30th Sept - 1st Oct 2019
I took a further wander around the ship. This (left) is the swimming pool, hot bubbly pool and bar on the top deck. Quite pleasant on a sunny day.
Right: A 'bathing belle' by the pool. 'No Diving' it says, and I think you can see the reason why. It might empty the pool.
Of course I was expecting to see lots of Eskimos and huskies wandering about the place. Of course there weren't. I was told later at the museum that 'Eskimo' is the generic term for tribes in the snowy north of the state and they don't really live in igloos any more. There are many 'tribes' which inhabit the state, presumably because the population is divided into small pockets and communication and transport between them is limited due to the inhospitable terrain. Some 'villages' in the hinterland consist of just one big building and about 50 residents.
Right: Looking up Main Street towards Mount Juneau (3150ft), or at least the bottom third of it, with a spectacular waterfall. Such a pity the weather has changed from sunny to sodden overnight.
I had been informed of an Irish Pub (Oirish Bear) on Shattock Way called 'Lucky Lady' (left). It gets lots of good mentions on travel websites. An obvious port of call.
I was not disappointed. Empty when I got there but filled up later. A very social and pleasant watering hole and definitely recommended if you are passing this way. Unlike on-board ship I could afford a drink here.
Right: Donna, the friendly and efficient lady behind the bar. They also had good WiFi.
I called in at a small museum cum art gallery on Franklin Street. It had an interesting section on halibut fishing. Halibut being the most important fish other than salmon in these parts. There is, specifically, a display devoted to the ancient native designed halibut hook.
Right: This is it.
Left:........and a video of halibut being caught on these efficient devices.
Don't let them tell you you don't learn something new and useful on this blog.
Left: ...and a female warrior.
Despite the foul weather, and exorbitant cost ($35), I decided, because I doubt I will ever get another opportunity, to take a ride on the cable car up Roberts Mountain.
Left: A car approaching the top station.
There is a large gift shop, cinema and restaurant at the top station. Plus it is the start point for many arduous hiking trails
Right: A slightly better view on the way down.
Early bed.
Monday 30th Sept
Day 2. Off we went (yesterday) up the Inner Passage. The sea-state was dead calm and the sun shone. The scenery was impressive with forested hills either side of us. The distance to Juneau from Vancouver is 775 miles as the crow flies so will be considerably further around and between all the islands. We are due to arrive there at 1.00pm tomorrow.
I took a further wander around the ship. This (left) is the swimming pool, hot bubbly pool and bar on the top deck. Quite pleasant on a sunny day.
Right: A 'bathing belle' by the pool. 'No Diving' it says, and I think you can see the reason why. It might empty the pool.
I passed by the gym again to examine all the machines and see if I could work out how to use them. I think I understood. Will try them tomorrow morning. While there I listened in to a lecture on 'How to Increase Your Metabolism'. It was actually quite sensible and gave the answer as to how you could lose lots of weight around your stomach and rejuvenate your liver without faddy diets or exercise. Something to do with intake of alkali and reduction of acid. On further querying this afterwards they had the perfect solution to hand.....a course of algae pills and 'personalised' programme which would cost a mere $120 a month for 6 months! Well bollocks to that. Snake oil salesmen superieur.
After a very good dinner in the main dining room, and the food is excellent with a varied and inventive menu, I decided to go to watch an American 'stand-up comedian' on the main stage of the large theatre which takes up two decks at the front of the ship. What is it about some so called 'comedians' that makes me so irritated? This guy was no exception. He sashayed about the stage creased up with laughter at his own jokes which, quite frankly, were not very funny. There was a full house and they dutifully laughed uproariously. They were, I suspect, mostly Americans so maybe I just don't get their childish sense of humour. Anyway I walked out at half-time.
Tuesday 1st October
Day 3. This morning, as previous, I had breakfast (eggs & bacon etc.) delivered to my cabin. Another much appreciated service included in the fare. After a leisurely fiddle on my computer which again proved uncooperative when trying to add to this journal, I found I didn't have time to do my gym visit. We arrived in Juneau, on schedule, at 1.00pm. The scenery would have been dramatic had it not been for the fact that it was pissing with rain, a cloud base of 200ft and vis of less than 1000m!
Juneau, the capital city of Alaska, is not much bigger than Chipping Sodbury and there are no roads in and out. You can only get there by ship or 'plane, or walk. Anchorage, well off to the west, is the largest city. In fact Alaska is the largest state in the US, with an area of 1,481,346 square km and a population of only 760,000 (the least populated state in the US). By comparison Suffolk, in UK, has an area of 3,800 square km and a population of about 750,000......and that doesn't feel overcrowded.
Of course I was expecting to see lots of Eskimos and huskies wandering about the place. Of course there weren't. I was told later at the museum that 'Eskimo' is the generic term for tribes in the snowy north of the state and they don't really live in igloos any more. There are many 'tribes' which inhabit the state, presumably because the population is divided into small pockets and communication and transport between them is limited due to the inhospitable terrain. Some 'villages' in the hinterland consist of just one big building and about 50 residents.
Right: Looking up Main Street towards Mount Juneau (3150ft), or at least the bottom third of it, with a spectacular waterfall. Such a pity the weather has changed from sunny to sodden overnight.
I had been informed of an Irish Pub (Oirish Bear) on Shattock Way called 'Lucky Lady' (left). It gets lots of good mentions on travel websites. An obvious port of call.
I was not disappointed. Empty when I got there but filled up later. A very social and pleasant watering hole and definitely recommended if you are passing this way. Unlike on-board ship I could afford a drink here.
Right: Donna, the friendly and efficient lady behind the bar. They also had good WiFi.
I called in at a small museum cum art gallery on Franklin Street. It had an interesting section on halibut fishing. Halibut being the most important fish other than salmon in these parts. There is, specifically, a display devoted to the ancient native designed halibut hook.
Right: This is it.
Left:........and a video of halibut being caught on these efficient devices.
Don't let them tell you you don't learn something new and useful on this blog.
There were varous other exhibits devoted to the many local tribes (not Eskimos). Right: They were big into face masks. The one 2nd left top row looks a bit like John Bercow, the Speaker (too much) in the Westminster Parliament. It may have been a forebear of his. Perhaps he could go back there.
Left: ...and a female warrior.
During a wander around town I found a 'liquor store' and bought a bottle of red wine, and a local newspaper, to take back on board.
Despite the foul weather, and exorbitant cost ($35), I decided, because I doubt I will ever get another opportunity, to take a ride on the cable car up Roberts Mountain.
Right: Our boat.
Left: A car approaching the top station.
Right: A (sort of) view over Juneau from the viewing platform at the top. What a bugger that the weather screwed things up. I was usefully told that it was bright and sunny yesterday. It's a long way to come to be refused a good view.
There is a large gift shop, cinema and restaurant at the top station. Plus it is the start point for many arduous hiking trails
Left: A (thalidomide?) bear advertising hiking. Not likely in this weather.
Right: A slightly better view on the way down.
Left: Probably the best view of Juneau is on this aerial plan. The land on the other side of the estuary is Douglas Island and connected from Juneau by a road bridge to Douglas town.
Back on board at 8.00pm after a final visit to the Lucky Lady. I could have stayed ashore longer as we were not due to sail until 11.00pm, but most places, other than the pubs, had closed by now and I was getting wet. On boarding we had to pass our carrier bags etc. through another scanning machine. My bottle of wine was confiscated! ( I get it back on departure but knowing me I shall forget).
Early bed.
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