Cruising Part 5

Maybe I need a better title for each of these posts. I didn't expect there to be so many! Anyhow, the evening promised an aurora borealis and I was fooled by the rainbow over the bay. False alarm. Seeing the real one meant getting up in the night and while I was all for that, the clouds closed in and we missed this chance. We were up very early to get a good place to view the Hubbard Glacier. Some from the ship went in a much smaller boat to get up very close. As I've been up close to glaciers before, even climbed up one, I preferred to stay on board where it was slightly warmer. About as warm as standing in front of an open freezer door.  

Have I mentioned anywhere yet about my packing gaff? I travel light, carry on light, even for a two week adventure. I had looked at the weather, great it's summer; Vancouver  looks hot, Alaska not too cold; and packed my bikinis in preference to my warm coat. Rookie mistake, at least I did pack my light rain coat and had layers and a warm pashmina so made do. It was just a bit chillier in these parts than I'd imagined, even in summer.  

I waited patiently up top at a window opening to the glacier side of the ship with my big camera and long lens. What a lovely journey up Disenchantment Bay. The mist was low on the hills, mountains peeking out up higher and small ice burgs rocking in the ships wake. The best thing was the crew and their wonderful hot chocolate, topping up mine when needed with a smile. I even had an a salaam alikom from the photographer, assuming the pashmina around my head in lieu of a hat was a hijab. We had a lovely chat, he had some great travel stories, and he offered to take my photo - no thanks the selfie I took will never see the light of day!

It was amazing seeing this massive glacier, seeing the ice right up the valley and the bright spots where it has calved. The results in the water as large blocks of ice. No amount of description here can do this place justice so I'll leave it to the pics. Some are from my phone with a couple from my Canon. We sailed away once the excursion boat was back and headed for our final stop overnight to Seward. 

The sky was once again amazing from the front of the ship, the sun still up until very late and a half light from there. The whales were out to play and we watched them from the warmth with cocktails in hand, the late sun lighting up the bar. 

Hubbard Glacier

The excursion boat heading off

Late night sky

Cruising Part 4

Drinks packages are dangerous. Or rather drinking your drinks package each day is! At least the place with good coffee was included. The evening entertainment was great. The dancers and acrobats and singers working hard to please the large crowds with bar staff bringing drinks when tops ups were needed. The Skyline lounge at the front of the ship was where much of the entertainment happened, well the entertainment involving the crowd. Like the very annoying quiz, that from me who loves a good bit of pub trivia. 

One of our group is a singer. Bonnie is quite amazing, very talented and confident. Certainly better than some of the talent on display and much better than any others at karaoke, not something I took part in because I know for a 100% certainty, and have done my whole life - I can't sing! Just wish others understood that about themselves, although good on them for having a go and some were really good. Like the young man who wooed the crowd and had a serious conversation with the cruise director. 

It was hard on the ship to find a quiet out of the way spot and I tried many. Outside on the deck chairs when it was really cold worked and, if one could be nabbed, in the big yellow winged chairs near the café. Not quiet given it's a café but turning the chair meant an ocean view. Wonderful reading my book while on the look out for wildlife. I saw a couple of Orca from there as well as the usual seals, dolphins and humpbacks. Such a treat. Others wanting the other chair in the pair joined me, also intent on a book and sea watching. 

Skagway was our next stop and the White Pass and Yukon Route by train. Jane is the very best organizer. She chose and booked all the shore excursions and they were the very best. Bears, eagles, whales, rugged countryside, salmon to eat and alive, and trains. I love trains. I've always hankered for a model railway and ride on trains as a preference when needing transport. The White Pass train was an old one, refurbished carriages pulled by an appropriately sized engine. We needed our passports as we were heading back into Canada, a formality as an official came through the carriage and checked. Thankfully it didn't take too long as I needed the loo. Having a wee in Alaska in the morning and the next one in Canada a few hours later. Didn't think that would be a thing lol!

The train wended up the very steep and unforgiving track alongside the Skagway River, a trail used by men to access thee Klondike gold fields back in 1896-7 when gold was found. The treacherous trail of over 500 miles took the lives of many unprepared miners and sadly their pack animals. It's estimated 3000 horses died  on the White Pass trail due to both the tortures of the trail and the inexperience of the stampeders, as the prospectors were called. Horrific stories of hardship, starvation and deprivation all in the pursuit of gold. To read more here's the National Parks Service site. 

The view out the windows was stark and the unforgiving landscape made me wonder at the madness caused by the cry of 'there's gold in them there hills'! I've been told I'm a bit of a risk taker but there's no way I'd brave the terrain, the weather, the bears and the madness of others on such a trek. I guess the hopeless poverty of the day played a part, a chance for a family to break the chains. Interesting thinking about the USA and how it is such a high pressure society with wealth and making wealth deciding factors in people's futures intergenerationally.  

But I digress. Seems to happen when I start a post one day then pick it up the next. Where was I?

I've looked through the pics and although they don't really do the journey justice, some are below. As well as one of the yellow chair, just the perfect spot for coffee and a book. We left Skagway in a misty drizzle watching the helicopters take off showing the tourists the rugged country by air. The next highlight was Disenchantment Bay and the Hubbard Glacier.

Glacial river carving through the land

Into the tunnel we go!