the Seattle airport more times over the years than I care to count, I’ve never been to the city itself. Driving in from the I-5, I’m charmed by the shining skyscrapers and clusters of evergreen trees, as well as glimpses of the waters of Elliott Bay, Lake Union, and Lake Washington which wrap themselves around this city. Far off into the distance is Mount Rainier, a dormant volcano that’s over 14,000 feet tall. ...

Vancouver, Canada: Part 1 Vancouver, Canada: Part 2 Granville Island is my favorite place in Vancouver. The fact that it offers so much to visitors is only part of its enduring appeal: house galleries, artist studios, restaurants, theaters, pubs, craft shops, an art school, a cement plant, a hotel, and more. This once-declining industrial site was transformed in the late 1970s when the Canadian government decided to encourage newer, more people-friendly developments, a sort of urban renewal, if you will. They kept the original industrial look and the former warehouses and factories became this almost-city within a city. heirloom tomatoes For food lovers, the centerpiece of Granville Island is the Granville Island Public Market. Many say it’s one of the best all-around markets in the world, perhaps the most successful public market in North America. Part farmers’ market and part food court, it’s an epicurean enchantment unlike anything I’ve experienced before. ...

Vancouver, Canada: Part 1 Vancouver, Canada: Part 3 I’m not too impressed with the desserts that I buy from McKinnon’s Bakery (see Vancouver, Canada: Part 1). The only one that leaves a slight imprint on my mind (and taste buds) is the lemon curd cupcake, seen above. A lightly lemon-laced little cake has its top scooped out, and is given a dollop of lemon curd sour enough to pucker the inside of my mouth, a sensation I like very much. The cut-out top is then dutifully placed back on, giving the cake a flying saucer/slanted hat look. Very creative. Prettiest (and the only) cupcakes in Vancouver Still on cupcakes, I make it my mission to seek out what is perhaps Vancouver’s only cupcake store aptly named, Cupcakes. The color pink goes so well with cupcakes which is why almost all “cupcakeries” possess it in some way, shape, or form. This one is no exception. All cupcake places also smell gloriously identical: redolent with butter, flour, and vanilla. It’s the kind of scent I’d like to bottle up and get high on once in a while....

Vancouver, Canada: Part 2 Vancouver, Canada: Part 3 I’m back in Vancouver, Canada after my last visit 13 years ago. A lot has changed since then, so much so that I hesitate to say that this is the same place where my sisters and I grew up spending our summer vacations. As the largest city in the province of British Columbia, Vancouver is surrounded by water on three sides -- its exceptional quality and selection of seafood is testament to that. Equally blessed with breathtaking natural scenery and a metropolitan core, Vancouver is an easy city to love. Steveston Down on the southwestern shore of Richmond sits the historic Steveston Village. My sisters and my more youthful days were spent at the Steveston playground but because we’re now “grown-ups,” we prefer to amble along sipping our rootbeer and cream soda Slurpees, a nod to our childhood days. Named for its founder, William Herbert Steves, Steveston was the busiest fishing port in the world at the turn of the twentieth century. This once-rowdy frontier seaport was home to up to ...

I'm back in Manila for five days before I leave again for my last trip of the year. I'm not sure if I'll be able to post my feature of the two countries I've been in the past two weeks during this time, but I'll do my darn best. Anyway, consider these two photos as a preview: Destination #1: This country is most often associated with maple syrup (as per the photo above). In fact, its flag features a stylized 11-point maple leaf. Hint: if you look closely, you can actually see the flag in the photo. Destination #2: It's the city where Starbucks started. Those of you who've been to this city will know that the photo above is a dead giveaway.