No rush to get up this morning but Noel overnight was uploading photos to our SmugMug Photo Album requiring two times getting up to add more to the list but the whole process was so painfully slow. We went down for breakfast and Noel had his Weetabix which Jennifer had found in the local Safeway Supermarket at £7.00 a box of 24 so a little on the expensive side. So following breakfast Noel continued doing the photos until 11.00 when we had to check out of our room but not the Hotel.
In the downstairs lounge we set up the computer and Jennifer went off to but some sandwiches for lunch as we understood we could board after 15.00 and so shortly before this time we caught a taxi to the Port and it seemed like we were only people boarding and as it tuned out most of the guest were coming down by train from Anchorage and would arrive 17.00 allowing a 19.00 push back. However this is an Italian managed and run ship and timing is not what they are good at, its more of an indication than an actual time me thinks, as the instruction in the room say the muster is at 18.00 and don't bring you life vest and yet the announcement says bring your life vest?. Interesting as well the daily journal was saying the ship was going back to Vancouver whilst listing all the ports to Japan, confusing perhaps but so Italian.
We had been watching various web sites where Silversea were pushing for the last minute cabins to sell and included a $1000.00 on board spend FOC which we di not have when we booked but in the cabin was a note to say that were are entitles to this cash back bonus and so Jennifer is now planning all the facials, nails etc in the Spa. Anyway they called the muster at 18.20 and we are on deck 5 but where we go outside to the walkway and were heading for the muster point a voice shouted at saying hey you guys from Piplin House, Wey Road and we turned round and there was jerry and Muira our ex neighbours from Wey Road, what are the chances this happening must be quite considerable. We agreed to meet up after dinner as they were booked in the Italian Eatery whilst we were in the main restaurant.
Dinner was fine and the Chardonnay which was Italian was also very good and so we consumed a few glasses and then went to the bar to meet up with Jerry and Muira and we spent about an hour catching up by which time it was 10.30 pm and were all tired and so off to bed.
Lets hope we sleep well in the new bed which we have for the next fourteen nights. Tomorrow is Formal night and we have received an invitation from one of the officers to join him for dinner so we will do so. Tomorrow we arrive in Kodiak.
After yesterdays drive to Anchorage, which as reported earlier was magnificent, we had pre booked a cruise to the National Park which was departing at 11.30 for six hours but first some things to do.
The cruise indicated that food in the disguise of a chicken wrap would be provided as part of an inclusive lunch package but with things you can never tell what else is in the wrap and so we went to the local Safeway Store for Noel to get a hand made sandwich which ensures he knows what in it and then on to the Fuel Station to fill up the tank on the Toyota Camry that we had from Hertz rental which was necessary before returning it. We filled the gas tank, as they say here in America for the grand total of US$ 19.50 which is about £ 15.00 so fuel here is still dirt cheap as we have covered over 250 miles in the car without pushing the accelerator pedal to much. We then returned the the car and we knew it would be expensive and it fact its been the most expensive car rental that we have ever encountered as 24 hours and covering 250 miles cost USD 245.00 or roughly £ 200.00 which is frightening to say the least. Unfortunately everything in Seward is expensive like hell!!!
Last night we had a mediocre meal for about £ 125.00 and tips here are suggested as 15/20/25/30%%%% what!!! but we gave 20% which we thought was enough but got stabbed in the back, metaphorically speaking, as we left the restaurant. Anyway back to today.
Then on to the cruise which was on a quite a large boat and it was a very nice catamaran with sightseeing potential and off we went for our six hour cruise to see the local wildlife which I thought would be Whales and Dolphins etc but the first thing they showed us was a mountain Goat and some Ducks, so I was getting a bit worried that this might turn out to be a bit of a dud cruise but things changed dramatically the longer we went on.
We then carried on deeper in to the Kenai Fjords National Park and lo and behold there basking in the sunshine was the Seabourn Sojourn looking at the Aialik Glacier together with a number of people in the Zodiac rubber boats and also in canoes. However our metal hulled catamaran was able to get up really close and we were very able to get some really good photos. Then on to see some seals which were enjoying the sun on a large rock and also a few Dall’s porpoises which sometimes followed the boat but not on this occasions they were not interested as they were watching Chelsea beat Arsenal.
We then came across some Hump Back Whales which are always difficult to photograph as you never know where they will come up and when, and so you have to be on your guard and holding the camera like a gun ready to fire so as to ensure that you can get a photos which we did eventually. We also saw quite a few birds and tufted ducks before returning to Seward Harbour at 17.30 and then we headed back to the Hotel on take stock on what to do next.
We also saw the Seaborne Sojourn our recent cruise ship which had left Seward and now up at the Glacier with the Zodiacs out.
We were both quiet tired with all the sea air and standing with a moving and swaying boat, not good for Noels knees.
The choice of restaurant was limited either due to location and/or they were closed on Wednesday and so went next door to a place called Chinooks which was quite busy and had a much better atmosphere than last night in Rays Steak and Fish restaurant and we enjoyed the experience whilst looking at all the boats in the Dock, and it was half the price of yesterday which cant be bad.
I am writing this blog and its 21.30 and slowly, very very slowly uploading the photos from the past week to our SmugMug online photo album but its painfully slow. Out home internet provides an upload spead of around 50 megabits per second but this this is less than 0.5 a megabit and so at home I would upload 20 photos in a minutes this is the reverse. Oh well will keep my busy for a while and I still have tomorrow morning as well but this does not take into consideration the hundreds of photos taken during the past week. So hope to finish by Christmas and also not of the photos have been adjusted and cropped yet.So much to do and so little time.
Well the phone went off again at 04.00 and so we rushed upstairs to see the amazing light show whilst the crew provided tea, coffee and biccies.
I had intended to use my camera tripod to get better photos but unfortunately one of the legs had broken and day earlier when testing it with the new time lapse app on my camera and so it was back to leaning against the ships rail and trying to keep the camera steady whilst it took a night shot, but the photos seem to have come out when looked at them on the small camera screen but I will know more when I come to put them on the computer.
So back to bed until it was time to vacate the cabin, by 08.00 please, and head off for breakfast and a chat with some other guests. We departed the ship around 09.00 and of course no immigration to worry about and found the shuttle to the Hotel and went there and after a short wait we could check in to our room which was really great. Boy what a lovely view from the room overlooking the Harbour with the distant mountains covered in snow. We picked up the car from Hertz, boy is it expensive here to rent a car, and due to shortage of cars we were upgraded to a Toyota Camry against the little Kia we had booked which was really great. It is 2.5 hours from Seward to Anchorage and our target there was to go to Best Buy, a bit like PC World, only much better, and purchase a new tripod.
I had read that the drive from Seward to Anchorage was amazing but that did not prepare us for the glorious views we encountered en-route with snow covered mountains, loads of trees changing colour as winter is drawing on and huge lakes. What an amazing journey this was. We were beginning to get a little hungry and found a Burger Chain called Red Robin where they catered for Noels dietary restrictions which was good. Then on to Best Buy where we found just what we were looking for and then left to head back to Seward where we arrived at about 18.15 after stopping at a supermarket for some water and milk. The journey back was just as interesting with the sun being at a different location and creating some lovely shades on the trees and mountains. We did not have time to stop and photograph properly and so Jennifer was taking lots of photos from the car.
A cup of tea and then for dinner we walked along the road to a Trip Adviser recommended fish restaurant which was very good, but not cheap, but to much food on the plate and so by 21.00 we were back in the Hotel relaxing before sleep and checking on our exploration cruise in the National park which leaves at 11.30 for 6 hours and hoping the weather will be fine.
And so to bed after catching up with some emails.
Overnight we arrived at Icy Straight point where there was the usual list of tours by Zodiac, if you wish to pay, to go looking for Whales etc.
Well we were in the Observatory Bar at the front of the ship and we watched the little boats leave but we could see in the distance some whales spouting and according to our information there were two hump back whales and three Orca Killer wales plus porpoises and also a tufted puffin and actually it was good to be up high and look down at the animals which were about half a mile away from the ship. Anybody who has tried to take photos of Whales will know how difficult it is. One minute they are over there blowing a plume of water and then they disappear for ten minutes and pop up miles away so you never know where to kook and by the time you spot them they are gone.
Jennifer also did a little bit more washing and ironing, just to keep her hand in, whilst Noel did photos and emails and Blogs. We also got a good bit of strong internet for a short while and was able to have a ‘What's App’ video call with Joanne and the children which was lovely. Unfortunately we could not contact Michael but will try another time, perhaps when we are in Seward with hopeful better internet. I have a ‘app’ on my new camera which takes time lapse photos and so I thought I would try it out and put it on the tripod but when in a stable position the camera looked nicely at the bar of the balcony glass and so that was no go and in the process of folding the tripod away, one of the legs broke which now means I need a another one before going to Japan. So Anchorage and Best Buy here we come.
In the early evening the sun came down and we took lots of sunset photos and the sky was really red at times.
Icy Straight Point is a tourist Island privately owned by approximately 1350 Alaskan Native Indians with strong ties to the Hoonah and Glacier Bay area. Many of them are Tlingit tribe. Huna Totem Corporation was established by the USA to help overcome the long standing issues surrounding aboriginal land claims in Alaska as well as to stimulate economic growth.
In the evening after dinner we came back to watch a film called the Book Club which was a load of rubbish and then watched the first episode of a new series by the Comedian Billy Crystal which was quite good.
We arrived in Juneau, the Capital City of Alaska, at about 0800 and tied up close to a Crystal Cruise lines ship and also somebody’s very expensive private motor yacht. Jennifer did some clothes washing whilst we passed the morning away and after an early lunch headed off the ship in to town.
Juneau has been the Capital City since 1906 when the Government was moved from Sitka as dictated by the US Congress in 1900, nothing like rushing it. However with such planning they realised that there are no roads connecting the town to any other place in Alaska due to the high mountains, perhaps they should let the Chinese shown them how to do it, and the only way in or out is by ferry or airplane and there is even a car ferry so that cars can be brought in as required but it is most expensive because of this. So all foodstuffs, petrol etc is all brought in by ship , a bit like the Falkland Islands.
Anyway we had tickets for the St Roberts Tramway ( why they call it a Tramway beats me as its clearly a cable car) which we got on straight away with a guy droning on and on about the Tramway and why it was there. We got to the top safely and then walked around all the tourist stuff and waited for the twenty minute film about the Indians who had occupied this land for many years and how they have had to adapt to a more modern life. Prior to the film starting we had to practise saying a few words in ‘Tlingit’ eg
I gu.aa.yax x’wan which means Thank you. Yak’ei which means good, which reminded me of Yaki da greeting.
The film was well done and explained how the tribes had two clans, one called the Ravens and the other called the Eagles. Ravens could marry an Eagle but not another Raven and this was done to keep the tribes close and friendly. After the film we walked around the top part of Mount Roberts and the rain had started briefly and then we headed back to the bottom using the cable car. With two ships in town with perhaps 1500 extra people we thought the cable car would be busy but we wuz wrong as there were no queues at either end.
This was a a gold town and today the streets are lined with jewellery and T-Shirt shops with end of season sale signs everywhere but hardly anybody buying anything We returned to the ship around 16.00 and went for the necessary cuppa and a little reading. Tonight we were again in the main restaurant which was hardly buy even at 8pm so assume people were elsewhere and that has been the beauty of this ship, the restaurants are never crowded and noisy, there lounges are always quiet. Following dinner we went to the CLUB and listened to the band for a while before heading back for a good nights sleep.
Tomorrow we visit two bays where you can go out on the ships Zodiacs, at a price’ and get up close to Wales, oops I meant Whales and other sea animals.
I am writing this in the observatory in the beautiful sunny weather as we head in to Inian bay
Unfortunately during last nights dinner I had ordered something which did not agree with me and so I had a slightly challenging night and was disappointed as it meant that I would not be able to go on the Wildlife Photo shoot which was the only Tour that Noel was looking forward to.
We did meet up with the F & B manager when I questioned how last nights BBQ chicken etc had been prepared it it looks like it was either the Blue Cheese dressing which they did not realise contains garlic or perhaps Noel should not have eaten the chicken skin, who knows but they were most apologetic.
So it was a slow morning for the hubbie but Jennifer decided that she would still go and take the little Nikon camera she had been practising with as she did not want to use my new camera with its high choice of settings.
Anyway Jennifer departed at about 12.30 with four other people, should have been five of course, together with a female tour leader who had been in a earlier life a pathologist or something like but fancied the piece and quiet of Haines and also the abundance of wildlife and so she and her husband moved here a few years again and she know does these tours for both wildlife and also local plants and flowers. Anyway the tour lasted just over three hours and during this time they got on and off the bus several times for either animal views or scenic views.
They stopped at waterfall and there was a Black bear with two cubs fishing for salmon which they watched and photographed until such time the bear decided it was time to leave and they all all ambled across the road where white lines had been painted so that humans should not go within the lines for fear of being attacked. Generally they are docile animals if left alone but they don't like to be approached or cornered in which case its time to leave pretty damn quick. One of the cubs was carrying a dead salmon which was extremely lasrge and I would have love to have caught one this size.
The salmon are forced to take a route through a fence which runs across the river and this enabled him to count the fish, using only a clicker, going up river so as to understand how the fish are surviving and are the numbers being depleted ?. Apparently this same guy has being doing for so many years that the current bears and cubs have known him since their birth and do not worry about him at all. Then on to see to see some American Bald Eagles of which there were plenty. Unfortunately the little Nikon camera could not really do justice to what Jennifer had seen however the photos will be available next week when we stay two nights in the Seward 360 Hotel awaiting the arrival of the Silversea Silver Shadow Cruise line.
In the evening we went to the main restaurant where shortly after we arrived the Dietary Staff member came straight up and went thro all my allergies again and entered them on their system to ensure there would re occurrence although there had not been any problems in any of the restaurants except last night when perhaps it may have n]been my fault for ordering the blue cheese dressing.
Now a bity about Haines. Its is 75 miles North of Juneau on a wooded peninsular. It was originally inhabited by the Chilki Tingit Indian tribe but was put on the map by a gun toting outlaw called Jack Dalton. He started the Dalton train which was used initially by miners . Later an US American Forces outpost was started here and is still here today complete with parade ground. At one time Haines was completely cut off from the rest of Alaska due to difficult driving conditions and bad weather and the main road was called ‘Cut Off Road’ . Now there is a modern highway which can also be used in the event of an evacuation from a Tsunami , should one take place.
And so an early night and tomorrow we arrive in Juneau.
When we initially awoke prior to arriving in port we were gliding nicely with lovely countryside but was still a bit early to get up but half an hour later shortly after we docked our view was filled by the huge mass of the cruise ship Eurodam which had tied up alongside and so out window was full of cruise ship instead of a nice view.
Following a light breakfast bedded down in the Observation Bar with Noel posting the blog, transferring photos from two cameras to the pc and checking on emails and of course the usual check the Bank Balance just to make sure there is sufficient in the current account to cover recent bills.
Sitka fronts the Pacific Ocean on Baranof Island, west shore. Sitka is set amongst mountains and forests and across the way is Mount Edgecumbe which is an extinct volcano with a similar shape to Japan’s Mount Fuji it is said. However we caught the shuttle bus for the five mile trip in to town and it soon became clear that this place also lives on Tourism and fishing but on the tourism side it is mostly migrant workers who come from other parts of the USA for a summer job which we understand to be well paid. We keep getting informed that milk cost 6 US$ per gallon, or in English 60 pence per pint, and its an expensive place to live which is said several times hoping that us passengers feel sorry for the driver and give him a bigger tip.
We walked around the town for a while and watched quite a number of people go off on various tours either by coach or boat whilst we went in search of the famous Russian Church St Michael’s Cathedral which is clearly under renovation and there is a very large sign that donations are welcome, but when Jennifer tried to enter the lady waiting at the door said in a rude way ‘its 5 Dollars to enter’ and so she was a little upset and said NO she would not bother. Clearly they don't understand what the word ‘Donation’ means.
After a rubbishy cup of coffee late we caught the shuttle back to the cruise terminal and again being regaled as to what an expensive place Alaska is to live in. We had a light lunch on the patio in the sunshine but unfortunately the wind was blowing diesel smoke from the Eurodam across th Patio Bar and so we headed back to the room for Noel to catch up on some office work and Jennifer some reading before she heads of for a pedicure, oh such luxury HA.
After the busy walk around town and covered a few miles so in the later afternoon we sat on the balcony and watched the day go by and then later a glass of wine and nibbles in the room before leaving for the main restaurant. Tonight Jennifer had the sole and Noel and Alaska salmon and both were really excellent. They have a computer system on board which helps the kitchen and as well as the serving staff and when you check in you give your suite number and a table is allocated and on their handheld iPad they automatically see my challenges with Garlic etc, etc and so I don't have to repeat it each time. I mentioned that I had been on the Eurodam earlier this year and the kitchen got it all wrong several times and that everything was covered in garlic thereby reducing my choice. He replied by saying they fully recognise that garlic can be dangerous for some people and so that all dishes that might have garlic as usual, they only marinate about 80% of the food to allow for people who do not wish it. Also they make sure that any person who request’s no garlic that they they use a brand new pan and cooking tools to save the risk of transfer contamination from the previously cooked dish with garlic. Excellent…
And so back to the Seabourn Square lounge to catch up with today's newspapers and its good to read the FT and see what is happening financially around the world. Douche Bank and ING has been fined nearly three quarters of a billion Euros for handling bent money .
We arrived in port with the sun shining down on us with beautiful views along the inland sea of Mountains and more trees than you could ever count.
Wrangell throughout its history has been influenced by a variety of cultural and economic activities and its main activity appears to be mainly fishing and of course the old canneries from the past can still be seen.
Following breakfast we had a slightly easy morning as Jennifer was joining several other hikers on a trip to Rainbow Falls hike which included a multitude of wooden steps which would not suite Noel. But before Jennifer left we sat at the back of the ship in the sunshine with another couple until it was time for Jennifer to leave on her trip whilst the boss stayed talking to an interesting couple from Florida who had met in Washington some years ago whilst he was travelling from South Africa .
At lunchtime Noel went for a Hot Dog and talked to another couple who had a slightly deformed face due to cancer surgery but he was quite interesting as he used to work for Rockwell and they did a lot of secret US Government business and he had travelled quite a bit and so he was good fun. In the afternoon Noel watched a programme on photography and also read up about Wrangel which is quite a small town of perhaps 2000 residents and this has been owned in the past by the Russians, The Brits and the Americans , so quite a history. It is totally unlike Ketchikan which is tourist driven and as the access is a bit tight its only the smaller cruise liners that can tie up here.
Jennifer arrived back from here hike across the hills and she much enjoyed both the exercise and tour through the pine forest which was of course extremely silent with very few birds. As it was a lovely sunny day and warm Jennifer went for a swim and was serenaded by the Ships singing group[p who were have a practise for an event later in the day. After her swim we sat in the patio area around the pool where the crew were busy setting up tables and moving chairs for the main event which was as much caviar and vodka you could possible have before falling over. We stayed with the wine as caviar is nice but not a must for us.The choral group were from the UK and were really excellent and they sang mostly classical songs end with a good rendition on Barcelona, the Freddy mercury song, and a few songs from The Phantom of the opera and it was most enjoyable except for the ex Chicago cop, mentioned earlier on this trip, kept intervening with additional stories of his UK visit.
Whilst they cleared away after the event we went back and sat on our balcony watching the beautiful scenery go by with a glass of Chardonnay and some Costco Crisps and nuts, what could be nicer.
For dinner we went back to the main restaurant and decided to be sociable and were sat with a couples of widows from Auckland who were on there first cruise and were loving every minute of it and we spent a good couple of hours with them whilst enjoying the excellent food, Jennifer had a veal chop the size of Surrey and Noel had a New York steak and both were really very good.
And so back to the room to listen to music and read as neither of us were bothered about any further entertainment for the evening.
Its a small world, I am writing this Blog in Sitka on 5th September and parked alongside us is the Holland America ship the EURODAM which is the ship we did our Caribbean cruise on in February this year.
We arrived overnight in Misty Bay as at 0700 this morning we had entered the fjord and by 0800 we were in Rudeyerd Bay which is about 40 miles east of Ketchikan and is in part of of Alaska inside passage coastal waterway which is all part of the Tongass National Forest which covers a huge area of about 2294,343 acres which is an awful lot of grass to cut me thinks.
There were plenty of activities if you wish to pay a little cash, such as rides on zodiac rubber boats, rides on airplanes and speedboats but none of this appealed to us at all so we did not bother. However we did have a nice quiet day reading and resting after yesterdays rather busy day. We decided to take sandwiches back to the room for lunch and sat on the balcony whilst the fjord moved around us. Luckily the weather has been very kind to us and the temperature was about 23 Centigrade which is a nice temperature.
Now a little bit about this boat, its is one of the smaller cruise ships, its still quite large but small compared to the really big ones which can take 8000 people which is not for us. This one has about 240 rooms which mostly have balconies and can take about 450 guests and the the most important thing is that is what they call fully inclusive which makes it more expensive however you don't have to keep signing and paying for drinks and extra for different restaurants. This ship has basically four restaurants and the main one can seat just about everybody on the ship, whilst the Colonnade is more casual and there is the Grill which we used on the second night and finally the Patio which is an outdoor restaurant and only open when it does not rain buy with ceiling heaters its very comfortable. On past cruises you may have to wait to be seated as the restaurant is busy but with so much restaurant seating capacity none of the restaurants is very full up which makes it quieter.
The majority of the guests on board are Americans and yet on yesterdays visit we sat next to a couple form Auckland New Zealand who it appeared had family relatives in Freckleton, Lancashire which is where Jennifer was born and lived for a while. Although he was a very quiet type of guy he was heavily in to motor racing and has driven Formula 3 and Formula 5000 cars in OZ as well as at Brands Hatch and Silverstone., You meet all characters on this type of ship which can make for an interesting time except for those very noisy yanks who shout a lot and and think the restaurant is only for them. A bit like Hong Kong really where there is always so much noise people tend to shout anyway. This evening they are having a Captain and Senior Crew walkthrough where you are supposed to be in in the corridor outside your suite with a drink in hand and meet your neighbours and the Captain who incidentally hails from Lancashire. So right now whilst writing this there are some vey noisy American ladies getting pissed and beginning to shout, I think we may go for dinner soon but not sure where we will go as it depend
s on the food available which suits the hubby of the household.
Not that we are wishing this cruise to go by fast we realised that when we arrive at Seward (Anchorage)Port and have two days to kill, one we will be doing a wilderness cruise and have another 24 hours in a small town so we are considering renting a car from the morning we arrive for 24 Hours and perhaps do a drive along the coastal highway to Anchorage, have lunch and then drive back before the bears start stalking us, Ha.
Well I am going to stop this for a while as Jennifer is outside on the balcony watching the Fjord go by as the sun goes down and hopefully there will be a nice sunset.
For dinner we chose the main restaurant which was only partially full the whole evening and the food was really excellent, Noel had the salmon and Jennifer the chicken and both were really the best we have had for some while and particularly the salmon was really fantastic which info I passed on to the Chef. After dinner we went to the Observation Lounge for a goodnight drink and listen to the pianist singer who was also very good. A really lovely day and we agreed that we wont bother with large boats anymore and just stick with the smaller ones although considerably more expensive are a world apart from the the Holland America, NCL and P & O and Fred Olsen we have been on in the past few years.
And so to bed
Following and earliest breakfast and in view of the fact we have a planned trip at 13.00 we decided to go into town for a couple of hours. Unfortunately there were three other large cruise ships in town with about 6/7 thousand people on board and so the town as very busy indeed. However we walked in to town although we did take the shuttle bus for the first part and then walked around the shops and bars and restaurants, most of the shops were selling the usual tourist stuff, t-shirts, hats,windcheaters and similar all announcing that you have been to Alaska or even Ketchikan. We then wandered back to the ship via the back roads and then had to re-join the the ship and collect our stuff for the afternoon event.
We had lunch on the patio deck with Noel having the hot dog and Jennifer and sandwich and then grabbed our things ready to join what they called the wilderness tour and all you can eat crabfest.
We boarded the bus with about 40 other people from the ship and with a half an hour drive down to a small port where we had to descend a steep staircase of 79 steps, and yes we have to do the same on the way back, down to the jetty where we boarded quite a small boat which then left for a trip out in to the wilderness of national park to the Dungeness crab fields. This took about half an hour and when we stopped there was a call for a volunteer to pick up the crab net and inside were about six crabs, I think they are specially trained, as they did not attempt to bite!!! The female tour guide on the boat talked non-stop and tried to make jokes and get everybody to cheer and pretend you were at a football match, not our scene really. Anyway they pulled out the net and played a bit with the crabs and eventually put them back after explaining that certain sizes of crab could easily exit the net if they so wished, but the don't as there is more food in the net than outside I guess. On the way back we slowed down to look at some black bears on the shoreside and also a pair of semi trained/tame bald eagles who came up to the boat for food. It would not surprise me if the bears were men in disguise for the the tourists.
Then back to the port and in to a basic café where you can have all you can eat crab, anything that is is all you can eat does not really appeal to us but it certainly did to many others. The games continued with them measuring the remains of the crabs eaten to see who can create the tallest tower of crab bits, all rather childish and finally with the winners being asked to stand for a presentation which then turned out you having to dance to music like a crab, blood stupid in my/our eyes.
Then back to ship for a cup of tea then a brief rest before we went to dinner and it was Japanese Night only the sushi was not the best and as for the tempura, the chef need’s some lessons and I kindly told the head waiter this that after living in Japan for several years I think I know what good prawn Tempura should be like and it wasn't the way they served it.
Anyway we were a little tired and s after dinner returned to our suite for an early sit up in bed reading for an hour before turning in.
Tonight we head North overnight and to arrived in Misty Fjord where we will spend the day whilst people go out in rubber boats and exploring the lakes some more, but not us.
Well we both slept very well and by the time we were up and showered we almost missed breakfast although Noel is still a bit restricted but unfortunately they don't have Weetabix on board.
We had some time in the square catching up on the morning news and then headed back to the suite for a bit of a rest, yes we have some sleep to catch up, and caught up with some emails and started writing this Blog which you are currently reading. For lunch we went down to the patio and sat outside in the glorious sun and Noel had the burger and Jen the fish but we sat next to a guy who runs a an official fund raiser for the Republicans and it was fun to chat to him about all the current shenanigans which are going on currently with regard to the Stormzy Daniels stripper who allegedly had an affair with Trump but is now using it to lining her pockets and being helped very much by the Democrats who appear to have nothing else to hang their hat on.
Tonight is formal night and we are booked in to the Grill for dinner, we did not know when booking the Grill that it would the only formal night in this ship on its eleven night trip.
Well the evening in the Grill was very good with a special selection of meats and fish to tempt you and ample wine to make you fall over. In the meantime the ship is slowly making its way North up past the Canadian Coast until it crosses over the border back in to to the USA. The first stop with will be the second largest twon in Alaska, after Anchorage, called Ketchikan.
