2009 – North to Alaska – Day 15

Salmon Arm to Banff

Today we up early for today’s journey to Banff.  The skies are blue and the sun is shining and all is well with the world in Salmon Arm British Columbia. 

Before moving out though it’s time to have a little breakfast and instead of a nice quiet meal – there are Fakers everywhere.  Are they following us?  Don’t they realise there are other places to stay where they will be welcomed with open arms?  Obviously not.  There is not a spare table anywhere and by the looks of things they have been here since the first sausage was put on display!  Off the main dining room there is a small outdoor area so because you actually have to move away from the food to get there – one would call this a Faker Free Zone – we decide that this would be a good place to eat – plenty of fresh air and plenty of room.  Kylie is the first of our band to get her juice etc and heads on out leaving the door ajar so that we can follow with a minimum of juggling to open the door.  Meanwhile ‘Arsehole Faker’ as Kylie christened him, thinks this is just too much air for him and closes the door.  Yep, arsehole.  While all this is happening Tyler and I have found a nice quiet spot inside so we signal to Kylie to join us.  Unfortunately what with Mr A Faker closing the door with such force – the door has now locked itself and we cannot get it open. Talk about comedy capers, Kylie outside with her breakfast and we inside trying to unlock the door.  Mr A Faker just looks smugly at us.  We are not having any luck so we have to get the waitress to unlock it for us and as we walk past Mr A Faker we are tempted to tip our breakfast over him.  Comments are made in his direction along the lines of ‘you would think fresh air would kill all these old farts’ and we return to our table, feeling indigestion is not far away.  I have pineapple juice, muffins, bacon, mushrooms and tomato - nothing flash but very filling and I have remembered to bring my Vegemite to the table for my muffins.

As Mr A Faker finishes his breakfast and walks past our table, the words ‘Arsehole Faker’ are clearly heard but Kylie is still going about eating her breakfast and looking very innocent.  I nearly choke myself when I see his footwear – sandals and socks.  Typical Faker Fashion.

After breakfast it is back to the room to pile our belongings on the trolley and then downstairs to check out. I make the suggestion that maybe we should explore Salmon Arm a bit and pick up some postcards to send home so off we go.  We find the township and Post Office – I am happy – Kylie discovers a Tim Horton’s so she is happy (hotel coffee is really not the best) and I think Tyler is happy.

Driving around we discover a lovely park right opposite the Lakeside Marina. Because the weather is so lovely we get out and explore. The park has lovely fountains and pretty flowers, it is so serene.  We then walk out to the marina which is on stilts so I presume that the tides get extremely high here.  We do not walk to the end but it is a nice walk nonetheless.

There are some ducks swimming in the little stream which is emptying into the lake and it’s nice to stand in the sun after all the time on the cruise spent under heavy clouds. 

Would have been nice to have a picnic here but alas we have already eaten breakfast.  We should have piled up a hamper of brekky goodies and brought it here but then again hindsight is always 20-20.  Doesn’t it look lovely?

We have a plan – we are going to pick up some rolls, meat and salad and have a picnic lunch at Picture Postcard Perfect Lake Louise so all is not lost.   Back in the car and on the highway heading for Banff we make our way through the mountains but are soon passed by a truck with Keith Urban scrawled all over the back of it.  I suggest that maybe Keith is driving with Nic up front and Sunday Rose in the back but this suggestion is scorned by the other two.  Possibly it is some of his gear heading for the next concert?

As we climb higher into the Canadian Rockies the weather deteriorates and big black clouds soon appear. These give way to even lower clouds hugging the mountains.  All of a sudden it has turned dark like late afternoon and it is still only about 10.30am.  So much for the fine weather. The inevitable rain drops start to hit the windscreen which does not do any good for my movies from the front seat of the car but every now and again we catch a glimpse of blue sky and sunshine but that soon disappears.   We also get to see the water gushing down the side of the mountains which looks really pretty.  The heavy rain stays with us for many miles until we start coming into the township of Golden.   A point of interest – Sikhs arrived in Golden in the 1800’s. They were employed in the forest industry by the Columbia river Logging Company who built accommodation for them.

As we continue our four hour journey there are lots of road works being carried out and I can imagine that in some parts there are many rock slides, let’s just hope that today is not one of those days.  Our constant companion, the rain, comes and goes, sometimes just enough to be a nuisance, but every now and again the sun hits the countryside and the colours in the cuttings where the highway passes are incredible.  As we climb even higher into the Rockies the clouds become more intense and every now and again we glimpse white cut outs of stag and elk along the road. Do these mean that those animals frequent this area and drivers are to watch out?  Or are they the typical ‘Nat Geo cut outs’ that tantalize.  No such luck with the real thing – we press on.

Finally arriving at Lake Louise we follow the signs for the parking area and as the weather has not improved, our picnic lunch by the lake is a no go.  Pretending we are staying at the 22 star hotel Fairmont Chateau right on Lake Louise we continue through to their parking area but then decide to give it a miss as we are getting rather dubious looks from the parking attendants.  We hot foot it out of there to find the ‘ordinary people’ parking area which is still in the same area.  Knowing that we are just here for a quick 10 minute look we decide to risk it and not pay the Entry Fee.  We are certainly living dangerously! Parking the car – we grab cameras and as luck would have it the sun has come out as we head off for lakeside.  What a view! Spectacular comes to mind – and just as I press the shutter button a ray of sun hits the lens.  This would have been a wonderful place to have a picnic but maybe next time.  There are a rather large hoard of Korean tourists who decide to jump up and down on the water’s edge having their photo taken mid air.  Unfortunately it takes quite a few photos to get it just right but they are having fun and it does not disturb us. 

We admire the glacier in the distance and the blue of the lake – the sun is now raying down upon us but the clouds coming overhead are threatening so it’s back to the car.

Time to head for our hotel in Banff – grey clouds – black clouds and rainbursts follow us but every now and again we come into a patch of blue and sunshine that lights up the famous Canadian Rockies. This truly is a scenic wonder of the world.  Cameras are going left, right and centre just to try and capture the majesty but I would presume that any photo taken will not do them the justice they deserve.

We arrive at our hotel – The Best Western Siding 29 Lodge. The car park is underground but we cannot get to it because someone has decided to park right across the entrance. Walking up to the check in desk there is a woman making all kinds of stuttering remarks about whether she will stay here or not even though she had made a reservation.  She wants to see her room before checking in and has decided that everyone must know that she is not a happy camper.  I get the feeling that the poor desk clerk who is smiling and putting up with this nonsense is about to reach for some blunt instrument.  Finally deciding she will stay after all – maybe it has something to do with being told she will forfeit her deposit - she heads off to get her luggage from the car and yep she is the piece that has parked right in front of the entrance to the car park.  What a charmer. 

The desk clerk smiles and welcomes us and gives us the key to our room – 205 a nice typical Best Western room – but what’s this??? We have a verandah and the verandah has lots of potted petunias – and we have a view!!! What has happened to our normal car park view?  Word must have spread that enough is enough.  I can just imagine what this place is like in Winter all covered in snow – magical.

After parking our belongings we head out to discover the town of Banff.  Very quaint and we must of course suss out the tourist stores – exactly what we need to do - more shopping.   One interesting point is that apparently a lot of Aussies come here. ON one of our shopping moments we meet an Aussie girl from Brisbane who tells us it is very expensive to live here especially during the snow season but hey if you like to ski and snowboard then that’s not a problem right? And what a place to carry out those activities.  It is right at your door!

After shopping and looking and shopping we decide to get something to eat as we are feeling hungry and after perusing the menus out the front of some places – yep, we agree it is very expensive and not even the ‘season’ yet plus we cannot agree on what to eat.  We head back to the hotel and get some brochures on the local takeaways from the desk.  Our earth shattering decision is made – pizza.  This turns out to be not the best but it stops our grumbling tummies.

Soon we are away with the Banff fairies enjoying a nice quiet night of rest.

Highlight of the day:  Those wonderful mountains!

2009 North to Alaska – Day 14

Vancouver to Salmon Arm – on the road again

Please accept my apologies for not having a ‘Wednesday Mat’.  I suppose the excitement of the cruise and getting back to dry land is to blame, or is it the feeling that I want to stay here, turn the ship around and go back?  Think it may be the latter.

We wake to pretty much the same weather as we had when we left Vancouver except for the rain so that’s a good start.  Our bags have been collected earlier this morning so all we have to do is have a bite of brekky and then prepare for the disembarking onslaught. 

Under the Lions Gate Bridge, still followed by our constant companion we arrive in Vancouver about 6.30am.   I take some last minute snaps and think of the time when we were heading in the other direction.

Breakfast time is relatively quiet – most of the Fakers are busy packing 2 tonne of items – so we can relax a bit before the big day ahead of us. 

Getting back to the cabin we organise ourselves, finalise our account and head off down the hallway for the last time.  Not a lot of people around – the majority of Fakers have packed and are now headed to the trough – so we make the most of it and bid our farewells to the Madam V.

Clearing Customs without a fuss, it’s then off to find our luggage which has been colour coded so that we will find it with the least amount of fuss.  An excellent system as we collect our bags and proceed to our Cruisepark transport bus.  We look at all the people with as many bags as us and quietly smile.  Back at the carpark our car is brought around and we spend some time repacking everything into the boot and back seat.  This is no mean feat let me tell you – and we still have two and a bit weeks to go!

Kylie decides to drive so I am up front with the good old Trip Tik in hand ready with the directions. Our first stop is to be the Capilano Suspension Bridge so it’s back through downtown Vancouver to say goodbye, over the Lions Gate Bridge and we are off.  The clouds are keeping an eye on us but the rain has held off.  We get to the parking area for the bridge – pay the parking fee and proceed to the Admission Gate.  The entrance fee is $30.00 which is fine if you are going to be here for the entire day as it is a rather large park with lots of activities, but as we are not going to be here for very long we decide it is a bit too pricey for an hour or two just to walk over a bridge and take some photos.  There are no short stay discount admissions - so it’s back to the car (we forfeit our parking fee) and the journey continues. 

Travelling along through the Canadian Rockies on Trans-Canada 1 we are overjoyed that the sun has finally decided to come say hello.  I was beginning to think that maybe old sol had decided to head South for a holiday.  After a lengthy drive with me taking lots of movies it is time to stop for petrol at a town called Hope – as in ‘abandon all ye who enter here’.  Unfortunately we miss the turn off and have to take the scenic route which takes us to the short cut via the short cut. Tyler is now driving and Kylie is having a nap in the back seat scrunched up with all the bags and goodies.

The scenery is majestic with the blue skies and the green hills and there is not much traffic on the highway and all that makes for a really good drive.  Around lunchtime Kylie spots a Tim Horton’s sign – coffee is always a good idea so we get something to eat, have coffee now and get some coffee for later.

Back on the road and we pass through ‘an area that has a lot of roadside signs notifying ‘Avalanche Area’ so there must be a lot of snow here during Winter.  We have also ended up behind a dirty big logging truck which is however making good time – and then on the left of the car a goods train of about 3 miles long drives past us heading towards Vancouver. 

Another sign says 80km to Salmon Arm so it looks as if Mr Logs will be our driving companion for the distance, but the scenery makes up for it and after the goods train disappears there is now a really, really, really big lake.   

At 40km to Salmon Arm Mr Logs departs for parts unknown but the lake is still with us.  If you see some markings on the windscreen – they are from a previous encounter with a rock that Kylie had back in St Helens. 

We arrive in Salmon Arm where we are staying at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites.  We have room 506 and on the door along with the room number there is a plaque of a salmon.  Well, what else would it be?  Do you suppose that every room is named after a species of fish? 

We unload the car (and that is no mean feat) and bring everything up to the room so that we can reorganise.  Remember we made only three stops on the boat and we seem to have bought out each and every town.  It didn’t seem that much when we were in the shops.  In keeping with hotel rooms on the Stansbury/Clarke Tour, our view is --- the car park!  At least we are not on the main road so that’s good.

After settling in the best we can and having a bit of a Nana Nap (a habit acquired on the Madam V) we take a small scenic tour of Salmon Arm to find a place for dinner.  Deciding on an establishment called ‘White Spot’ (isn’t that a disease that fish get?) Kylie assures me that they have the best burgers so in we go.  Granted it’s not like the dinners on the cruise but it hits the spot and after finishing the meal we head back to the room.

Time for a bit of channel surfing on the TV and I find NCIS – I love this show – and this becomes the first of many, many episodes we watch if the Ducks are not playing something somewhere.  Incredible how every time you turn on the TV there is NCIS – a bit like I Love Lucy.  I update my journal and then it’s time for lights out – another big day tomorrow. Come to think of it – it will be big days from now on to the end. Oh dear!

Highlight of the day: my first sight of the Canadian Rockies.

2009 North to Alaska – Day 13

Homeward Bound – a day of cruising

A leisurely wake up this morning as today is our last day on the Madam V – a day of cruising and relaxing and stuffing everything we bought into several bags.  The time has just flown by and it seems like it was yesterday that we were all bright eyed and bushy tailed and looking forward to our adventure.

After our Lido brekky, Kylie and Tyler decide to walk around the decks for a bit and I head off in the other direction to take some more happy snaps of the onboard amenities.  This is a photo of the Art Gallery where you can actually purchase the artworks done by artists from around the world.  How gosh is that eh?  Nice to look and pretend that I can actually buy something but unfortunately my credit doesn’t go that high and I still have a long way to travel on the Visa.  Next to this gallery there is a wine tasting area where you can sit and sip, but don’t be fooled you are then be expected to buy.  There are so many amenities on the Madam V.  Three swimming pools, saunas, spas, cooking classes, cinema, shopping galleries – you could spend your way from Vancouver and back and not leave the ship.   

 

 

 

 

Deciding to meet up just before lunch we venture out on the back deck and even though the sun is out there is not much warmth and a breeze makes the chill factor just a bit more chilly!  Entering the Lido for lunch – yep – packed to the rafters. They must realise that the ‘let’s pile the plates with as much as we can’ meals are nearly over – so instead of fighting our way through we go out to the swimming pool area and decide on pizzas and burgers which are just as yummy. 

Oh Captain announced earlier in the cruise that he will be, at the end of the cruise, signing copies of the Alaskan Cruise Handbook which we can buy for only $20.00.  So of course as we are avid readers we get copies. Over lunch, Kylie tells us that she will be having a few words with Oh Captain about the ‘Case of the Disappearing Whales’.  Tyler and I pretend not to hear and after devouring our lunch we are found once again standing at the railing with eyes peeled for anything that moves.  All of a sudden a school of dolphins start to frolic in the wake of the boat.  Unfortunately I have video but no stills – and then a spout of water – a glimpse of a tail – and that’s it.  At least we saw something that moved beside this BC ferry!

We head on back to the cabin to sort out clothes – K&T decide to do some laundry and I sit on the verandah in the ever hopeful chance that Moby will say hello, but no such luck.

Kylie has not returned and as the book signing is at 2pm I grab both copies and head on up to the signing area.  Fakers have beaten a path leaving a trail of devastation but not to be undaunted I refuse to be intimidated and stand my ground.

Oh Captain – Peter Bos - resplendent in his uniform talks a little about the cruise and then proceeds to sign the books.  Of course the Fakers want to know the ins and outs of a duck’s bum but he smiles ever so politely. How does the man do it?  K&T have arrived and we patiently wait our turn.  Getting to the head of the line – these people will not move under any circumstances so that you can take a photo – but they expect you to move for them – I do the best I can to get Oh Distinguished Captain in the frame and he asks us if we have enjoyed the cruise, we give Kylie the ‘not a word’ look and politely say yes it was great thank you – it is a beautiful ship and it is nice to be able to put a face to the voice.  After the book signing he passes our books to members of the crew who highlight our passage over the last week.  Yep the Fakers want an in depth explanation of every little bay we visited – as if they will remember in 10 minutes time. Highly unlikely!  We get our books marked and once again the Fakers circle Oh Captain and crew.

We go back to the cabin and rest for while, not that we have done anything energetic but encounters with the Fakers always leave us drained.  It is getting on in time and tonight we are dining at The Pinnacle Grill.  Holland America says ‘this intimate reservations-only venue offers an elegant, sophisticated dining experience. Featuring premium Sterling Silver beef, inspired seafood dishes and many select wines rated "Excellent" by Wine Spectator - as well as distinctive Bvlgari® china, Riedel® stemware and Frette® linens’.   

 

 

 

 

The food of course is included with the cruise payment but to dine amongst fine china, stemware and linens – like everything worth having there is a price – US 20.00 per person booking fee.  Seems such a little amount to pay for such elegant surroundings.  Time to don our best clobber and head off. There are no Fakers here – most probably put off by the booking fee.  We are welcomed by the Maitre d’ who escorts us to our table – see photo above.  After being seated in a most elegant manner I soak up the atmosphere and actually delight in having the linen serviette snapped open and placed in my lap.  We are now ready to indulge. 

Along comes our Beverage Waiter who professionally disperses the Beverage List.  As K&T do not drink white wine I choose to have a glass (not a bottle) of Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc (bottled in New Zealand).  At US14.00 per glass, or I should say half glass, this is not going to be my usual winefest.  Our next table attendant is the Food Waiter who brings a full trolley displaying the different cuts of meat that is available to us.  He explains each cut and how it is cooked etc and then leaves us drooling while we decide on what to eat.  I choose an Entree of Lobster Bisque – simply delicious; Ocean and Land (commonly known to us as Surf’n’Turf), large piece of rump steak with three of those humungous prawns and assorted veggies and as if I haven’t eaten enough – dessert is a trio of Creme Brulee.   Served in a long white dish with three separate compartments, each tiny compartment contains a different flavoured Brulee - Coffee, Chocolate and Vanilla.  Simply displayed – and definitely not the way to finish  a magnificent meal.  This is then accompanied by coffee and after dinner mints.  Altogether oh so elegant but oh so stuffed!  We sit for a while just languishing in these surrounds and when it is time to leave we thank the staff for their wonderful service with the customary tip and decide to have a little walk around to get our dinner settled.  We have to put our bags outside the cabin before bed so that they can be collected at 4am, so we waddle on back to our cabin for a relatively early night as we are due to dock in Vancouver somewhere around 7am in the morning.

Tomorrow sees us begin the land leg of our holiday – I can hardly wait, although on the other hand I am sad to be leaving the Madam V and the relaxing sea-going nights.  To pay homage to our journey we order tea and sit on the verandah for the last time,  thinking back over the past seven days as we cut through the water – the end of one adventure and the beginning of another.

Highlight of the day:  Dressing up and being elegant in the Pinnacle Grill.

2009 North to Alaska – Day 12

Ketchikan – boats and bald eagles

Today is our last land visit on this cruise – the town of Ketchikan.  I am up early so decide to go for a wander around the ship and take some more photos on onboard life. It is great to walk around so early – you can take your time and take photos without people aimlessly wandering in front of you.  It is also nice to experience some quiet down time.  Heading upstairs through the tennis court and past the funnel, my destination is the top of the ship and the Crow’s Nest. 

What fabulous views you get from this oh so comfortable lounge.  As it is early there are no Fakers taking all the chairs like they normally do.  It is so wonderfully quiet just to sit and watch the Inland Passage drift by without a worry in the world. 

This lounge is also a bar and entertainment area by night where they have a live band and on some nights Karaoke.  That would have been great fun.  There are lots of things to do on the ship that’s for sure.  The clouds and mist are still with us but that only adds to the drama of the landscapes.  I see some fishing boats that must have been up extremely early and hope that they were successful in their endeavours. 

Heading towards Ketchikan there are signs of human habitat on the sides of the mountains.  Some photos even though the clouds are really, really low.  The waterway in front of me is breathtaking and there are lots of sea birds out looking for a fish breakfast.  That is as much native wildlife as I see but that’s OK. 

Deciding that I better go back to the cabin and get ready for breakfast as the ship is supposed to dock at 10am, Kylie and Tyler are up and ready to face the Fakers.  We head on up to The Lido and over breakfast discuss what we want to do in port.  We all want to see wildlife and lots of it, though with only one day here it is hard to decide.  We do not have any tours booked or particular sights to see – we are going to play it by ear and see what the day brings.  Sounds like a good plan. 

Oh Captain announces that we are approaching Ketchikan and we will be here until 6pm. After his promises of whales etc we wonder if this announcement is correct.  After our lovely meal we go back to the cabin to organise our belongings for the day and then sit on the verandah and look at the outskirts of the town.  This photo is of a timber mill – we also watch the ship dock.  This itself is a feat – so at least Oh Captain redeems himself a little.  We cannot see the town from our cabin, however we can see the harbour with the boats and the sea planes.  Oh Captain tells us that we can now disembark.  Lucky for us the sun has finally decided to honour us with some rays so waiting until the rush is finished we head on out to the hallways and gangway and arrive on the dock to a chorus of people promoting their tours and sights.  One lady has a newborn baby in a sling – she also has no teeth – and offers us a Rainforest Wildlife tour.  No thanks – no more mushrooms and moss for us.  There is a Visitor Centre which is a long building with stalls inside so we wander around deciding which one shall be honoured with our hard earned cash.  We decide on Ketchikan Outdoor Tours.  This is a small family operated company that is just starting out.  We drive our own inflatable boat around following the guide for about 3 hours.  It is not a cheap excursion but sounds like good fun and anyway more frequent flyer points for me – so we make a booking and have about 2 hours to kill before we head off.  There are three ships in port - the Norwegian Star, Diamond Princess and our Madam V.  So of course there are loads of tourists all pushing and shoving to get to the shops for those great bargains or freebies. 

We decide to cross the street to visit the outdoor market area.  There are many hand made crafts for sale including some paintings of spirits and whales done by native Americans.  Always good to have something original so out comes the money again.

In this market there is also an exhibition of native birds which includes the most majestic of all – the American Bald Eagle.  All these birds come from a sanctuary and the handler tells us all about the birds and how Thor was rescued while hanging upside down in a trap.  They are not sure if he can ever be released back into the wild as he severely damaged his talons but they are hopeful there will be a good outcome.  The people who operate these sanctuaries are fabulous.  All those birds that cannot be released are used for informative lectures and displays in the hope that maybe one day us humans will wake up to ourselves and start looking after them.   Another point in the handlers favour is that he is wearing a Deadliest Catch t-shirt.  I love this show!  Crabbing in all kinds of weather on the Bering Sea and how those men put their lives on the line day after day is beyond me and my thoughts of physical endurance. I get exhausted just watching from the safety of my lounge!  But I digress!

Time to move our thoughts to souvenirs and shopping but we remember we still have the inflatable boats to go so we cannot really buy anything.  Nevermind we will look and purchase later.  We walk up along the dock to where we have to meet our guide and I spy one of the Deadliest Catch boats – the Aleutian Ballad. Now that would be a good excursion in calm, sunny weather.  Still with time to spare we decide on coffee.  Coffee anytime of the day is a good idea – but now would be great.  We find a little shop – not very busy but the lady has now got two orders to figure out and she is not having much luck.  Seems to take forever to get the coffee but it is a nice day so who cares.  The shop also has for sale a deck of playing cards with fish on them so I get those for Mitchell. 

Reaching our Tour Company we are given a warm welcome along with warm woolly socks, gumboots, waterproof jacket and trousers, jacket and gloves.  We are then asked to watch the safety video and while this is happening we are introduced to our guide Pat.  He will be in one boat and the three of us in another. Sounds like fun.  We get all our gear on and I feel like a really big orange Michelin Man.  I can hardly walk. Kylie and Tyler have bright yellow gear and then comes the cruncher.  We have to walk along the street in this gear to where the boats are moored.  Oh well, if we provide a good chuckle for everybody then that’s OK. 

We have decided that Kylie will be the designated driver so we pile in and set off until Pat decides that we are really not travelling all that well and this is due to the seating arrangements.  At the moment Kylie is driving with Tyler beside her and I am up front.  Pat decides that we should change around.  Tyler is now up the front and I am beside Kylie – all this is done on the water in an inflatable boat!  None of us manage to fall in so off we go again.

Pat is really great.  The sea is smooth, the sun is shining and every now and again Pat stops his boat for us to catch up and then he tells us about the area.  He takes us into little nooks and crannies that we would never have visited by ourselves.

Whilst motoring along Pat comes back to us and tells us to turn off the engine as he has spotted some porpoise.  We get a glimpse of a mother and calf enjoying the sun but all too soon they are gone and we don’t get to see them again.  We then journey on over to Gravina Island where we hope to see some Bald Eagles.  As we look up we see the distinctive outline of said Eagle soaring on the air currents above us.    The cameras have been given a miss because by the time you get them out and focus the wildlife has gone and you’ve missed enjoying it in real life.

We start our engines and head out towards a rocky outcrop where we spot lots of movement.  There is a huge amount of seals and a sea lion on the prowl which excites Pat as he has not seen a sea lion before.  It is great to see the sea lion and when he is swimming around all the seals get out of the water and onto the rocks.  Apparently seals are one of Mr Sea Lion’s favourite meals.  Personally, I will stay with the salmon, and of course Ketchikan is the Salmon Capital of the world.  We stay here for quite some time just enjoying nature until it is finally time to depart.  We say goodbye to our new found friends and hope they don’t end up on the dinner plate!

Pat then heads us back into town and on the way we see another bald eagle and some Native American Totem Poles.  Even though we have not seen any whales or bears it has been a great trip and I can thoroughly recommend it to anyone who just wants to be one with nature.

We arrive back into town and head on to the Creek Street Marina which is the oldest part of town.  Creek Street is an enchanting boardwalk that sits on wooden stilts above the Ketchikan creek.  The purpose of its buildings, meanwhile, lends it its notoriety, as this used to be the city’s red-light area. Today its brothels have been replaced with boutiques and restaurants, transforming a once-seedy wooden street into the town’s foremost tourist attraction.  Well, that sounds nice until we actually get into the little marina and notice a really bad odour and then we discover the source.  It is salmon spawning season and once the males and females have spawned they die. Obviously they have chosen the marina to bid their final farewells. There are still some salmon jumping merrily about oblivious to their fate but there are loads of salmon carcasses floating around and bumping into our boat.  It is not a pretty picture but that’s nature for you.  You gotta take the good with the bad.  I manage a photo of the marina but am loathe to use the dead salmon for a Kodak moment.  Pat realises that the stench is getting a bit overpowering so we head out of the Marina and back to the dock. 

On the final leg of our journey and in our eagerness to get away from the floating salmon we motor past the front of one of the cruise boats.  Unfortunately for Kylie this cruise boat has decided to leave port and we are in the way so Kylie revs the engine and we are out of the way.  Our Madam Volendam is still at the dock resplendent in the sunshine and I just cannot resist a happy snap.

Arriving back at the dock we are greeted by another Tour employee who ties up the boat and helps us out.  Unfortunately Tyler decides to get up close and personal with the dock, or maybe he was just glad to get back and decided to kiss it.  Unfortunately it was over before we realised what had happened and we didn’t get a photo. We ask him to do it again but he just huffs at us.

We walk back to the Tour Company to get changed and we give Pat a well deserved tip along with our thanks for the great afternoon. We also tell them that we will have no trouble recommending this company.

We still have to do our shopping so we visit loads of shops – there is even a store that has an entire section dedicated to loads of Christmas goodies and who can resist?  Not this group of black ducks.

It is late afternoon and we are feeling peckish so we decide to have seafood on the dock.  There are lots of little cafes and vans all plying their trade so we decide on some freshly cooked fish, giant shrimp (prawns) and chips from one of the vans and sit on one of the benches.  This bench is right beside the Madam V.  What a great place and what great food.  The prawns are huge – and so delicious.  As we sit and eat we watch the people trundle along all laden down with their bags – just like the ones we saw at Vancouver when we boarded. We have shopped as much as those passengers we saw then.  Funny how things turn out.

We head on back to the ship to unload our goodies and take stock of the day.  We have had a great time – and we only have one more day to go before we dock in Vancouver.  Tomorrow is a full day of sailing and relaxing so for the second last time we order ‘Balcony Tea’ and sit in the still night air listening to the water lap the sides of the boat as we glide back home. 

Highlight of the day: Our Ketchikan boat tour

2009 North to Alaska – Day 11

Glacier Bay – we were sailing along - - -

As you can see today is Sunday – and it’s the big day for us!  Today we cruise into Glacier Bay and see those majestic frozen waterways of the Alaskan Inside Passage.  Unfortunately the weather has not improved – fog and misty rain every now and again but we will not be deterred from having a great time!

Another great night’s sleep and we are ready to take on the world – yes, even the Fakers.  Breakfast time sees Kylie and me arrive at the Lido (Tyler is still asleep) and behold what can only be described as a Faker swarm!  They are in such a flap deciding what to do first. Do we eat quickly in the restaurant and risk indigestion – do we just throw food into our bags so that we can go and reserve our viewing areas and get ready for the glaciers so that no one else can get a look?  The  restaurant wins out so the swarm continues.  We think let them do what they want as we are lucky enough to have a verandah where we can sit undisturbed by these creatures and even get room service to deliver some tea if we wish!  We pile our plates with brekky and head back to the cabin.

After we have finished our breakfast we go for a short stroll, not like all the Fakers who have now stampeded to the Promenade deck to get the best views.  Honestly every part on this ship has a great view (unless you are stuck in an inside cabin) so it beats me to think why they endanger life and limb racing everywhere.  Back on our verandah we see the rugged shorelines that have been fashioned over millions of years.  Sparse vegetation on some parts and lots of trees on others. 

As Kylie says in her blog, when we booked this cabin we put a lot of pondering into just where we should be.  We changed our minds 3 times and now we have a great cabin on the the Navigation Deck –  about 3 quarters from the front and on the starboard (right) side.  Yep, we made a good choice.  A great viewing platform to see glaciers and maybe if we are lucky enough we will see wildlife although we are not holding our breath.

Oh Captain advised us yesterday that for today’s journey we would be joined by Park Rangers who will explain what we are seeing etc. so we are looking forward to that. This morning he also told us that for those of us with a verandah we could sit outside and listen to the commentary on either the PA system or the TV.  How good is that?  Read on! 

We get ourselves ready on the verandah, cameras in hand and wait for the commentary.  Nothing but a loud buzz over the PA and the same on the TV.  The mandatory phone call to the desk is made and we are told that they are working on the problem. Yeah right. However, the speaker system on the decks is working fine – yep, where all the Fakers are – so off we go mumbling phrases about paying this ******* money for our own private ******* verandah and when we should be able to use it – the sound system is useless.  Unfortunately for us we want to know what the Rangers are saying so off we trundle to the deck where we are lucky enough to find a quiet spot. 

We make sure our cameras are set and then we realise how cold it is. Jackets, hats, scarves and gloves and I am still cold. The whaleless early morning was bitter but today is worse.  Kylie goes back to the cabin to get the quilts that she had made for this cruise.  They are very much ‘Alaskan’ themed and after taking up residence on the deck chairs snuggling under the quilts, that is when the Fakers decide to walk back and forward in front of K&T and really piss them off.  These thoughtless people are oblivious to everything except their own needs although a few stop and ask about the quilts.  Tyler happily explains the whys and wherefores and Kylie is really quite proud when they tell her how lovely they are.

Now it is time for the Glaciers – Miss Ranger tells us that the first one will be appearing on the port side (where we are) and before long we are swamped by all the people on the other side of the boat so Kylie and Tyler jump up to get to the railing so that they will get a good view.  Now – I cannot remember what order these glaciers appeared, I have been trying to remember and compare the photos and the video so you will have to forgive me if I get the order wrong. This was definitely not a time to be taking notes - so away we go - -

The first glacier comes into view and I am astounded by the colour of the ice.  I always thought ice was white but here it is every shade from light blue to black to white.  Isn’t this incredible?  It is getting colder can you believe it?   This is is Reid Glacier (I think) an 11-mile-long (18 km) glacier. It trends north to Reid Inlet, two miles (3 km) south of Glacier Bay and 72 miles (116 km) northwest of Hoonah. It was named by members of the Harriman Alaska Expedition for Harry Fielding Reid. Many, many photos are taken and I am astounded at the actual height of these things.  Unfortunately the glacier does not calve while we have cameras poised but we are ever hopeful that we will see calving somewhere along the line today.  

After staying here for quite some time it is now time to move on to the next glacier – so until we arrive we decide to go for a walk around the deck, mainly to get the blood flowing.  Our next stop is the Johns Hopkins Glacier – yes it definitely is the JH.  When we get to the front of the glacier Oh Captain brings the boat to a stop and then we do about 4 really slow clockwise circles so that everyone no matter where they are can get some great views and photos.  That is a wonderful idea as it stops the Fakers from running through the centre of the boat from one side to the other endangering life and limb of not only themselves but whoever gets in their way!.

Johns Hopkins Glacier is a 12-mile (19 km) long glacier. It begins on the east slopes of Lituya Mountain and Mount Salisbury and trends east to the head of Johns Hopkins Inlet 1 mile (1.6 km) southwest of the terminus of Clark Glacier and 79 miles (127 km) northwest of Hoonah. It was named after Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore Maryland in 1893 by H.F. Reid.

In the photo above on the left side there is a white splotch.  I think it looks like a group of ghosts trying to frighten us.  While we are here it starts to rain slightly but not one person leaves their position.  I think we are all mesmerised by these wonders of nature and we do not want to miss a minute of anything. That is the plan until Miss Ranger mentions something that can be seen on the other side of the boat and we all take off and when something is mentioned back on the other side we race back over to where we were in the first place.  This happens quite a lot and come to think of it we could be Fakers in Training.

When we leave Johns Hopkins we see many glaciers all over this place – some maybe small – but they are still incredible.  As usual, I don’t know their names but it doesn’t matter as the photos do them justice.  This is one that is another jaw dropping experience. I will definitely have to return just to sort out the names – anyway that’s a good enough excuse.

Off we go to our next glacier – Margerie and the Grand Pacific all the while keeping a lookout for anything that moves that is not on the ship.  During one of these eye movement exercises a gentleman beside us with a pair of binoculars that you could use to see every star in the sky informs us that there is a bear on the side of the mountain.   Well, great excitement but we cannot see it.  Looking, looking, looking - it is not until we are nearly past the blessed thing that we find it and can point our cameras and hope for the best.  Unfortunately as you can see my best was just not good enough but at least you can make out the shape to tell it’s a bear. Still excited.

Next port of interest is Margerie Glacier.  This glacier is about 1 mile wide, with an ice face that is about 250 feet high above the waterline, but with its base about 100 feet below sea level. The glacier is about 21 miles long and extends into snow-fields in the Fairweather Range where elevations exceed 9000 feet.

Margerie Glacier was once joined with the Grand Pacific but they have since become separated once again.  You can read all about these glaciers on the link at the start of today’s ramblings.  It really is interesting to know the details, it really is.  As we are standing in front of the Margerie we are told by Miss Ranger that this glacier experiences the most frequent calving and we are to listen out for loud cracking noises (once again) as that means the ice is about to calve.  This time we are lucky enough to see some of it – happens too fast for photos or film as once you realise where it is – it is over and all you have is some ice bobbing along on the surface.  Lucky for us it is not of ‘Titanic’ proportions but then again we know where our lifeboat is!   Photo on the right is the Grand Pacific Glacier.  Now I hear you say what a dirty, grubby looking thing that is.  Well, this glacier has seen a lot of action travelling through the mountains and getting to where it is and the dark bits are the rocks, dirt etc that it has collected on its journey. 

Oh Captain announces that the Rangers will be leaving us soon and if we want to wave goodbye they will be on the port side, but before doing so they come around and chat with the passengers.  We mention to Miss Ranger that we are disappointed the weather was not the best but she brightens our day by saying that this is the best weather to view the glaciers.   Even in the mist and rain we can get a real idea of their size and character and the crevasses as the mists weave through them, whereas with startling blue sky you just have a silhouette and shiny bright ice.  What a lovely lady – I am feeling better already.  We thank her for an enjoyable and very informative day and they are soon aboard their Ranger boat and as we wave goodbye they head for home.  What a great job – doing this every day during the season and being paid for it!

We stay on deck for a while where we pass misty inlets and are ever vigilant for signs of wildlife but soon realise that we have not had any lunch so off we go in search of food.  Unfortunately the Fakers have the same idea – so once again the food is piled onto plates and we return to our cabin.  After devouring lunch we go back on deck and are excited to see a colony of sea lions on the rocks but our main objective is still scanning the waterways for sign of whales. Oh Captain announces that there will be huge kelp beds coming up on the port side and this is where we should see lots of sea otters.  Well, yep you guessed it. They have all decided to hide.  Finally a spurt of water and we finally get a glimpse of a whale which lasts for about 5 seconds – and then it’s gone.  More seals splashing around, another spurt of water and then the mother load – a whale breaching – I am just about to press the button on the movie camera but am knocked out of the way by a Faker who grabs my arm and screams in my ear with the most rasping accent ‘did you see it?’  No words can say how I feel except maybe – no better not!  If looks could kill and it is at that time she thinks better of it and moves away.  Unfortunately Moby does not do a repeat performance but I get to film it swimming along on the surface so that’s good.  It’s hard to swap between cameras just in cast I miss something – so what I get on film I don’t get on the still and vice versa. 

It has been a long day, so we order our usual ‘Balcony tea’ and then we look at our photos.  What a great day this has been – seeing the glaciers on NatGeo just doesn’t do them justice. You have got to get off that lounge and up here to fully appreciate what nature does.

As we were admiring the many glaciers, and there were quite a few, one of the Holland America photographers walked around taking happy snaps so – here it is - - not the best background eh?  With all the bloody big glaciers we saw today we are the unlucky ones to get just a smidgin of one in our photo.  Obviously this photographer hasn’t got a clue on background composition.  Maybe I should apply to HA to become their photographer. 

The sun sets on our little patch of earth and all is well with the world. 

Highlight of the day : those breathtaking glaciers of course!