Last extended weekend me and Victor flew north to see some sport action and visit places of our interest. We arrived to Panama Tocumen airport with healthy margin of time and it was good call. Travelling to USA is getting harder and harder and to be honest I’m not willing to do it anymore when there are countries that are willing to accept us with no preasumption that we are up to no good. After we checked in our luggage we were directed to a nice lady that did full interview /confession with us:
– why we are travelling
– when we planning to return
– what is our hotel name and location
– where is our layover in US and how long it will take and many more.
After that we could proceed to the security check , but before that at the passport control we have been asked for a travel permission from Kasia confirming that I’m allowed to leave Panama with Victor. We secured such document week earlier by using notary services in Panama but the clerk said that original is not good as he need a confirmed (good know’s by whom ) copy of the permission and he send us to Delta (airline) stand to confirm it. They prompty refuse confirming anything and sent us back to the security check. We decided that going back to the same place is a futile task and went to another point that could let as to access gate. Lady there also asked for permission , and after spending couple minutes to read every single word of it she went consult it with her supervisor. After brief moment they both stated that we cannot go on this document as we also need appostilled birth certificated of Victor (althought notarized permission states that Victor is indeed our son). It was getting late so we decided to do another approach with third set ot the security gates (there are fortunaltelly 3 them on terminal 1 of PTY) and this time again it started the same but we escalated it to the supervisor of the police at the airport who printed out Victor’s swiss birth certificate along with copy of the permission (even included a cover of the actual document) and staped it and signed and finally it was enought for us to pass the passport control and board the plane. On our stopover in Atlanta we also were interoggated again and had it pick our luggage to just check it in minutes later (which never happened to us in other countries) . Enough of complaining on border bureaucrats.
Once we arrived to Seattle we were trying to book an uber to our hotel (airport based) but it was about 24USD and expected waiting time was 15minutes so we choose to walk for 10 minutes .
The next day was the museum of flight next to Boeing Field , and this was a feast for planevores (airplane aficionados) . We have spent there the whole day until we had to head towards Amtrac station to catch our train to Vancouver.
Externally it looked liked a train from 1960’s James Bond movies but inside was quite cosy , nice a clean with food car , and beautifull vistas outside (cascades mountain range ).
We arrived to Vancouver late night and went straight to our hotel. Next day was the day of intense exploring Vancouver , seaside, aquarium ,
water plane terminal and climax was the Australia – Turkey mundial game. Stadium is Vancouver is enourmous and covered with lights designed in the way that they don’t drop shadows. It was very intense experience , noise created by tens of thousands of funs when there is attack on the goal performed is something thas has to be experienced , it cannot be described, it has it be felt by being immersed.
Unfortunately the team we were supporting has lost so it was not a perfect finish of the the day but anyway participating in event of such a level is something that we remember for a long time.
Next day we took a flixbus from Vancouver to Everett (main Boeing factory) as we have booked a factory tour there. Boeing factory visit was Victor’s birthdays present so have was looking for this since last December and it was also something worth doing.
We spent there couple of hours visiting assembly line of newest 777X plane that has not been yet approved to be operational but is so wide that to be able to fit into current airport stands is has a foldable wingtips that are unfolded before takeoff. Victor tried his skills in flight simulator of plane and in power management of earth orbiter. Our general feedback would be that Vancouver is a world class city with great walking areas , nice seashore accesible by walkways and lot of nature , we observed wild sea lions in city harbour.
Seattle on other hand has been spoiled by a lot of homeless people , and lot of mentally disturbed and under influence of god knows what mind altering chemicals. On other hand people in US are also absolutely obsessed with alcohol control. On amtrak you have to look at least 35 year old to be sever a beer and they asked me for ID when I was buying beer at the airport and sold me only under the condition that I will drink in within 10 meters from the counter. When Victor wanted to take a seat at the bar in our hotel in Seattle (very nice hotel from the Pineapple network) he was refused as other people drunk alcohol at the same bar. We spent great time but if I would have to choose next time to go for a mundial game I will probably go to Mexico instead, less drama with immigration and alcohol obsession and no high people on the streets.