Vancouver 14th & 15th July 2017

The ship berthed early and I sat up on the stern and ate a bit of breakfast enjoying the city vista that Vancouver offers. 

I had been told that the harbour looks a lot like Auckland, and it does. The city is perched right on the harbour's edge, in fact the streets closest to the water are reclaimed land, just like Auckland. 

After breakfast I returned to my cabin to pack my last minute things. As I walked down the corridor I could peek into rooms that had open doors and see what the other cabins were like. When I got to mine I opened the door and leapt back! Two single beds met my gaze, my cabin had a queen. A quick recky on the room number and my confusion was solved, right room, but my room had already been made up for the next passengers, even though my luggage was still strewn about. 

Disembarking was a breeze. The wait in the meeting area was for only 10 minutes and then straight off the ship, it was easy to find my case and off I went to the taxi area where I met up wit Lou and Dillon.  

Dropping my bags off at the hotel we shot off to Yaletown for breakfast, and then wandered around for most of the day looking at the shops. Shopping is pretty much the same as NZ, the currency is practically dollar for dollar, but the brands are different. Our first venture into the mall just smelt of money. Gucci, Channel, all more that my wallet can handle. So we found more affordable shops fast. The weather was beautiful, blue skies and hot. Lunch was had at a place called Glowbal, where Dillon and Lou had eaten previously. The food was really good, but the most exciting part was that they gave you a basket of mini hot doughnuts to keep you going until lunch arrived and a nice little smoothie shot.We gobbled down the doughnuts and they brought us another basket! Before long it was time to walk back down to the wharf and say goodbye. Which is always hard, but at least now I can imagine them on board going about their daily and nightly routines. 

I continued to roam around the mall area and popped into Nordstrom department store. Walking straight into the women's apparel I was a little confused, first because there was a hug bull mastiff dog tied to a pole where people were having a coffee and second because large sections were roped off and we were not allowed to look until the sale started on the 18th. Well I was not going to be there on the 18th and all it did was piss me off so out I went, one dissatisfied potential customer. 

Often I had caught a little whiff of cannabis as we walked along the streets and wondered if it was a legal drug here. Well! Walking down a main street I came across a wee market festival, it was Robson St, there was music and stalls and police. The weed was thick in the air, and whaddya know, they had big jars of it for sale. Not your average market! 

By then my feet were screaming so I found my way back to the hotel. This was made easy with a map app the Dillon downloaded for me, and because on most main street corners there were large maps. Also on nearly every street corner was a homeless person, with all of their worldly goods. 

The Sutton Place Hotel was very central and my room was spacious and old worldy. And I had a window! Which was a treat after a week in a windowless cabin. The window did prove to be a nuisance though as there must have been a police base close by and the sirens went all night. 

Taking the advice of the concierge I walked down Burrard St to the wharf and had dinner at a place called The Cactus Club. It was very popular and there was a long queue with a 45 minute wait for a table, so I chose to sit at the bar and eat. This was instant entry and far more interesting. I must digress here talking about queues. On my way down to dinner there was a queue snaking right around a corner and down the road, they were all waiting for gelato ice creams. Two hours later on my way back there was still a queue, and again today. Must be good. Anyway I enjoyed a couple of glasses of NZ wine (helping our economy) and steak and chips, which went down very well. 

In the morning I enjoyed a delicious banana and strawberry crepe at a creperie around the corner. After checking out and storing my bags I jumped on the Hop on Hop Off trolley bus. This is something that Lance and I always do when we go to a new city. You get to find out all sorts of information and you get your bearings. This driver was great, his name was Tod, and he was informative and cheery. I thought that I would do a lap and then choose where to get off, which is exactly what I did. This section of the tour took us through Stanley park, a huge park, partly in forest and partly in gardens and family areas. As we drove up to the rose gardens the floral scent drifted into the bus windows, so that was where I felt the urge to hop off. The roses were gorgeous and I spied two squirrels chasing each other. Wandering around I found more gardens, but didn't want to wander too far off the pathway as I had already been harassed by one homeless man. 

The park has an aquarium, so I paid a visit. It was well done, but hard to see creatures that should be swimming free in such small confines. I did see my first anaconda and sloth though. I guess the sloth doesn't travel that far, but an anaconda would be sure to enjoy more space than a large box with a tree and water. They do save animals though and there was some sort of small whale that will never be released as it was so small when they found it that it has no idea how to survive. 

Rather than wait for the bus I decided to take the water front walk that I had seen on my way through the park. So after a quick lunch of poutine which is chips with cheese curd and gravy, at the Pavillion I started the walk to remove the globules of fat that had already started accumulating on my rear end from lunch. 

It was a forty five minute walk in the sun, but was beautiful. All of the Seawall has two paths, one for pedestrians and one for bikes. There were heaps of bicycles. Also dogs, not a pathway for them, but there were so many huge dogs. And most of these people live in apartments!  

Toilet report: the toilets are all clean and available. In the USA the toilets have huge gaps between the doors (mentioned on previous holidays) but in Canada they seem more trustworthy and you can sit, squat or hover in private. 

The people are all very friendly and seem to tolerate tourists well. In fact they are almost 'Disneyland nice', you know, "have a nice day" stuff. 

The trolley took me around the city and back within walking distance of my hotel. I picked my cases and taxied to the airport. It had been recommended that I train to the airport, but if you had seen me trying negotiate my way out of the hotel with my baggage then you would understand my reluctance to take the train. The drive was nice, we passed very large houses on small properties, but nice tree lined streets. The cab fare was only $26. 

And so that was it, over and done with. Holiday finished. 

A couple of bloopers: 

On the flight home I emptied my yoghurt pot into my bowl of fruit and was cross because the yoghurt all oozed over the sides of the bowl. Ooops. That's because I had not taken the clear plastic lid off the fruit bowl. 

One day when I was standing on the ship watching glaciers the man next to me said, "Erynn, here is your husband at last and look what he has brought you." I have to admit, that in a millisecond I was wondering how Lance could have got there and better still, what did he have for me. Oh bugger, the lady next to me must have been called Erin, because her husband arrived with a big tray of burgers. 

Walking up to a higher deck on the ship one morning a man stopped me and said with a Texan drawl, "Tell me, does that hair colour come with an attitude". Well he is lucky that I was behaving my self because Dillon and Lou were crew. My first thought was that this hair colour could come with a 'bunch of fives' or is his head as empty on the inside as it is on top. But I just smiled and thought to my self "dick head". 

Ketchikan 13 July 2017

Our ship was docked practically in the Main Street of Ketchikan. We sat eating our breakfast in the Horizon Lounge on board, looking down onto the people below milling around the wharf. 

Dillon and Lou had duties on board so once again I went for a wander by myself. Ketchikan is perched on the side of mountains, the streets all lead upwards and the footpaths change into wooden steps as you get higher. 

Taking a step set of steps I ended up going through some lovely bush with plants loaded with ripe red berries. All that I could think of was 'bears like berries'. I was quite pleased that there were some older slower tourists around, because they would get eaten first. 

As I wandered I came across the river that, I can't say meanders because is actually a torrent of water, through the township. A row of wooden shops are built on poles on the bank of the river and houses also line the water edge. This is called Creek Street. The shops are a bit different from the other Alaskan tourist places and have original and local pieces for sale. Everyone is very friendly. And there is a quaint feel about the place. 

This river that runs through the town is where salmon make the trek up river to spawn. In fact one jumped out of the water as I was walking by! Imagine what is must be like right in the middle of the spawning season.  

Lou'ana had recommended a good coffee place that had free wifi so I made my way there and ordered a double shot flat white. They must already do double shot, so they doubled the double and gave me four shots of coffee! Dillon and Lou met me there and we went to the Fish Shack for lunch. This was right on the waters edge and the fish was great, so fresh. 

Back on board I enjoyed my usual cocktails, wine and music. We managed to slip into the dining room for a more upmarket dinner between music sets. Dillon and Lou had lobster and me the beef Wellington. Tonight the time moved forward by an hour as we slide through the waters into Canada. 

Skagway 11 July 2017

Dillon and Lou had duties on board this morning, so after breakfasting together I disembarked in the small town of Skagway.

The morning loomed cloudy and rainy, I donned my plastic bag poncho and walked the quarter mile into town. The place was packed with tourists, all trying to avoid the rain.  

Skagway is a quaint town with old style buildings, right out of a cowboy movie. I wandered around for an hour or so until Dillon and Lou joined me. We looked at a couple of tour options, but either the timing was wrong or the weather was a problem. But we did lunch at the infamous Red Onion Hotel. This hotel only spent 2 years as a brothel, and that's where it's fortune still lies. The waitresses are in character with dollar bills poking out of their bustier. We went on a short tour of the rooms upstairs and it was a very sad life that these girls had, and I feel sure that it often led to a very short life also.  

After a couple of purchases (one being pecan brittle) we ambled bag to the ship. I booked in a quick hot rock massage, which wasn't the greatest massage I have ever had but it wasn't terrible. I just didn't enjoy the hard sell on the products, AND she made me late to watch Two Many Chiefs. 

I have been starting each evening with a cocktail, so far I have had a piña colada, mojito, key lime pie, almond chocolate thing and an ultimate cooler. By far the key lime pie is my favourite. They only have one NZ wine on here and it is a Nobilo sav blanc. But I have also been enjoying a Pinot noir from somewhere or other. I don't have to ask by name anymore, they just bring it. Lou'ana wasn't familiar with the expression 'lush'. But that is definitely a way to describe me, sitting in the bar each night with my drink. 

Every evening as I sit and enjoy the music there are couples dancing. I marvel at how all of these people can ballroom dance so beautifully. This evening as I sat tapping my feet a young man, and I mean young, perhaps about 17 years old, asked me to dance. Of course I said yes, because it was a very brave thing for him to do, but I had to tell him that I didn't know how to dance. He replied that it didn't matter. So we waltzed around the small dance floor. It all came back through the haze of broken brain cells and I only mucked it up every 10 or so steps. I haven't see him since. It didn't help that I knew that the band would be all having a giggle, perhaps even a chortle. Maybe he was looking for a sugar mamma?

GlacierBay 10 July 2017

Breakfast is usually quite late as Dillon and Lou are not allowed in the dining area before 10:30. So this morning I nipped up to grab a cuppa and some fruit and yoghurt. As I was walking a family started pointing at something in the water. A sea otter was gliding along rolling intermittently on the smooth surface. 

The day was lovely, blue skies and the only cloud was snuggled up around the mountain peaks. Whilst eating my second breakfast we saw a whale glide by, just a couple of fins slipping under the water. So we shot upstairs to the open decks to get a better view. There was a stall from the shops on the ship and I got Dillon to negotiate a special price for some binoculars. Now we already have a couple of pair at home, but they are not here with me so it was an emergency purchase. In fact it was a great investment, because seconds later the ranger announced that there was a bear along the shore. With the naked eye he looked like a large rock, but through the binoculars I could see him walking alone and stopping to look around the water's edge. It would have been even better if I had known about the zoom capability that Dillon showed me soon after. Never mind, I was thrilled. One of my wishes was to see a bear in the wild, not in some enclosure, and now I can tick that off my list. 

Lou'ana and I headed for the viewing platform by the bridge. We had superb views, but the wind was icy cold and today I am suffering from some wind burn. The views were magnificent and the water was littered with ice. At one point we saw something in the water, a couple of fins, but I am not sure what it was. 

I spent about an hour up there until finally the wind dropped and the Margerie Glacier came into view. It was just like you would imagine a Glacier to be. Startling white columns packed together with azure blue in the crevices. With a crack like cannon fire huge pieces would crumble into the sea. There were points were it could be seen where the Glacier used to be, but has now receded due to climate change. 

The ship got incredibly close, which indicates how deep the water is here, in fact this whole bay was a huge Glacier only 250 years ago. I wandered down to the pool bar for something to warm me up. But the sun hit me and the word "mojito" just leapt out of my mouth instead of "hot chocolate". So there I was, sipping a mojito and leaning on the rail watching this magnificent Glacier slip by. 

As I sat having late lunch with Dillon and Lou we moved into another area and saw 2 more glaciers. I have run my phone down twice by taking so many photos. It is a truely magnificent place. 

Two Many Chiefs played at 5, 7 and 9pm and I sat in on every set. We nipped off for dinner between the 7 and 9 set and I had a salmon fillet. It was nice, but not as fatty and creamy as our salmon. And lighter in colour. 

Hubbard Glacier 9 July 2017

With no need to go anywhere I didn't set an alarm. And of course with an interior cabin the room is pitch black. I went straight to sleep and was woken by what I thought was noisy night time revellers. I was shocked to find that it was 8:43am. Joining Dillon and Lou for a late breakfast I enjoyed a selection of treats, bacon of course, but also baked pears and rice pudding. 

I took the time to wander around the ship and look at the shops. All of the usual touristy stuff from cheap to expensive. Something for everybody. 

Today we cruised into an inlet to see the Hubbard Glacier, the weather was cloudy, cold and rainy. 

We were due to reach Hubbard Glacier at 3pm so I took myself outside and braved the elements early to ensure a good view. It was freezing! I had on my beanie and puffer jacket, but my pants and shoes were soaked. The best viewing spot was on the bow and the sea was littered with tiny chunks of ice, well they looked tiny from where I was but were probably the size of a small car. Unfortunately the low cloud obscured the Glacier. But is was nice to be outside, despite the cold and rain, after so many days and nights in air conditioning. There was also a running commentary on the environment and places of interest. This was given by a park ranger who joined the ship by small boat and then left before we left the bay. 

Once again my evening was spent enjoying Two Many Chiefs. I have no desire to try out any other bands or bars. I have been making lots of recordings to take home for Lance, as sitting here watching them night after night makes me feel a bit guilty knowing how much Lance would enjoy it. 

And of course as we went to bed the sun was still in the sky!

Ship Ahoy -8 July 2017

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.

I would have preferred a window, but when you book the trip only a week before you leave you can't expect that sort of luxury.  

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!

Alaskan Cruise

This is a journey that I am taking by myself.  I have left Lance at home and am making my way up to Alaska to join Dillon and Lou'ana on the cruise that they are working on for four months.  My journey will take me to Anchorage and on to Whittier to board the Star Princess and we will stop at 3 ports and view glaciers on our way to Vancouver.

Although I have traveled many times by myself, for trips further afield I have always had company.  And for those of you who know me well, my sense of direction especially in large buildings, is useless.  So it was with a a little trepidation that I boarded Air New Zealand Flight 8 to San Francisco.  My main concern was the transfer to Anchorage when I got to San Francisco.  Well here I am, at S.F. Airport waiting for 7 hours for my transfer flight.  At least with seven hours up my sleeve I have had time to suss the place out and think that all will be well (fingers crossed).

My 12 hour flight was uneventful, I managed to doze for a while, however being school holidays the plane was packed with kids, so it was noisy.  The lady on the inside of me didn't go to the toilet once in 12 hours! I find that amazing.  Having an aisle seat made it easier to stretch out and move around. 

I'm at the airport now, and just had the most delicious quesadilla.  I thought I would be able to have a shower, but because my status for Air New Zealand points is piggy backing on Lance's points they wouldn't let me in. I felt a bit like the poor relation.  So it was a wash with wet wipes in the public restrooms. So here I am, waiting, waiting, waiting.  I have tried to doze but it is not working.  I am slightly envious of a mother and her two little kids who have been fast asleep for a couple of hours on the ottoman next to me. 

Finally I got to leave the airport. I felt like Tom Hanks in the movie The Terminal. I have walked around so many times in the last 7 hours I am expecting the staff to call out my name and ask me how my family is. 

Toilet report: clean but sensitive flushers. You only need to move a millimetre and the auto flush goes. 

As we flew out I had a grand view of the Golden Gate Bridge (which is actually pinky red) and Alcatraz. Finally I felt like I had truely been sitting in San Francisco. 

I had expected a little bit of dinner or something on the 5 hour flight to Anchorage. But alas, only tea, coffee and pretzels. So I arrived close to midnight starving. Everything was closed except for the bar, so I took a gin and tonic to bed with me. 

Of course I should have realised that this far north there would be daylight late into the evening. A bit like our very southern parts of NZ. However I really didn't expect to be able to see the snowy mountains as we decended into Anchorage.

A deserted city on a Friday night, although the taxi did pass one roof top bar that was packed. It wasn't too chilly, in fact it was 17 degrees, quite mild. 

I am staying at the Sheraton and the king bed was like heaven after more than a 24 hours travelling. But you know what it is like, body exhausted and head running a marathon. 

So here I sit, packed up and ready to transfer to Whittier where I will board the Star Princess and catch up with Dillon and Lou'ana.