2/9 Ketchikan Alaska

Sunday 2^nd Ketchikan Alaska

We gained yet another hour last night, set the phone alarm, and woke up in Ketchikan – a small and historic town hanging off the fringe of low hills on the edge of a fjord, much like Norway. We did the stretch/abs/brekky treble and then took to land. We are tied up behind two other ships right on the edge of the main street.

Ketchikan means flight of eagle

 

We set off up a short but steep hill and then down the other side. A river ran steeply out to the sea and salmon are apparently fighting their way up it to their spawning grounds, although we could not see them. A “salmon ladder” to one side of the bridge offered them an easier path and a manky ex-salmon sprawled on the bank attested to the difficulty even of that avenue.

We climbed another steep hill to a “vantage point” that offered only glimpses between tall tree trunks and then down the other side. This was land where the “first nation” people used to live and the city leaders decided that the women of ill repute should all reside on this side of the creek.  The miners and prospectors beat a path there for home comforts that were lacking in the town proper. There is also a track winding down the far bank out of sight of the town, known as the “married man’s path of shame”. Would you believe that those cads and bounders were also sneaking down there for a bit of chocolate?

Harbour seals

We browsed the shops and saw interesting bits and pieces, including silver rings inlaid with small gold nuggets, and all manner of furry things. Outside next to the lower reaches of the river we saw mottled seals (Harbour Seals) hunting the salmon, and even saw half a dozen or so big salmon resting in a shallow pool at the bottom of the hill. The jewellery shops were offering free trinkets to cruise passengers (much as they had in the Caribbean) and we collected a few of those. We then found a young chap drumming up customers to go on a trip to see bears and other wildlife and J went off with them while I was sent to collect a few remaining tokens and have lunch.

Beautiful scenery

Totems everywhere

Village scape

I just had time to get to the Sudoku Challenge, where I won the gold medal J although to give the other competitors the slender benefit of sight doubt, they did arrive late and I had started on time. Still . . . waaaauuugh hey.

J came back about 3, without bear photos L Having been assured that it was prime bear watching season and they were everyhere, and then after constant “hey the bears are everywhere . .lets look for bear footprints” the story changed to “well we never get bears at high tide”.  Pity they didn’t say that while they were collecting money hey. There was a bush walk with commentary about native herbs and berries . . . rather like we get at home. And an interesting insight into First Nation maths – “my mother was a halfblood and my father was a halfblood so I am a real fullblood”.

We went from afternoon tea to the loyalty office, perched precariously above the 8 storey atrium space, for them to register us as past passengers. This got us into the private fleet quiz then the cocktail party, which was much better. They laid out real chocolate, finger food that we didn’t bother with, wine and . . . Rum Punch!  Man that was mighty fine liquor! We sampled it repeatedly over the 45 minutes before dinner.

We have an Indian assistant waiter who is fully into guest hugging, which we have never seen before. It is slightly weird to be hugged into the restaurant or wherever he might see you in the buffet, and you have to wonder about the hygiene of washing your hands with antiseptic as you enter the dining room then shaking hands with the waiter?

We had the Americans back, together with another couple who were alone at a table. Both couples have done 35 cruises with Royal Caribbean and qualify as Diamond Plus guests. Gail and Dean are in a Grand Suite, which they are going to show us tomorrow, and Dean is a retired pilot and Flight Boss from the USS Nimitz  (so he says). Tom seems to have been a senior manager at 3M and had visited Sydney frequently. We had an interesting talk about governments and economies.

Dinner passed in a haze of Rum Punch and then we dashed up to the Music Quiz. We are definitely not Country experts (yee haw) but we joined another couple and then Gail arrived, so we got most of the answers, although 4 off the pace. Tomorrow is 70s night, which we seem to do well.

I was very happy to hit our 9’ wide bed after that and J went off to the show. Male vocalist . . woo hoo.  J writes.  Who was in fact very good.   A high energy show with fantastic music.  Well worth the effort to go and see him.