South to Alaska
Thursday, July 8 |
| Now this assignment requires a map. It is actually possible to go South to Alaska, from Canada, if you are just north of the panhandle. This morning we took the narrow gauge train up over White Pass into Canada from the town of Skagway, an original embarkation point for the Alaskan gold rush. It was pouring rain then, but the misty valley was still beautiful and now, once again, we have sunshine even in this largest temperate "rainforest" in the western hemisphere. |
| From Canada we headed back by bus to Skagway so that we could stop at an old mining camp for some entertainment and refreshment. Everyone was given the opportunity to pan for gold (in prepared pans, so there was a little gold in each). They did explain why panning works -- that gold has a heavier mass that stones, so it falls to the bottom and that's why it doesn't float away when you shake out the stones. Well, it's true, it worked even with the minuscule flecks of gold which we were collecting. I don't think it's quite enough to retire on... |
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| The bus driver recited poetry (Robert Service) to a rather sleepy and uninspired audience, but it was better than the jokes he told -- we have heard the same jokes from other drivers. Is Alaska that limiting a subject? |
| Last night was "Italian Night" at dinner. The waiters all wore vests of red, green and white stripes, and after dinner, the 87 waiters from 34 countries (only one of whom was Italian) offered their rendition of "O solo mio." Clearly everyone is trying to get the attention of the cruising public for that all important tip. |
| I was going to add to this today in Ketchikan, where the Internet rates are cheaper, but it was such a beautiful day, one could not be inside for a moment. More Friday. |
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the road is when it is covered with snow. |
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