July 26th- Thursday
I wake up, look outside, and see three enormous cruise ships near us. We are docked in Juneau again. These huge, damn cruise ships control everything near them. I don’t think I ever want to go on one of them.
City World
This time I got off with Elaine on a venture for internet, fulfilling errands, a few groceries, and to simply get away from the boat. It only takes a walk of 2 blocks up a slight hill to get away from the tourist crowds. She introduces me to a coffee shop filled with trendy, cool looking people. Lots of Macs in use. Juneau’s independent radio station in the background. Blazing hot chai tea. Burned tongue. Swear word(s).
This city is actually really cool. I wish I had more time than just a few hours at a time to explore it. I want to find a public bus, jump on and see where it takes me. It almost felt like Barcelona in that I heard at least 6 languages in 10 minutes while walking around.
After dishes were done that night, I went out to the deck and chatted for a while with the guide who’s on duty this week. He’s originally from Australia and loves Alaska and Mexico. It was my perfect opportunity to ask a million questions about the Tlingits. There are two totems: Eagle and Raven. Although different, they are considered equal. Each totem has 20something clans. Eagle’s is divided into animals of prey: bear and wolf for example. Raven’s are non predator animals: frog, hummingbird, etc. Families are matriarchal: Eagle man will marry Raven woman and their children will be Ravens.
July 27th- Friday
Natural World
This was an exceptional day for natural life. An hour or so after dinner a number of humpback whales began breaching about a half mile away from us. There were about 9 of them, calves included. And they were playing! Pectoral fins flailing out of the water, rolling around, swimming around each other, and the best part, breaching nearby. They didn’t stop. For a half hour they played and got so close to the boat that we could see the barnacles on their skin, hear them breathing, and get splashed from their playing. These beasts are huge, can weigh many tons, yet their gracefulness while swimming is like water ballet. When they roll around it reminds me of a puppy scratching its back on the grass. Rolly polly.
Then two sea lions joined the play and I could count the whiskers on their faces they were that close. Fat sea lions with big brown eyes, cute snout, and big teeth. More rolly polly.
We were in Glacier Bay all day. I got to ask questions during crew lunch to the visiting guide. Why are glaciers blue? Because the ice absorbs all the other colors and reflects only that turquoise blue. Why does it have streaks of dirt like a road in the middle? Because the sides of the glacier scratch the mountains they’re in, pick up the dirt and when two of them merge, they form that road of dirt. Why is the water bubbling right next to it? Because water within the glacier is melting, forming a cavern and it emerges at the front. Will it completely disappear soon? It could. It could also advance 100 miles in one week with the right temperature. There was a small Ice Age 300 years ago. Montreal could see the glaciers from Glacier Bay. The last big Ice Age, ice covered all of Alaska.
I felt like a nerd. But I learned a lot.
Today I watched Monsoon Wedding. It is highly recommended. It doesn’t follow most Bollywood characteristics.
July 28th- Saturday
Working World
Mario made strawberry shortcake. My mother’s is much better. We had a drill for man overboard. My position was spotter on the observation deck. I need to learn how to use a radio. Just in case.
My thighs are imprinted with the reversed symbols for electric shock and lock/unlock from my laptop.
I wake up, look outside, and see three enormous cruise ships near us. We are docked in Juneau again. These huge, damn cruise ships control everything near them. I don’t think I ever want to go on one of them.
City World
This time I got off with Elaine on a venture for internet, fulfilling errands, a few groceries, and to simply get away from the boat. It only takes a walk of 2 blocks up a slight hill to get away from the tourist crowds. She introduces me to a coffee shop filled with trendy, cool looking people. Lots of Macs in use. Juneau’s independent radio station in the background. Blazing hot chai tea. Burned tongue. Swear word(s).
This city is actually really cool. I wish I had more time than just a few hours at a time to explore it. I want to find a public bus, jump on and see where it takes me. It almost felt like Barcelona in that I heard at least 6 languages in 10 minutes while walking around.
After dishes were done that night, I went out to the deck and chatted for a while with the guide who’s on duty this week. He’s originally from Australia and loves Alaska and Mexico. It was my perfect opportunity to ask a million questions about the Tlingits. There are two totems: Eagle and Raven. Although different, they are considered equal. Each totem has 20something clans. Eagle’s is divided into animals of prey: bear and wolf for example. Raven’s are non predator animals: frog, hummingbird, etc. Families are matriarchal: Eagle man will marry Raven woman and their children will be Ravens.
July 27th- Friday
Natural World
This was an exceptional day for natural life. An hour or so after dinner a number of humpback whales began breaching about a half mile away from us. There were about 9 of them, calves included. And they were playing! Pectoral fins flailing out of the water, rolling around, swimming around each other, and the best part, breaching nearby. They didn’t stop. For a half hour they played and got so close to the boat that we could see the barnacles on their skin, hear them breathing, and get splashed from their playing. These beasts are huge, can weigh many tons, yet their gracefulness while swimming is like water ballet. When they roll around it reminds me of a puppy scratching its back on the grass. Rolly polly.
Then two sea lions joined the play and I could count the whiskers on their faces they were that close. Fat sea lions with big brown eyes, cute snout, and big teeth. More rolly polly.
We were in Glacier Bay all day. I got to ask questions during crew lunch to the visiting guide. Why are glaciers blue? Because the ice absorbs all the other colors and reflects only that turquoise blue. Why does it have streaks of dirt like a road in the middle? Because the sides of the glacier scratch the mountains they’re in, pick up the dirt and when two of them merge, they form that road of dirt. Why is the water bubbling right next to it? Because water within the glacier is melting, forming a cavern and it emerges at the front. Will it completely disappear soon? It could. It could also advance 100 miles in one week with the right temperature. There was a small Ice Age 300 years ago. Montreal could see the glaciers from Glacier Bay. The last big Ice Age, ice covered all of Alaska.
I felt like a nerd. But I learned a lot.
Today I watched Monsoon Wedding. It is highly recommended. It doesn’t follow most Bollywood characteristics.
July 28th- Saturday
Working World
Mario made strawberry shortcake. My mother’s is much better. We had a drill for man overboard. My position was spotter on the observation deck. I need to learn how to use a radio. Just in case.
My thighs are imprinted with the reversed symbols for electric shock and lock/unlock from my laptop.
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