After a short cab ride from my hotel in Anchorage I reached the Egan event centre, where I was to pick up my transfer to the ship. Extremely efficient, they checked in my bag and I could have left my hand luggage as well but I chose not to. Then I was free for an hour until my bus came. Out the door I shot and nose in the air like a well trained hound I sniffed out the mall. Sometimes I even empress myself, in 15 minutes I had purchased 2 pair of Nike shoes for the great price of $60 each. Before I left for the bus I also had in my possession some pants, shorts and an eyeshadow. Also very well priced.
Leaving half an our to get back to the bus (only one block) was a good strategy, as direction sense is not one of my best talents. I came out of the store and onto the street, turned to the left, then to the right and finally thought I should ask some one before I wandered off in the wrong direction. I was ready to concentrate hard as they gave me a set of left, right left directions. Not necessary, I just had to cross the road! Duh!
Expecting just a bus ride I was pleasantly surprised. It was a nice coach with a cheerful and knowledgeable driver who gave us a running commentary. The scenery once we were out of town was very like NZ with more conifers. The coast line was next to a sheer cliff with climbers clinging to the sides, on the sea side was sludge stuff, actually silt from the glaciers. When the tide goes out it is so fine and thick that it is like quicksand.
At one point there were tall mesh fences to stop moose getting onto the highway!
The drive was an hour and a half and finished with a tunnel that was 2 1/2 miles long. This was a single lane tunnel, the walls and ceiling were rough rock, that sometimes send small rocks down onto cars. Each end is open at fifteen minute intervals, for fifteen minutes. It was extremely narrow, and quite claustrophobic. Before we went in we saw an iceberg sitting in the water, only about the size of a house (on top), and a small glacier.
There is nothing to see in Whittier. It has a population of approximately 140, most of which live in a small apartment block. There is a school that has a tunnel to the apartment block, thus avoiding 'snow days' where kids have to miss school.
We were straight off the bus and into a tent tunnel (raining) and into the embarkation area. There were no queues and I was straight up to the desk. Suddenly I got a tap on the shoulder and thought oh,oh. But there behind me were Dillon and Lou'ana. Big squeezes ensued.
Having personal guides was great, they took me straight to my cabin which is not flash but not too shabby either.
This is a nice ship, not huge but not too small either. We chatted for a while and then had a bite to eat at the Horizon food area. I am not a big fan of buffets but this is good. I have managed to try some local food each day so far, both things that I have had before. Biscuits and gravy ( good cowboy food) and grits ( not quite as nice as the ones I had in New Orleans).
We set sail at 8:30 after muster. For the uninitiated the muster is what every cruise does before leaving port. Everyone has to go to their muster area with their life jacket when the warning sounds, you listen to the safety instructions and practice putting on your life jacket.
After popping back to my cabin for a quick shower and to put my life jacket away I set off to the Wheelhouse Bar to listen to Too Many Chiefs. If you are a stranger to my life you need to know that my son Dillon and his partner Lou'ana are musicians and along with Cam and Cameron perform as Two Many Chiefs.
This was a jazz set and my unbiased opinion is that they are great. The bar had a sprinkling of people, but they all enjoyed the entertainment with some older couples getting up for a fox trot or something similar. I basked in the glow and was a very happy passenger/ mum.
At 10:45 we nipped off for a quick dinner and off to bed.
I slept like a log!
No comments:
Post a Comment