Alaska Part 3 - The Yankee Boat to Juneau

"There's always next year.. right??"

Day 7ish - Ferry ride to Juneau

After another nice early start to a new day, I boarded the American Vessel known as the Manatsuka. The letters in Manatsuka might be a little mixed up but you get the general gist of what it was anyway (It was a boat for anyone that was confused)

As we boarded we were informed that we were now on Alaska time. So basically if the captain of the ship lost his way and appeared in the Tasman Sea my watch would be fairly wrong because the boat is part of the USA!! And will remain that way!

Salute!!


Woah.. who let one go?

The ferry itself was not quite as nice as the Canadian version, but as it had no guns attached to the Port or Starboard sides I can't blame the American government for not spending too much money on it.

This part of the trip took about 24 hours and it gave me the opportunity to take in a few of the smaller coastal villages/towns/barns that littered the coast line of Alaska. We even stopped at a few places on the way up to Juneau which was unexpected (to me).

The first place we stopped in at wasn't that far into the trip, I had just polished off a vastly overpriced hamburger and some fries when the burser (whatever that actually means) announced over the loudspeaker


"We are just about to pasflfsf inaor in 30 minutes if you awofj to kudoo sddjo please be back in slfkifo minutes"

I checked with Christian (the swiss guy from the hostel) what this meant and we eventually decided that we were stopping somewhere and we could go ashore for a while if we wanted to. Being short of American money (if you want to call having 0 American dollars as being short..) I decided to go ashore to find an ATM and to have a look around. The towns name was Ketchikan (and i presume it still is) and it took me about 20 minutes to find an ATM. I eventually found one in the closest building outside of the ferry terminal.
Typical.

[b] Ketchikan (Population >100) [/b]

This town will forever stick in my mind as the place where I saw some Salmon swimming upstream. Man, those fish are pretty incredible (if somewhat stupid). They basically crawl over rocks to go upstream to lay their eggs. And alot of them don't even make it. I've always thought that spider's had the stupidest reproductive methods out of all the animal kingdom but I think they have a new challenger.

The dead fish really stunk. I took a photo of the stream where the fish were working their way up but the size that this blogsite makes photos come out as you couldn't really make out anything in it. So here is a picture of a can of salmon



Christian, an Aussie girl and I walked up to the main part of town, then Christian and I turned around and went back on the boat. This was my first walk on Alaskan soil and so far I felt exactly the same as what I had previously, so that was something.


Christian and the Aussie Girl happy to have found the fire station sign.

Ketchikan was actually quite big, but I didn't see much of it so I can't say whether its worth visiting or not, but the Aussie girl told me that there was a brothel there that was world famous.. or was it that an old lady had a collection of cats? I'm not really sure. Either way, if you are doing a trip up to Alaska's pan-handle then its probably worth dropping in for a look.

Back on the boat and the crew had put on a video - National Treasure, which actually turned out to be pretty watchable. I also got to see some humpback whales, a seal and some dolphins.. american's call them something different, porpoise? I actually thought they were the same thing but who knows.. (jo?)

After this, I slept a bit and then another movie was shown. SpongeBob Squarepants. It was actually suprisingly good, so stupid it was funny..I think its made by the same guys that made Ren and Stimpy.

[b] Wrangell [Population <1000] [/b]

At about 11:30pm the boat stopped again at a place named Wrangell. It was pretty dark here so we didn't really get to see too much, but i took a couple of photos


Wrangell, A huge place, id like to spend at least a month here to see everything it had to offer


A nice little church 1 block from the town centre, 12 miles from some lake and less than 1 block from everywhere else in town.

It was kinda chilly there. It actually felt like winter, something ive missed out on coming from Australia's summer to Canada's summer.

Christian and I then got back on the boat


Me on the boat

We then had a few beers (Alaskan) with a guy from Calgary (who was Clark Kent.. im sure of it) and discussed the virtues of the races and government policy before all deciding to do some light reading. Before long the boat stopped again at St Petersburg, Russia. The captain, realising his mistake, backtracked a little and ended up at Petersburg, Alaska. Luckily the whole time we were in Russia I never had to change the time on my watch, because i never left the boat.

Petersburg (Population 10 last est. 1920)

Christian chickened out of this little expedition, so I went out alone (it was about 2:30am so i didn't really blame him) and got as far as the town sign


Petersburg - The Phantom Sign.
Assumption 1 - The state troopers take medical training in this town.
Assumption 2 - The hospital is a caravan and/or winnebago.

I don't think I missed anything.

Quote of the Day - If you take a walk, I'll tax your feet. Taxman
The Beatles - Revolver.

Alaska Part 2 - Onwards and Upwards. Prince Rupert

Oh, lordy me. oh my.

Somebody have a look at this, this is funny

Maddox Game

Dang! Hunting wolverines.. something else nerdy.. Gosh.

This is part two of my Alaska Trip. Or my trip up to Alaska. Take your pick, but choose WISELY!!

(I'll take the box!! The box!!)

Blahaha.

Right.

Day 2 - B.C Ferry, Come take me away from this... "place"

I awoke early that morning to the sounds of gunshots. I had a fitfull nights sleep and had recently decided that it would be in my best interest that I leave this god-forsaken town. The gunshots just reinforced my belief that Port Hardy had become a haven for the types of "people" that i loathed. Crack-whores, dealers, junkies. All the lowest sort of people. The people that you just want to spit at when you walk past them on the street as they beg for money.

I dressed in silence and packed my things, stowing my "documents" in my side bag, My documents were the only way out, if I left them behind I could kiss every chance I had of getting out of here alive goodbye. I glanced out the window. It was still dark. Good, less chance of discovery.

I had to play it cool, play it safe. Port Hardy was not a place for tourists, in fact the only people that ever came here were those like me. Wanderers, hell I was even starting to look like a vagrant. I probably didn't even look much better than those I was leaving behind. Those Bastards. I was desperate to find out what they had done with fluffy.

I walked out into the cool near-dawn air and looked around. My ride had not yet shown up. Typical of this place, such a sleepy, shitty place. There were two others like me who were already waiting. I nodded to them and muttered something under my breath. I'm not even sure what it was but I guess they took it to mean something reassuring because they both gave me a brief smile before continuing on with whatever conversation they were having before I showed up. I stood for a few moments more, waiting, impatiently when finally my "ride" appeared. It was a school-bus. Typical. An old school bus for a town full of people educated to a 4th grade level.

I stepped on to the bus and sat towards the front, so I could watch the driver and make sure he didn't make any wrong turns. He seemed to know where he was going so I didn't need to pull him up. Lucky for him.

Ohhh, lucky lucky lucky! (Franz Ferdinand's new album. Rocks! Shocking yet true!)

I'm sick of writing like that, thats mostly all true, except the gunshots was my alarm, and the parts about the crack-whores and what not, that was all made up. But I really did get a school bus to the ferry terminal. Funny stuff, getting up at night and being picked up by a yellow school bus.

My legs hardly even fit in the seat. I had to kick out the seat in front of me. The bus driver started to have a go at me for wrecking his bus but I showed him my fist and the calloused knuckles and he didnt utter another word.

LUCKY HIM!!

Anyway, at about 7 or so the ferry set out for Prince Rupert. Which is located at the most north-western point of Canada's coastline before it turns into Alaska (and hence the U.S of A).

This part of the journey was something that I had been looking forward to for a while, but it was a little dissapointing. 2 reasons

1) The weather wasn't so nice
2) The boat was full of older people

I've got nothing against older people, but sometimes its nice to have a young-person party atmosphere, and this boat would have been spot on if it was full of youngen's (or relatively young anyway) people like me. Then the boat could have been renamed the party boat and we could have all smoked weed and had orgies. (That might be something I just saw in a movie.. I can't be sure if these are my own desires or not.. television has ruined my once impeccible mind)

This journey is known as the "Inside Passage" and it takes you through the mainland of Canada and the islands. Its basically an archipeligo (I'm sure I mispelled that) of Islands and offers some pretty beautiful scenery. It also takes 14 hours and can get a bit boring when the clouds are blocking most of the beautiful scenery.

It was fun anyway and I enjoy the rain so I found it pretty refreshing. I took a couple of pictures from the boat.. here they are (I have more if anyone is interested I can send them)


Some nice waterfalls off the side of the boat


The back of the boat. Canada pride

The boat itself was pretty nice, it had TV areas, a bar, a resturant, cafeteria, cabins and some recliner lounges and some stocko lounges.

My time was spent talking to a couple of Swiss guys I met at the hostel, sleeping outside on a deck chair, sleeping inside on a recliner lounge, eating food and sleeping on the lounges.

I slept alot. I also took some photos.

The boat pulled into Prince Rupert at around 10:30 at night, and I was picked up by the Pioneer Hostel owner and her shuttle van (Pioneer Hostel was great.. I recommend it to anyone staying at Prince Rupert). I had a chat to an Aussie girl in my dorm who had done Alaska (and a hell of alot more of it than I got to see!!) and then went to sleep.

The rest of my time in Prince Rupert was spent walking around the town. It was pretty small and didn't have a great deal to do. I walked up and down the streets and did a couple of the walks around the area, took some photos and played some golf


The Prince Rupert Golf Course, very nice place. Very muddy. Made my shoes and socks stink


The highway in Prince Rupert


This place was called the "Sunken Gardens" A very pretty area about 1 minute from my hostel

Another funny side story about Prince Rupert was being approached as I was walking into a diner to buy a cheeseburger by a native guy who said to me

"What's the story, white man?"

At this point I was getting ready for a fight of some description.. (having watched Young Gun's I was ready to get stabbed in the arm with a knife.. anything is possible, or as the kiwis like to say pissible.)

"The story?? I don't really have a story.."

He then laughed and slapped my on my back.

I was shocked, I didnt know what to do.

The guy looked a little like Charles Manson (pictured below) but without the beard, that type of hair and he was a native, so his skin colour was different. I'm pretty sure his face was in colour too.



After a few days in Prince Rupert I bumped into another Swiss guy that was staying at the hostel and he was going on the next ferry like me, so we hung out a bit and played pool and got drunk a couple of times. I also met some Aussie dudes who got a free car off a guy and were going to drive it to Jasper. Hope you made it dudes! (I'm sure they will read this too.. oh well, its the thought that counts right??)

I also managed to find a Macca's in Prince Rupert and I ate a Triple Big Mac. This was seriously overkill. I felt like vomitting afterwards. Do not eat this burger! A normal Big Mac is enough! If you must then order the large fries!! I beg you!

Other than this stuff, Prince Rupert was kinda boring, but I had a really relaxing time so that was nice.

I hit 113 in golf. I need some practice.

Quote of the day - "I wan't a car. I wanna car" Franz Ferdinand.

Don't we all Franz.

Don't we all.

More to come tomorrow..

Alaska Part 1

Sup.

I've decided it do be time for me to update my little web blog/log/tree thingamawasicalled because

1) It's been a long time
2) I'm bored

The past week has consisted of me just sitting at home writing my resume (long overdue, let me tell you) and downloading stuff. Much less pornography than you might expect, but alot of music. And after I finish this post I'm going to start a review section and just do random reviews of movies, CD's, Places and Cities..

Why you might ask??

Chances are you haven't asked that but I'll explain anyway, ever since I was a little boy I had always wanted 3 things

1) To be a reviewer
2) To get paid for being a reviewer
3) To be a real boy, except without the name Pinocchio..

Now that i have completed 1 out of 3 (Try to guess which one, candy apple's for anyone who does. Mum has got the bill) I am on a mad quest to do the other two. And I figure I might as well start building up the most fantasmic (www.urbandictionary.com - look it up, its a real word.. while your at it look up your own names too.. Cameron is a classic.. if somewhat disturbing.. Cameronism is also slightly funny, if plain wrong) .. umm where was i.

Oh yeah, I'm going to build up a resume of reviews so that some day if I ever apply for a job as a reviewer of some desription ill be able to write this little ditty of a website and cram it up the interviewers and say

"See that, that's what you call a review! You are damn right ive got experience! Check it out!"

/me does mad flips into the air and ninja kicks interviewer out the window

Cop - Oye, why did you ninja kick that guy out the window?
Me - He got in the way of my foot just after he offered me a job and a substatial pay increase...
Cop - I thought you just said that you were applying to the job, therefore you werent being paid at all.
Me - Logic has no place here, be gone with you!

Right anyway, onto the real purpose of this post. Alaska!

I made the plunge and decided to make the journey up to Mother Nature's last bastion of hope. Ill try to give a somewhat concise rundown of my journey and places i stayed at, but my memory isn't really what it used to be, so no points for anyone who discredits my recollection of events (Not that anyone really could since I'm the only one who was there..)

Day 1 - Leaving Vancouver - onwards to Port Hardy

After a late night scuffle with the bed I awoke at precisely 4:30am and packed my bag and my ass into a cab which then took me to the Vancouver greyhound terminal. My bus left at 5:30am with me on it, and my bag underneath somewhere. I managed to look like a big enough asshole for no one to sit next to me the entire way which was an absolute god send because I would have snapped at anyone who attempted to strike up a conversation with me.

The bus seemed to stop about 10 billion times on the way and we almost hit a baby deer on the way up to Port Hardy ( interesting tidbit - If anyone is interested Port Hardy is at the top of Vancouver Island, a large body of land just off the west coast of Canada. It is home to Victoria, the "English-style" capital of BC and about 200,000 yokels.. err I mean Canadians )

On the whole Vancouver Island (or "The Island" as Dale likes to call it.. everytime that is said I think of the movie "The Island" with Scarlett.. and that white outfit.. oh lordy me, yes.. /me enters trance.. saliva dripping down chin)


She's Purrrrrrtttyy!!

Well, yes.. its a pretty picturesque place, at least the parts of it that I saw while I was awake. We even stopped at some dingy town that resembled an oversized parking-lot where I found a Macdonalds. Someday they will reward my loyalty with a free upsized water, I just know it!! (Fingers are crossed)

Roughly 10 or so hours later, thats 3:30pm for those of you who can't tell the time (that's mostly aimed at myself..) the bus arrived in Port Hardy, a "quaint" (read - small,dull,uninteresting) little town. I checked into the hostel and paid the owner, a serious gentleman who was in the process of converting the once movie theatre into the worlds greatest hostel. At least thats what I assume his intentions were. I paid him and he fished out some change out of his pocket (?!?!) and i stuck my things in the room which stunk of sawdust and varnish (but otherwise great).

I then took myself on a tour of Port Hardy and took a couple of pictures


Gad damn.. wheeeeeeeeeeeze


This is the main street of Port Hardy


The town centre

Hahaha, nah I'm just foolin' dawg.

The first one was just a photo I took from the coast out at the islands which I don't think you can see in the mini-sized version of that picture there, but trust me, they were smashing.

The second is a pretty cool Totem Pole. The inscription at the bottom of the pole says
"Grizzly Bear angry, Hunting Hawk mad, Black Bear malcontent, Squirrel unconcerned"

The rest of the town I circled about 3 times trying to find a MacDonalds .I failed, the only thing they had were A&W's.. a fast food joint to be sure, but not MacDonalds. I settled with A&W's. They have the worlds biggest drinks there. The girl working there (who I am pretty sure fell in love with me, since she was a small town girl and me, of course, being an irrestistable big-city guy - sophisticated an all the rest of it) told me to take a seat and that she would bring my meal to me - love the service - well, this girl brought my meal out first and then wheeled my drink over on a drink cart! I'm not shitting you!

After this very un-macdonalds-afying meal, I hit the sack at about 7:30 but hey, I had to get up at 4 in the morning to get the ferry to Prince Rupert. The next day someone asked me

"You'll never see Port Hardy again!!"
My response
"Hey, i've ALREADY seen Port Hardy"

*crickets chriping*