6 Junie 2015 Ketchikan

6 June 2015: Ketchikan

Our day in Ketchikan started with rain and a thick mist covering the town . They had told us that this town gets lots and lots of rain ,12.5 feet is there average rainfall a year and sure enough here we were experience it for ourselves. With breakfast I was still deciding would I be brave and go walking about in the rain or stay on board but after being @ sea all day yesterday I decided,  nee wat pak maar die bul by die horing and go walking about in the rain, can’t be so bad!!! So after waiting for the big rush with going ashore to pass, I left with my umbrella and hit the streets of Ketchikan.Here they are geared for rainy days so it is normal for the locals. I took the tram up to my normal lookout over town and spend a while there downloading my magazines and posting my blog. The lobby was packed with tourist trying to get out of the cold and rain so I was lucky to get a nice comfy chair and there I sat until I was ready to head back to the ship. On my way back I decided I was going to buy us some snacks for tonight, something like a midnight feast!! Funny how you learn to appreciate small things like a cup of coffee, for here when hubby brings a cup of coffee to the room we have to share the cup, so you enjoy each sip. Well it rained all day and we did not even have a glimpse of the sun, maybe next week?

 

 

07 Junie 2015:@ Sea

Vandag is ons weer op die see vir die dag en oppad na Vancouver toe.Kom more oggend daar aan en dan is dit weer passasiers oplaai vir die volgende rondte. Die gesegde soos mis voor die son verdwyn het vir my nuwe betekenis gekry want wraggies vandag was dit net mis waar jy kyk en in n oogwink was dit weg,en jy kon weer sien waar jy is. Vanoggend  was so mistig dat die skip ook vir n hele rukkie aanmekaar na kort breuke sy mishoring geblaas het ,wat vir my n eerste was, nog nooit dit beleef vandat ek n skipkat geword het nie!!! Het darem weer vandag by die gym uitgeslaan en lekker geoefen ,aan my rol gewerk !!! Laat middag was ons net betyds om n walvis by ons kamer venstertji te sien verby swem maar die skip was op spoed so was omtrent n vinnige kyk,kon darem sy stert sien en n geblaas,nogal naby aan die skip gewees,hoop darem veilig vir hulle.Nou ja tot more mooi bly.

08 July 2015: Vancouver

Arrived in Vancouver this morning on a beautiful sunny day .What a difference a beautiful day makes to visiting a city, just feels good, bright and beautiful. So must admit I prefer the sunny skies, Afrika se Kind!!. Hubby’s friend came all the way from Seattle to come and visit him, so I got the opportunity to meet him at last, very thankful for he was very good to hubby when he arrived on the ships 3 years ago, a lovely man, some people you meet and you just like them from the word go. Hope he will come and visit some day for he has just been in SA but hubby was working at the time. Was telling us about very rough seas that they had experienced on a ship a lot smaller than ours and said it was wild!!!,oooo koek my swak hart, hope we are spared that. Also had to get rid of the ice that kept on accumulating on the ship and had men getting rid of it or should I say chipping away at it. Admit that the snow, mountains, sea, glaciers and towns are beautiful but think the cold would be too much for me. Well after a nice chat, I left the two of them to catch up after a  3 years break and should have gone on my bike ride in this nice weather but went window shopping and ended up in a M&M clothing store that had a sale going ,and there I got stuck, and you won’t believe it, after 2 hours  i left without buying a thing. That is one nice thing about coming back to places, to be able to go back and buy next week, that’s if the thing is still there! This week we will turn around in Seward and will only be in Vancouver on the 22 again, I prefer the Seward to Vancouver trip. So bye until tomorrow.

9 Junie 2015: @ SEA

Vandag weer op die see gewees en vanoggend vasgesit aan die bed!! Kon net nie opstaan nie een van daardie dae.Darem myself later uit gekry en toe gym toe, waar ek n goeie sessie ingekry het.Met my vloer oefeninge was die gym outji/instrukteur besig om een van sy lesings te gee wat vir my intressant was.Goed soos jou liggaam se pH en die invloed van wat ons eet en drink op op liggaam het,the good the bad and the ugly!Was laat vir ontbyt en kon nie my gewone roetine deurwerk nie.Het wraggies weer in die tou gaan staan vir die wafels met die room en blueberries maar toe dit te lank vat darem tot my sinne gekom en besluit net n ou koppie tee vir jou!! Movies begin kyk en toe ook verder vasgeval op die bed.See nogal omgekrap maar rol darem nie te veel nie of ons voel dit nie meer nie, seebene. More is dit weer Ketchikan en dan Juneau waar liefie af is,dink ons moet weer by Tracys Crabs n draai gaan maak  gelukkig sal ek  sy arm maklik gedraai kry vir dit!Tot more mooi bly

 

10 July 2015: Ketchikan

Arrived in Ketchikan on an overcast morning but had no rain today!!!! After a quick walk into some of the shops I decided to explore the downtown so off I went and walked and walked forever!! Was bald eagle flyover day today, for I saw stacks of them and was so beautiful to watch them. They told us if we want to look for eagles we must look for golf balls in the trees and sure enough there white heads look like small golf balls in the trees. Can’t get enough of watching them fly and sweef! Wish I could sit down near a river and watch them fish and fly. After my long walk I took a left turn towards the mountain or I should say cliffs and little did I know what I let myself into, a heart break hill that went on forever, halfway up I met an older couple on their way back and first asked them is all this climbing is worth it when I get to the summit!!! They said there was the public library, with a lovely view and Wi-Fi so on I went huffing and puffing with a heartbeat that was in overdrive for sure. Even tried walking backwoods to see if that made it easier, at that stage I did not care what I looked like, I just wanted to get to the top. At the top you had a beautiful view of the mountains with a huge library building overlooking the lovely mountains. That is one thing I can say about the public libraries in these part are amazing. They seem to be the heart of the small towns. I am only sorry I did not come earlier to have more time to spend here, but  will have to find another route, for the heartbreak hill, I don’t think I want to tackle that again but I definitely want  to come back to enjoy the magazines, the  fire, the view, and  peace in this lovely building. Consequences I will sit with tomorrow!!! Sore legs and bottom. Had a lovely day and got more than enough exercise for one day. Tomorrow it is Juneau and hubby is off, he just want to go for his run and says he want us to go back to the park to just lie in the sun, boemie style, after  a visit to Tracy’s Crab ,just hope the weather plays along ,so we will see. Bye

11 Junie 2015: Juneau

Alaska weer in volle swang!! Reen en Reen en Reen.Met ontbyt vanoggend net gesit en gekyk na die gietende reen  en nie geweet of ons vandag voete aan wal gaan sit nie.Gelukkig moes ons eers weer wag vir die passasiers om  af te klim en so teen 11h00 toe reen dit darem net  saggies en nie meer so hard nie.Ek en liefie sou eers die bus vat tot in die dorp maar toe ons die lang ry sien toe besluit ons nee wat die boertjies gaan maar voetslaan in die reen.Gelukkig het dit half pad dorp toe ophou reen en die son wou sy kop begin uitsteek.Vandag was weer Raven dag in die dorp want daar was orals van hulle tot op een afgekom wat met n box by n vispak plek gestoei het,was eintlik snaak om dop te hou hyt omtrent die box gepik en aangeval met daardie skerp snawel van hom ,daar moes iets lekker binnekant dit gewees het.Het hierso net 1 eagle gesien wat net so bokant die dorp in n boom gesit het maar hyt gelyk hy kry koud en nie lus vir baie vandag nie.Eers  gou apteek toe en toe by die bib n draai gemaak,was heeltyd reg onder ons neuse!!  So sal met volgende besoek tyd maak vir daarso inval.Toe begin dit weer stort reen en ons moes toe in die ry inval by Tracy Crab want dis nou ons 1x maand treat.Liefie het bly staan terwyl ek onderdak vir ons sitplek gaan soek het en gelukkig n ou gaaitjie gekry.Teen die tyd was ons lekker honger en koud want wraggies met ons gym klere rondgeloop,so het later met ons reen ponchos om ons bene gesit vir bietjie hitte.Wel het omtrent ons weer ooreet aan die lekker sop,brood,krapkoekies en crab,was heerlik.Na die eertery het ons die pad skip toe aangepak en besluit n lekker middag slapie op so n nat en koue dag, net lekker kan wees.Ekhet eers gou n lekker koppie tee gaan drink en toe is dit kooi toe.Dink ons het ons ooreet want het so n ligte galerigheid aan ons albei, dit kom nou van te veel!!! Sal vir liefie se verjaarsdag onsself bederf met ons laaste besoek aan die plek, voor ons huis waarts keer vir n lekker vuurtjie met chops, wors,braaibroodjies en aartappel in foelie. Hartsgoed,Huisgoed,Huis.Tot more mooi bly.

12 June 2015: Skagway:

Still sitting with the consequences from that terrible hill I climbed, feel stiff and sore ,moet eers in rat kom as ek opstaan en wil loop,die melksuur het in my boude en bene kom sit,en ek het gedink ek is fiks ,scary!!  But very good exercise. We are in Skagway for the day and only leave tonight at 20h00 so long day to go, gallivanting .No rain but is cool outside so am geared for the cold. First strolled in and out of the different shops in the main street then worked my way to the library where I seem to spend a lot of my time, will be library fundi after this cruise!!! If I could, I would definitely go on all the excursions they offer but that would mean my poor husband would have to work 24/7 with no leave. The Wi-Fi was terribly slow and just gets you worked up, so hopefully we will be able to get our things downloaded in Seward. My wish for the future is to be able to get more magazines from home on my Kaboedel subscription, but time will tell. Slurp hierso alles op, anyway here they have these fur shops in Alaska with the most beautiful jackets, coats, hats, scarves, shoes just to name a few and I find myself touching these garments when I am in the shop and as soon as I think that they killed this poor animal for its fur I don’t think they are so beautiful anymore! Yesterday one of the security officers who is a friends of ours told me, he dreamt I fell overboard and they had to put a ladder out for me!!! I said thanks for sharing that with me will definitely be carefull on the open decks, imagine, is definitely a nightmare, no desire to swim in this freezing water!!! Was back on board late afternoon and first went to have a nice hot cup of tea. Until tomorrow, bye.

14 Junie 2015: @SEA

Yesterday we were in Glasier Bay again on a beautiful sunny day.While I was in die gym I was lucky to see more cavings,think next week I should get up earlier to be outside when we get there,but only time will tell if I get that far!!Was another lazy day at sea and kept myself busy with drawings and movies.Last night we had dinner with the usual lot and spent time around the dinner table chatting and sharing stories, such a nice bunch of people who all get along well.Hubby was spoilt by another crew member who is also from SA and bought him a packet of romany cream cookies, needless to say this morning there was 1 left in the packet!! Real sweet tooth even had 2 helpings of his favourite chocolate volcano!! The one nurse has all the series and movies I enjoy so she put all my favourites on my exsternal hardrive, so I will have lots of time to work through the lot of them. Once you start watching you can’t stop!!This morning we arrived at Hubbards Glacier at 7h00 with lots and lots of ice floating all over, wanted to sleep late but after the first scratching sound against the ice my late sleeping was over.Then it was time for the gym with the beautiful view over the glacier and mountains.Really lovelly weather, 15 degrees outside so we call it hot and lovelly!!When I got back after breakfast the cleaning lady was here, so I had to go for another walk and was so beautiful on deck 6 so even got to lie on one of those loungers!! Te lekker en pragtig,want to go back later today .While outside it was time for the pilot boat to come and fetch the pilot that took us into Hubbard Glacier and took few pics which I will post,but must tell you, moet hulle storie ken and dangerous getting from this huge ship onto this small boat while they both are moving,if you fall between the two you are something of the past,for sure.They throw out a wooden ladder which he holds onto while getting onto the pilot boat.Must say while the pilot boat approaches the big ship it look as if he is coming straight for our boat,until you realise it the pilot boat.Well he got of safely so until next time which is in 2 weeks time.Later today I want to go to the informal chat the captain and the hotel director give about  life on the high seas!!Tomorrow we are back in Seward so time for exsploring again,looking forward to that,like this small port in Alaska and we pick up our next weeks passengers,who sail back to Vancouver.I only have 2 more  visits to Vanvouver then the next visit is time to fly home. On our daily info pamphlet I see sunrise is as 4.03 and sunset at 10.36, weird feeling.Well by for now.Have just heard that there is someone that might be bleeding actively and will have to airlifted to hospital, so that will be something to watch and a first for me.Ooo genade praat van drama,verbeel jou, jy moet in n stretcher van n skip tot in n helicopter ingehys word,vreesaanjaend.Wel dis presies wat gebeur het, eers het die helokopter om die skip gesirkuleer en toe net links van die skip gebly terwyl hulle een van sy personeel afgehys het tot op dek 13 en toe die mandtjie waarin hulle die pasient inlaai en weer ophys .Ek het altyd gedink hulle land op die skip maar dit is nie so nie.So dit het vir al wat leef en beef op die buite dek gehad om die lug evacuation  dop te dop ,moet se is dramaties en stressvol vir almal betrokke,maar dank die Here alles het goed gegaan en pasient veilig hier weg en lewendig.Na die gedoente is dit toe tyd weer vir eet en ons is bederf met Napoli dumplings en chicken soup wat heerlik was.Die kaptein het kom groet want hy more oppad huis toe vir sy vakansie,n baie oulike man.Ons is in Seward moreoggend en lyk my die weer speel saam,mooi bly tot volgende keer.