|
Friday, July 6 |
|
|
| We are on the last day of our land experience and about to set out for a week at sea. Well, that's not quite true; we will sleep seven nights on board, but we will be on shore four different days -- Skagway, Sitka, Juno and Ketchikan. Yesterday we checked out of our hotel at 6 am (ouch) to catch the only train to Seward. One would think that a tourist industry might come up with more hospitable hours, but they try to make this a "day trip" for Anchorage tourists, so we arrived in Seward before eleven, giving day trippers six hours to check out Kenai National Park and then head back to town. It was raining the whole way down, but we still had good view, including a baby black bear romping across a snowfield not far from the train. Where was mother, you ask, no we didn't see her, but safely aboard the train, we didn't need to worry. There was also a moose, but I was napping at the time and missed it. |
|
|
| Everyone reassured us about how good the rain was -- Kenai has been suffering from forest fires, and highly criticized because they were the result of a "controlled burn" similar to those fires in Yellowstone a few years ago. Seward is a small town, but because of its location as a great port, it is one of the oldest towns settled -- at one point by the Russians and later by the Americans. Of course the natives have always used it, too, but from their small kayaks, they can head out from any inlet and don't need to put a priority on deep water for large vessels. This morning when we woke up our ship was in port. It does seem quite out of scale with this little fishing village, but I am looking forward to it nevertheless. |
|
|
| This morning we had breakfast in what was distinctly a local dive. How can you tell? Well it's not just the plaid flannel shirts, although that's a clue (the tourists all wear fleece) but it's the smoking. Four people were sitting at the counter, all smoking up a storm while the waitress explained nonchalantly to the new arrivals that non smoking was on the right and smoking on the left. Oh well, just a technicality. |
|
|
| We made friends with a (South Asian) Indian family yesterday. They will be on their boat, but some of their luggage got lost on the way here from Atlanta. I guess that's the fear of anyone going on a cruise, but luckily, after some perseverance, it got flown down to Seward early this morning, so they are all set. |
|
|
| An article in the local newspaper describes how the local native population want the Kenai peninsula certified as a "rural" area so that they can get certain types of hunting and fishing rights (fishing with nets). The problem is that with a population of 30,000 it is well over the limit of 7,000 allowed for such a rural area. The argument is that the natives go to the supermarket anyway. Well, they go to the supermarket for Cocoa Puffs, but not for salmon. Should they have to buy their salmon? Yesterday "Lucky" the man who drives the little trolley around town, told us where to find a stream to watch salmon spawning. We headed out there, but found none. I had the feeling we had been sent on a snipe hunt. |
|
|
| Last night on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" -- yes we get local TV up here -- there was a question about what animal family a gnu is from. I, who had seen gnus up close and personal in South Africa last summer, and who can sing the Flanders and Swan Gnu song, didn't know the answer, and felt foolish when 70% of the audience did. Well, I guess that proves that you don't learn everything from traveling. |
|
|
| We are going up to the local history museum now, so I'll pay close attention, just in case anyone needs me as a phone-a-friend. |
|
|
| Meanwhile, thanks to all who have e-mailed back, and yes, I guess it was a Freudian slip if I spelled the native American center naivetÈ... |
