Alaska Ferry

With the bike tucked nicely on to the ferry in Haines Alaska, I settle in myself on the dry warm deck upstairs.

It appears that the last few motorhomes are making their escape from Alaska just in time like myself!

Last views of Haines and that big old white house I stayed in, second one at the top on the left.

It's still raining like crazy but never mind.. how gorgeous can it be?  Rain or sun, I don't care much.  I'm happy to make it on board and mostly find the 'weather' quite mystical for my journey out of the top end..

Views from the ferry..

The ferry was pleasant, only a few hours to Juneau Alaska where I will be getting off for a couple days.  You can take a direct ferry to Bellingham Washington, however, I knew I would be kicking myself if I didn't take the option to stop and see Juneau while I'm here.

On the way we pass another most amazing glacier.. Davidson Glacier.

Never tire of seeing these glaciers, they are mesmerizing! Always keeping in mind how much they are melting and all the media around it.  But I also think about when much larger areas of the planet were carved out by glacier ice thousands of years ago, right down into Indiana where I was born.  I remember learning that the reason the top end of Indiana is flat is because of the ice.  The bottom bit of Indiana has lots of hills and boulders that were supposedly pushed and deposited there before they started retreating.  And that was long before car exhaust and commercial global warming!

Now arriving Juneau.. where I get off. I get on to another ferry in 2 days for Belingham, Washington, so I'm looking forward to my short time in this capitol city of Alaska.

I see more float planes here than boats that float! ;-)  Just kidding, but there is certainly a huge presence of them here and everywhere in Alaska.

Juneau was a super cool place to visit.  It is unaccessible by road. So once you are there with your motorcycle, there's not much exploring to be had!  The road from Juneau goes only a few kilometers from town in either direction.

This is as far on the road you can go from Juneau on one end.. I feel a wee bit trapped! ;-)

I saw this boat on the side of the road and had to stop for a photo.. It's my nieces name all the way back in Indiana.. very cool! It's spelled a little differently, but still made me think of her.

I am lucky again to have a host here.. My host from Anchorage Alaska has a very good friend here in Juneau who then put me on to stay at his daughters house right in the city center!

And due to the rain and wind, they opted to show me around Juneau by car.. thank goodness!  That weather was seriously rough!  In the distance through the window of four cruise ships.  This is literally the LAST DAY for cruise ships in Juneau until next summer 2012.  The locals are doing the hallelujah dance big time!  A few months of peace for them coming up!

I didn't realize this, but seeing a bizzillion fancy jewelry stores in Juneau, they explain to me that they all pack up the $$$$$ jewelry and ship it down to the Caribbean cruise ship stops to sell during the winter.

And they proudly display their one and only Sarah Palin as a great photo opportunity for the cruise ship passengers who decide to shop here.. Who wants a photo with Sarah?!?

(I opted out of the photo "opp" ;-)

I did find this great old Russian Orthodox Church while riding around the bike a bit later.  It was a great feeling to know I was so close to the people and the land I traveled just one year ago. and right across the pond..  The United States purchased the Alaska territory from Russia in 1867.

My host family took me out to a great local pub for dinner, a couple beers, and all in all I can say stopping in Juneau was a great decision!

Next day time to pack up the bike in the rain and make my way to the next ferry.

Luckily the heavy morning rain stopped for now, which meant I didn't have to be thoroughly soaked while waiting.  Here comes the Kenicott!

This is quite often referred to as the poor mans cruise.. No fancy cabins or large continuous buffets.  You can book a cabin at a ridiculouly high price.  The cost of the ferry with me and my bike was more than enough cash so getting a cabin was out of the question.  What they do allow is camping outside on the top deck!

I was very worried about this, but quite prepared.  I slowly dragged me and my tent up the 3 or 4 flights of tiny ship stairs to the reception.  Once I arrived the clerk says that there is ONE very small bed available, and he can offer it to me.  It was an extra $90 for the 3 days, which was a no brainer for me.  The cabins for sale online were closer to $900!!

I can sleep in my little closet, and when I say little, there was no space to walk between my bed, and my pack to open the door.  However, the good news is that I can keep all my belongings locked up and feel safe about having my computer and cameras on hand when I want them.  Score!!

After setting sail, I went up to the deck and there were several tents there who were not offered the same deal, so I can only be so lucky!

 

Views on board.. one of the things I was most wishing for is to see the whales.. and we did!!!  Sorry for the poor photos, they were too far off in the distance to zoom anymore..

These guys were breaching, it was so exciting!

We get to make another really cool stop on our poor mans cruise, Ketchikan Alaska. I quite like how the local native language spells it!  Only here for a few hours, I take in as much as I can.

I met these two Alaskan brothers, Roger and Bob, who were taking the Juneau ferry to Ketchikan. Here they get off and grab a smaller ferry to an island where they are building a little shack.  I really enjoyed talking to these guys and they offered to show me a special part of Ketchikan called Totem Row.

This is the worlds largest collection of Native totems, including poles from Tongass, Cape Fox, Pennock and other island villages.  They carry a similar spirit but still very unique to the totems I have seen in Native areas of the lower 48.

 I like the fox!

Back to explore the town of Ketchikan.. I came across this window sign, which reminded me of the one very hot topic in this part of the world.  Glad to see it's a topic for them as well!

Ketchikan is full-on Alaska.  I have loved every bit of Alaska, but this town seems to sum up for me what I "imagined" the inner passage of Alaska living to look like.

Welcome to Creek Street! How good looking is this!  And can you believe I missed the photos because they are too fast, but I startled some seals just beside me in the water.

This part is quite known for being the 'brothel' area.  Ketchikan used to the the "Canned Salmon" capitol of the world, but business is business, and during it's heyday, "Married Man's Trail" had 30 brothels to supply however many fisherman!

Now this part of town is tastefully refurbished with cute shops for the cruise ship tourists.  Interesting history, both native and recent; and still a very unique lifestyle here, I would definitely put this town on your list if you can.

I got too excited about exploring and remembered at the last minute that I am due back to the ferry but wanted to get some snack food for the boat.  I ran, literally! around three kilometers, (probably should have taken a taxi) into the grocery, both soaking wet from rain and sweat, and got some goods just in time.

Back on the ferry for the next 3 days.. whew!

And the weather clears nicely AFTER I changed out of my wet clothes.. but better late than never!

 

One thing I loved about this trip was all the really cool people I met.  Of course we left Roger and his brother behind, but I got to learn so much about these guys and their lifestyle growing up in Alaska.

Who I seem to meet most on board now are bush plane pilots!  I wondered why until I asked more and it's the end of the "season" for these seasonal pilots, and they are either headed home or to another destination for work.

This is Scott and Chip.. Scott flys a seaplane and Chip is a Helicopter Pilot who is going home to his wife after 6 months working in Alaska.  (I have no idea what I said, but it must have been funny!)

Scott being a very smart pilot came well stocked on board with vodka and cranberry juice.. which he was kind enough to share and we enjoyed our "cruise" in style! ;-)

(We could never really figure out why a boat load of passengers are not back here enjoying the sunsets as well, but no complaints from us! ;-)

 

Next day, more whale spotting... awesome!

 And heaps of dolphins.. love it!! Really liking this trip.. ;-)

I might mention that I lost my iphone on this trip.  I swear I remember taking it out of my pocket and setting it on the towel rack in the restroom.  I searched a thousand times, and eventually went to the pursar to make an announcement.  If somebody took my phone from the toilet, I would pay a reward to get it back due to the travel contacts I have in there.  He made an announcement twice, no luck.

Meanwhile, Scott did his best to keep me entertained with movies on his computer and more of those great drinks to keep my mind off of it!  Thanks again, Scott, you helped me survive that drama! (I was really upset about my mistake)

I met this guy, can't remember his name, darn it, but he was coming home after 20+ years of service.  He's been a prisoner of war, and served in so many amazing countries.  He tells me he's not sure where to start when he actually gets "home".  In the meantime, he gets on to his buddy downstairs who I later heard in the hallway talking to somebody about the fact I need my phone back.  You know what he did?  When we got within mobile range, he called my number without telling me, and somebody answered in dag gone Ketchikan Alaska!!  Gee whiz, I could have sworn I lost it on the boat!  I actually left it at the small grocery store when I was in a hurry.  (They took my details and mailed my phone to me to my contact in Washington.. again proving TIME and AGAIN how many good people there are in the world...add to that they wouldn't even let me pay for the shipping..!)

Anyway, I've waffled on as I do.. here's my military friend..

And while he was out on deck, we took one last opportunity for a photo with Scott before getting off the boat at 5:00 AM the next morning.

I am officially out of the north and will be heading straight south to South America from here on.  Cheers!

YAKUTSK, Russia

                                           

I spent my first day in Yakutsk just catching up on regular life stuff.  Doing laundry, and washing each piece of our riding suits one by one.  Two hours in the machine for each piece, so 8 hours all up just for Walter and my suits.  Then I needed to do regular laundry as well. It sounds boring but when you live on the road, an opportunity to spend quality time with a washing machine is a wonderful thing...  ;-)

While doing so, Walter went out and met with some friends and contacts. One of them is Tatiana, his French friend Arnaud’s wife.. as well as Yulia and her husband Ivan.

He came back late that night and said they have asked us to visit a traditional Yakut village festival area the next day.

They have this huge festival in June for summer games etc., which we obviously missed.  But there is no question by the size of the place and all of structures left behind that it is quite an event!  So much emphasis on each of the 12 months, seasons, and shaman culture.

We later learn that Yulia’s grandmother is a Shaman, but Yulia didn’t want to pursue that path for herself due to the strict codes of no marriage, children, etc.

However, the connection explains her passion for fixing up one of the totem poles!

And enlisting her husband to help!  Smart woman..

I enjoy having a look around the property and imagining what it must be like in June.

I think some contestants must have left their horses behind!

We are then invited to another section of this park to see what the traditional people are up to this day.

There is a gathering and celebration, and they allow us to watch.

First up, this gorgeous man caught my eye… hey, isn't this the guy on the totem pole shown above?

Gee whiz he is good looking in a Yakutia elder sort of way!!  I can just imagine him with grandchildren singing a traditional song to put them to sleep at night..  I wonder if I can adopt him.

He certainly has a ‘presence’ about him.

We enter - women on the left, men on the right.. as we are blessed with horsetail cleansing.

The traditional dressed women gather…

And a small ceremony begins.

I don’t understand a word, and not sure what it’s about. And Walter is good with Russian language, but he’s not able to interpret, so I just enjoy and get what I can from it.  For me, I love their dress. Has an American Indian feel to it, yet distinctive to their own.

We are treated to lunch brought by Yulia and Tatiana.. just gorgeous, simple good food.

And I thought interesting when I was walking past a day tent brought by a family, which just happened to be filled with Reindeer skin..  Sure!  Don't you lay skins in your tent when you go for a family picnic?

After lunch, Mr. Gorgeous man, comes up to me and wants me to follow..

He takes me to this temporary structure, I look inside and it’s filled with ice! Certainly didn’t expect that!

Must be left over from last season.  (Don’t mind the drunk having a sleep in the hay there.. every family has one, that's just part of life.. ;-)

It was a warm day, so I took advantage of what he showed me!

The women are still singing away.

We get ready to go, but not until we make an offering.  Yulia had saved some of our lunch, and she takes us to a tree.

There is a traditional horse milk drink, and some of the little pancakes. She says some words, and we all contribute bits of food around the tree.

Respect and thanks to the land that has provided for us I would assume!

Later, Tatiana has us over to her house for dinner that night.

We got the greatest surprise.. Pumpkin soup!!  I never would have expected that!  And it was so darn good.. As was the rest of her meal. Stuffed peppers, eggplant and capsicum salad. all sooo good!

We enjoy hanging out with her. She is very kind, a very special lady. I look at her and I think of Pocahontas.  She also seems to have the "presence", very calming.

Tanya has arranged for Walter and I to meet with a friend of hers who has a new Yakut beauty magazine.  The next day we meet at her office for an interview.

This lady also speaks good English as she has had a few years in America, selling cosmetics for Mary Kay of all things!

And then Tatiana gave me a wonderful present.  A necklace with the symbol of Yakutia.  I love it so much.  After so much time spent riding through and really getting to know this region, what a thoughtful and perfect gift that I will treasure!

Later that night, Yulia and her family have invited me over for dinner at their house, followed by a traditional Russian Banya (sauna).

Walter had already done it, and I knew it would be hot. But not sure what else to expect.  I didn’t take my camera along, because I thought it was not going be a place for a camera! But I do have some iphone images to share.

What a beautiful meal.. again!!  That large piece of pasta is folding up many times into a bowl, and then her veggies and meat go on top. It was divine!

Can we just discuss the cuteness of their puppy!!  It’s name is Strike.. another Russian dog with an English name.. striking!

Into the sauna we go..  Yulia doesn’t speak English, I don’t speak Russian but we had an excellent girls night!

I get what she is trying to tell me most of the time.. through sign language, books, symbols, etc.  We get there!

She gets me all set up in my robe, and we go in and she points to the temperature… 120!!!

Lord have mercy, what am I in for..

She pours water over the hot rocks to make really thick steam, and then she comes in with these branches and beats me all over my legs and my back!  Walter told me this is to improve circulation. Okay Okay, I’ve got good circulation!

We are in for only 2-3 minutes, and then out for a rest. She says we do this 5 times.  Oh dear…  in between we have Russian beer. She tells me this is better than water, not sure why… and we eat little forest berries they have been hunting and collecting.

In again, and again, I am bright red and sweating like crazy. She says, “Harasho, harasho!!  (Good good), Need to sweat!! If I understood her right, many people don’t sweat well, but I’ve got plenty of good sweat! 

Finally we finish, and I get a big drenching of freezing cold water.  Whew!  I get dressed and go outside into the cold air, and I continue to sweat.  Surely after a big washdown of the cold water, plus standing outside in cool air I would stop sweating at some point.  I go into the house to get my things to leave, and I continue to sweat. I am embarrassed, but she keeps saying “Harasho!”

Say good bye to kitty cat, who’s resting on…. A bear?!