the gum wall

When we checked in to the hotel in Seattle, we receive a little packet of pages that offered the lay of the land in terms of walkable outings and the weekend agenda. One of the items on the first page directed us to The Gum Wall, and my brother in law had captioned the entry with something to the effect of: "It's gross, but interesting." Naturally, it jumped right to the top of our to do list.

We'd been to the market a bunch of times by the last day, but only then did we make any effort to discover where this mystery hid. With moments to spare before our scheduled late check out time, we found our way down there.

It's interesting. 

It's gross. 

I was talking about it afterwards and someone remarked that you'd expect it to have an odor. All that gum, chewed by all those mouths. Would it smell like bad breath, or hubba bubba bubble gum?

It didn't smell good, per se. It was in a dark damp alley under a fish market. But I don't know that I would have identified it by smell as a gum wall. I'm not sure that my brain could even have fathomed that particular vernacular before that fateful day.

I'm not going to look up the history of the gum wall for you. If you are the kind og person who would click on the link I'd post, you are probably the person who googled Seattle Gum Wall at first mention of it. For the rest of you, all you really need to know is that it's a wall, covered in gum Several walls, really. And a fair amount of floor. It's gross. And interesting!

I'm chewing GUM, see? See how clever?

 

Again with the subtlety.

As if sent from heaven.

I did not create that J, I was unwilling to put my body parts in that proximity to the Wall of Gum. I did, however, spit my own gum with enough force and saliva to securely adhere it to the wall. I left my mark on the gum wall.

And it was good.