Return from ALASKA

What an experience!  Our first ever cruise and the destination was Alaska aboard the Zuiderdam a vessel with Holland America line.  Fantastic except that their internet fees were outside our comfort zone so we have been off the air for the past 7 days.
We arrived back into Vancouver this morning and after a leisurely breakfast we finally disembarked just before 9am.  Now we are settled into our hotel for the night I need to do some catch up.
Our stateroom (not cabin) was on the inside so no windows but as we only intended to sleep and shower there, why pay so much extra for a window.
There were 10 decks and 2 and 3 and 9 and 10 had lounges, restaurants, casino, dining room, shops, theatre, stage and swimming pools so there was plenty of room to move around and always somewhere to find a comfy chair to watch the world go by or to look for whales, dolphins, seals and other assorted sea life and interesting barges and boats that we passed.
We stopped into Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan with a day cruising in Glacier Bay as well.  What an experience and how interesting at our ports of call to see the shops that are run by the cruise lines as compared to those locally owned.  We got to notice finally the locals with signs in their windows or over their doors pointing out that they were owned by 'local' Alaskans and not just open for the summer.
We have never seen so many jewellery shops in one place like in each of the towns we visited. Again many are run by the cruise lines and you receive discount books as you board the ship with advertising re their terrific discounts. These shops are staffed only during the summer and the staff are brought in by the cruise lines so not even jobs for the locals. Was interesting!
I visited a fibre shop in Juneau (owned by a local) and she told me her husband worked for the Coast Guard and that the population was around 25000.
Again there were lots of souvenier shops and multiple jewellery shops, seems Tanzanite is the rage (comes from Tanzania) is running out so will gain in value in years to come (so all the sales folk said)! Admittedly the stone is a beautiful blue but we were not brave enough to buy diamonds, tanzanite or the Canadian Ammorlite (very colourful) as thought we would wait till we are home and can go back to the jeweller if we were not happy.  I did try on a pink diamond however and then when asked 'so what about I give you the best price' I answered that it was very nice but I am not buying.

Skagway was our furtherest north town and just 895 folk but an interesting few streets to walk around. We visited the local museum and saw many eskimo displays and artifacts.

Ketchikan was our last port of call and there we went to the lumberjack show where two teams competed against each other demonstrating various skills of the original timber getters in the area.  This of course included log rolling in the swimming pool and various types of wood  chopping.  Their other main industry is salmon fishing and the local fleet are coming and going all the time.

Another interesting site were sea planes coming and going each capable of carrying up to 10 passengers.  The cruise offered scenic rides on the float planes but they were more fun to watch taking off and landing than being on one I think, also that height thing is still around and having an effect on someone I know and love so can't expect too much.

Glacier Bay was just that, about 4 glaciers feeding into the bay which is now a world heritage site.  Park rangers come on board and explain what we are looking at as we move around the bay and ensure that the ship is where it should be.
The Grand Pacific glacier is about 250ft high at it's face and as we 'parked' there for about 30 mins you could hear the ice cracking and see it falling into the water. There was also dirty water gushing out near the waterline which showed the dirt and sediment that was being washed out with the melt underneath.

We were so lucky with the weather for our day in Glacier Bay as the previous 4 had all been overcast and showers.  As you can see we had blue skies and a magic day although very cold.  The previous weeks cruise had encountered a foggy day where they couldnt see anything, what a heartbreak that would be?

VICTORIA on Vancouver Island

Another magic weather day with clear sky and warm sunshine with a light breeze.
We had the day to ourselves and took advantage of the lift to town on the bus taking the whale watching excursion folk  to their boat.
There was a hop on hop off bus just opposite so we treated ourselves to a ride.  This gave us a one and a half hour tour around the city and we therefore saw a lot more than otherwise.
Would you believe right at the Information centre they were set up for the Today show to do their Friday morning show sitting beside the harbour.  They had evidently been in Banff for Canada Day and we hadn't realised or we might have gone and said gday. 
After the bus ride we found ourselves a barber for the man to have a haircut so once all the important things were done then we walked the streets and visited Parliament House built in the 1880's.  What a beautiful building and the flower beds in front are just delightful. We took lots of photos of the various stained glass windows and the domed centre of the building.

We have enjoyed watching the float planes landing and taking off on the harbour in front of our hotel.  Our tour guide says that there are over 100 flights per day and many of them are to Vancouver and Seattle for business folk.  It is only a short flight and far more economic than flying to Vancouver airport well outside the city and then having to commute into the city.

We head off tomorrow for the trip back to the mainland on the ferry to go to Vancouver where this bus tour finishes.  There are a few of us continuing on the cruise to Alaska whilst others depart for various points of the globe.
We have enjoyed the experience and the folk on this tour in general have been good travel companions.  The bus has been comfortable and there has been room for Lawrie's long legs so the whole experience with Globus has been good. Would be happy to travel again with them.

VANCOUVER ISLAND

CANADA DAY IN BANFF

Canada Day 1 July celebrates the birth of the Dominion of Canada and this year was the 146th birthday. Our tour director Sue had decorated the bus in red and white balloons and we had all been given tattoos and paper flags the previous day so that we could join in the fun. There was a parade late in the afternoon and we were able to wave our flags as it passed our hotel as we waited to leave for dinner.  We visited a theatre restaurant where the show was all about music that originated in Canada with some surprises to their American cousins.  It was a lot of fun and we all enjoyed the evening.

Earlier in the day we had visited the gondola ride to the top of Sulphur Mtn for the view down on to Banff.  Now anyone who knows Lawrie well will know that he does not do heights!!!!  We had taken the Sudoku book along so that he would have something to do as neither of us thought he would ride.
Well it wasn't till we arrived that he decided to make the ride to the top (5400 ft above sea level).  Each of the cars/cages held 4 adults so the other couple with us kept him talking while I took photos!  Coming down we had another lady come down with us and I had to try and keep the 2 of them calm, so with them looking uphill and me down, talking and taking photos we made the descent.  He admits the legs felt a little weird but the worst had been going through the staunchions going up as there had been a lurch each time, however coming down had not been so bad.  My comment that now he had done that he would be able to do it next time too did not get shouts of agreement from him so.........we will see.

It was a very hot day in Banff and although there were lots of people around the locals said that numbers were quite down compared to previous years.  They think that the 300mm of rain in 3 days just over a week ago that resulted in flooding down the Bow river from Banff had made folks change their plans for the long weekend.  Heaven help us if the normal crowd had been there.

We were lucky enough to meet up with a Mountie whilst walking in the park so had our photo taken with him.  Their horses are only used for a musical display they do annually so their were no horses there for the parade.  They certainly would have been hot in their red serge coats.

More Canadian Magic

The vehicle we travelled out to the Columbia Icefield in costs 1.1 million to buy.  This icefield is 150 square miles in area and the largest south of the Arctic Circle.
We walked on the Athabasca glacier which has retreated one and a half kilometres in just over 100 yrs.
The colour in the lakes and glacier is caused by the amount of 'rock flour' that is in the water.  This substance comes from the limestone and is caused by the grinding of the ice as it moves and is compacted.  The more colour the more rock flour in the water.  The particles are suspended in the water and cause refraction of light from the sun hence the colour.

JASPER to BANFF

This 230km trip took us along the Icefield Parkway and the whole distance we were surrounded by snow capped mountains.  We passed from the Jasper National Park to the Banff National Park and after crossing through the highest point we left the Athabasca River behind and instead started to see the Saskatchewn River which flows to the west unlike the other flowing to the east.
At the highest point we were 7200 feet above sea level and then descended to 5400.  We certainly noticed the effect when we were out walking around and certainly when walking uphill.  I like to think that our colds are contributing to the effect we are feeling as I am sure they aren't helping.
During the last week they have had severe rain up this way and the Bow River which flows through Banff down to Calgary caused flooding down in that area and folk were forced from their homes.  Some of our folk were planning on doing a helicopter flight over the area from here however the helicopter landing area etc has all been washed away so not this time.  After dinner tonight we went for a walk along the river path and you could see the silt on the path and debris piled against the bridge pylons.

Our Athabasca adventure