From the Mists of Alaska

Rainy Day in Juneau

yes, chers readers, we are back.
Sea legs and all.
What an exhilarating experience... well for us it sure was.
We did not suffer from Mal de Mer, as many did on two days of  rough going on the Pacific!
Hurricane force winds, 30 meter high waves... and stabilisers or not - the vessel rocked!
Rock-a -by Baby... sleeping was easy... for us!
Barf bags blossomed out everywhere,
everything loose tied down.
And let me tell you walking from stern (our cabin) to bow (restaurants, bars, indoor hydro pool, spa, gym, and the outdoors covered pool, etc) took 3x as long during those rockin' and rollin' days...
Lurch to the right, grab onto the bar,
lurch to the left as far as your arm let you,
repeat.
If you are lucky you were able to hop one step forward in between the cradle rocking....
fun!
What a view that outdoor pool..
slosh - a wave up and over the rim, bottom of one side of pool visible,
slosh - a wave back to other side...decks awash.
Tried to take a photo.. but... it was too rocky and jerky!
Kids loved the 'surf action' albeit in smallest space.
Anyway, wherever we cruised... drippy rocks shrouded in mists, raindrops falling gently but insistently. Water everywhere, ice floes drifting down Tracy Arm...too rough to head into glacier bays for viewing!
Arrived in Juneau, tenders ready to transfer hardy souls into drippy, cold Juneau and excursions
(why take tram up the cloud shrouded mountain-in hopes of some sunshine above the clouds, perhaps?)
 Well here are some photos to set the mood for you:


Approaching Juneau




rough seas from cabin





 


St Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church




Interior




Tracy Arm Vista early morning

 

Floes down Tracy Arm

 







Waterfalls

Transfer to Juneau in ship's tenders

Dusk in Inside Passage



And so it went... another day on a slightly rocking, later much calmer ship, after the Captain went hell bent for leather away from the Pacific into the passage toward Ketchikan, missing Sitka at all. Too rough, he said, while also telling us about a fellow cruise ship stuck in Seward due to the abnormal high seas on those last days of September.
Did that earthquake we heard about in Guatemala have some influence on the seas? Television was intermittent-satellite transmissions kept blanking away!

Ketchikan Sourdough Taxi much in demand!

Lichen flourishes

Tribal House

Ketchikan- the Nordic Rain forest site...

we docked early..went ashore to piercingly cold biting wind and rain, only to find a few minutes later balmy and sunny climes, that soon went to piercingly cold rain again! And Repeat.

Wellies were in order to stroll among the totem poles, etc.... but who had them?

Soaking wet sneakers and jackets on those adventurous souls that did not carry along rainproof gear.. forget about umbrellas, that wind turned them about tearing them out of clammy hands!



Rain forest of the Artic?



Westerdam at pier

Cedar stumps nourish lichen and moss.

That day on terra firma was rather pleasant, especially during the intermittent sunshine calm. And on to Victoria, B.C.. Due to the weather changed route, we have a full day there. Reporting will follow.

And my posts will end with some thoughts on Seattle (Day FIRST and Last of this trip) with  a glimpse into the hockey world of 16-20 years old-the Opener game of Everett Silvertips vs Kelowna Rockets....plus the utterly delightful and knowledgeable company of Sue Ring. Yes, that one, who inspired Mitch Love to blog on his life, trials and tribulations as an AEROS.. way back then....fans just may recall his antics ....surely!