First awake at 2 a.m. My body is still on Norwegian time. Managed to stretch it to 5:45 in the end. Time to write yesterday’s blog.

Today the route heads south. After packing, it’s time for breakfast, which is included with the night I booked. The spread is very American. Some breakfast bread(?) with what looks like egg and meat is definitely not making it onto my plate. The pancake machine is popular, but I don’t want to wait. Two bagels with peanut butter and jelly, a small bowl of cereal, and an apple for the road will have to do.

My internet situation hasn’t improved, so I’ll deal with it later. Heading south on the I-5 towards Portland, speed limits vary between 55 and 70 mph depending on the stretch, and the road isn’t great. At one point, I even spotted grass growing in a crack along the asphalt. Impressive.

With an audiobook, the drive is pleasant. The sun is out, the weather is great. My goal today: the location of the very first geocache ever placed, somewhere in the forest outside Portland. A kind of pilgrimage for a geocacher. And I also want to see Portland.

But first, a stop near Vancouver – Washington, not Canada. 😄 I find a T-Mobile store and pick up a prepaid plan for 66 USD: unlimited data for a month and a U.S. phone number I won’t use.

From there, it’s about 55 minutes to my next stop, skirting around Portland into a rural area. I pass large Christmas tree farms before reaching the original geocache site. The plaque is hidden in a swing, and you see the plenty of cars have stopped here. A small plaque in the ground marks the spot – been here, done that. I find two other caches close by, easy to spot thanks to the well-worn path. Less pleasant: the severed head of a deer along with some skin and bones next to the plaque, reeking.

Back towards Portland, I grab another cache along the way before heading to my hotel. Unfortunately, I put the wrong hotel into the GPS which takes me to the wrong one. I booked at Delta Park, not at the airport. It turns out the airport location would have been a better choice.

The Delta Park hotel sits in an industrial/commercial area right off the I-5, and it’s clearly a hub for the local homeless population. The hotel isn’t as nice as last night’s stay, but it’s clean, the staff is friendly, and it’ll do for two nights. Doors stay locked, and the parking lot has security, so it should be fine.

After dropping my things in the room, I walk to the light rail station at the I-5. Passing under the interstate, I see that the bridge serves as “home” for many unhoused people. Everything is dirty, and a group is smoking crack, but they don’t bother anyone.

The light rail is a great way to get into the city – cheap, too. A 2.80 USD ticket is valid for two hours, and if you buy two tickets in a day, all other rides are free. Basically a day pass, and a good deal.

On board, there’s plenty of entertainment – half the passengers seem to have skipped their medication this morning, and public transport here is clearly a space for the lower-income crowd. But it gets me to downtown.

It’s 30°C out, and the city doesn’t make much of an impression. Few people, many living in tents on sidewalks and in small parks. I wander a bit, but it doesn’t feel worth the time. My guide suggests an area called Nob Hill (Northwest 23rd Avenue), so I hop on the 15 bus using the same ticket.

This neighborhood is far nicer – a single street lined with small shops and restaurants, and here, the crowd feels more “normal.” I find a tea shop on the upper floor of an older building. It’s a lovely space with great reviews and plenty of customers. In the heat, I order a passion fruit iced bubble tea. Not overly sweet like many places, and with an impressive variety of teas on offer.

A bit more strolling, and it’s nearly dinner time. The map points me to a well-reviewed Mexican restaurant. I haven’t had much Mexican food before, so it’s worth trying. It’s a fast-casual place where you order, wait for your number to be called, and then collect your food. My plate comes with a taco, a chicken enchilada, chips, beans, and rice – for 13 USD, it’s a lot of food and tastes great.

By now, I’m ready to call it a day. I don’t feel like passing the same homeless encampments again, and an Uber is 20 USD, so I opt for the bus. The route takes a little longer, but it’s a good way to see more of the city.

Bus 24 and then bus 6 – once again full of lively characters, some using the ride as a social hangout. The buses aren’t the newest, and we pass through a mix of pleasant neighborhoods and areas I wouldn’t want to walk around in. The stop is right in front of my hotel. I pick up some drinks for tomorrow, then spend the evening planning, reading, and watching YouTube.