Any given Wednsday in downtown Portland

This past Wednesday I had a really nice day. It started out early for me, Ash took the van and went to work around 5am, and my neighbor picked me and one of the foster rabbits up around 7am. She gave us a ride to Troutdale OR to drop of said bunny to get spayed. After leaving the bun in the caring hands of the vets I went and got some coffee and food to fuel me up for the day's adventures. This was going to be the first day I ever attempted to use public transportation by myself. Sounds lame that I met this prospect with trepidation right? I know, but I'm pretty notorious for getting lost easily. Lucky for me navigating around using the buses and MAX rail system is pretty easy out here. For 4 bucks I got myself from Troutdale to Gresham on the bus (which ran on bio-diesel) then to Portland on the MAX rail. My MAX ticket was good for continuous rides for the remainder of the day as well. I'd brought my mp3 player with me, it gave me a nice soundtrack with which to enjoy watching the passing scenery. I can easily see how people here go without having a vehicle at all, the public transit is fantastic, all sorts of people use it from corporate business folks to families to homeless people. It's a big mish-mash of humanity. It was cool watching random strangers strike up conversations on their brief rides together. Upon arriving in Portland I took Ash some flowers and lunch to the world trade center building where she works. After that I had around 3 hours to kill before she got out so I went for a walking tour of the downtown district. I tried to snap as many pictures as I could, and also took a couple of videos all of which I'll post below. The day started out cloudy but was clear blue skies as the afternoon progressed. I went down to the riverside and took a video showing a little park and two of the many bridges the city is known for:

On the way to the park I passed what I thought was a most unusual sight, but I found out later it's actually a daily occurrence- a group of businessmen in their suits playing hackey sack out front of one of the WTC buildings:  

I think stuff like this can give you a sense of the fact  that Portland is most certainly not your average city.

Everywhere you look in Portland you see contrasts and contradictions Old European style architecture juxtaposed by modern glass and steel. Staunch looking business folks waiting in line next to punks and street musicians to get some food from a Vietnamese food cart. Industrial factories next to hemp shops and green parklike spaces. Suvs and expensive sports cars next to rows and rows of bicycles. You would think its a city with an identity crisis, and perhaps it is, but the people here seem to like it that way, everywhere you go you see buildings and bumper stickers that say "Keep Portland Weird".

It's a pedestrian city, everyone seems to walk everywhere, like I remember NYC being. You could choose to drive but good luck, the streets are narrow and you will be fighting for space with bike lanes, cross walks, MAX lines and bus stops. The city was designed with people not vehicles in mind. Honestly walking is the best way to get around because you get to experience the sights, sounds and smells of the city. There is usually always music to be heard from guys drumming on buckets to girls strumming their guitars to trumpeters and harmonica players. And the smells are really something to behold. Portland is a foodie's dream locale, Every 20 feet or so and the smell of food changes.. think of walking around the fair grounds...your nose is just bombarded by yummy aromas. Unfortunately I cannot convey smells through this blog but I can show you the pics:

Portland in a Jiffy- CLICK HERE FOR PICS

After walking around and getting lost in Powell's books (check out the photos), I went and met Ash. We walked down to Voodoo Doughnuts and got two of their signature menu items. Its a place you must see at least once if you decide to come to Portland, and to give you a sneak peek check out their menu CLICK HERE (not for children or the easily offended).

When we finished eating our sugar coma sticks we went and picked up the bunny who did very well in her surgery, then went home.