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Alaska
2023
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I get up and out
early to enjoy a little quiet solitude out on the deck. |
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We pass
by many little nameless villages and I wonder how they get supplies and
stuff to live on during the harsh winters up here. |
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But my stomach telegraphs me
that it is breakfast time so I make my way into the main restaurant for
another excellent meal. Marcella is my sweet server this morning and I
tell her -
"I see you everywhere
doing all sorts of stuff. Do you ever get any rest?"
She just laughs and explains
that she likes to stay busy. She takes my order for my grub and quickly
brings me ...
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a great hot chocolate
- with chocolate syrup on top! I order my usual omelet, taters and toast
and it is excellent as usual. The thing that impresses me about the food
service onboard the ferry is that it is very good and very reasonably priced.
Even the snack machines are the same way - only $1 for a canned soft drink
or a snack of any sort. |
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After my great breakfast,
I go back outside to enjoy some more of the lovely views. We now are passing
a hundred isolated islands laying there in brooding silence. |
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The clouds seem
to be pressing down on the mountains to force them into the water, but it
is an errand of futility if that is the case. |
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The variations in
the width of the inland passage are pretty amazing as sometimes you could
almost jump to shore from the deck of the ferry and sometimes you couldn't
even begin to swim to the shore. |
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Soon we are approaching
the harbor of Ketchikan, which also happens to be a cruise ship port. |
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When we get close
in, we see these strange orange ribbons floating in the water. I have to
assume that they are some type of algae blooms but the color is quite striking. |
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The town of Ketchikan is another
one of those towns that you can only reach by air or by water.
Ketchikan
Creek served as a summer fish camp for Tlingit natives for untold years
before the town was established by Mike Martin in 1885. He was sent to
the area by an Oregon canning company to assess prospects. He established
the saltery Clark & Martin and a general store with Nova Scotia native
George Clark, who had been foreman at a cannery that burned down. Ketchikan
became known as "Alaska's first city" due to its strategic position
at the southern tip of the Inside Passage, connecting the Gulf of Alaska
to Puget Sound.
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Once
I again I decide to stay on board and take a look around from the deck.
I spot the Matanuska - which is the ferry that originally ran this route.
It's in dock for a some serious repairs and they keep finding other issues
with it as they proceed with the work. |
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After a while, we
are off again leaving Ketchikan disappearing in the distance. |
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I see this isolated
cabin as we move along and I have to assume it is a fishing cabin for someone
since there appears to be no roads in or out. |
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And once again we
pass a commercial fishing trawler making its way back into its home port. |
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Since I have plenty of time,
I engage with several different people onboard as I am always interested
the stories others have to share. I meet a young lady that has just graduated
with a degree in environmental sciences. She tells me
"The problem is that they
don't want to hire you if you don't already have experience."
I tell her that it is the same
way in information systems and most other professions. My counsel to her
is to try to find a job as an intern or something even though it may not
pay very much and not be very pleasant. If she can tough it out for a
year, then she's got a year's experience and that should open the door
for her.
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I run into Deb,
another dear lady that is riding up here by herself on her BMW. She is a
biologist so I quiz her a bit to learn what I can about her experiences
and occupation. She was supposed to get on the ferry at Skagway but it did
not go there due to its late arrival in Haines. They did put her on another
ferry and she caught up with us at Juneau. |
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It's been an interesting
and relaxing day that I have really enjoyed. Talking to people helps to
divert my mind from focusing on my physical afflictions. Soon it's time
for supper and I head for the main restaurant. Their special tonight is
ribs and a baked tater and boy are they ever good. |
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And I see no reason
not to partake of just a tad bit of sweetening to cap off such a really
good meal. |
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As I wander back
out on deck after supper, I see that the sun is sinking low and so am I.
The pain is getting easier to manage but it still takes its toll on me. |
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So I make my way
back to my cabin and do my 'try to get into bed' drill without hurting myself.
I succeed and before long I am sinking into the horizon of the world of
sleep. |
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