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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Sep 16, 2013 04:00 PM Whales in the Snow Passage
Yesterday in the evening we were sailing through the narrow Snow Passage. Whales like these waters and we were lucky to see few of them. Unfortunately - for the short time only. Our naturalist Mark said: If you see the tail of the diving humpback you will see it again not earlier then after 4 to 8 minutes... That's right.
We saw also few dolphins and seals. Scenery was great - Alaska is very pristine...
Today we are docking in Juneau - the capital city of Alaska. It is much bigger then Ketchikan but the old town near the dock is quite compact. The main attraction of Juneau is for me nearby Mendenhall Glacier. Shuttle bus from the dock will take you there for 8 USD each way. Or you can take the city bus for exact 2 USD - have a change! And the you will walk 2kms to the glacier visitors center on the lake - that's for the backpackers... That's what I did!
Rain stoped there and I enjoyed the view of the imposing glacier - see enclosed picture.
Entry to the viewpoints is free but they charge 3 USD fer entrance to the visitors center' exhibitions.
So I visited the glacier an the nearby Nugget Fall for just 4 USD - the tour from the ship cost 80 USD! - that's the art of budget traveling!
Once again I use free internet in the public library which is just at the dock. But you have again only 30 minutes limit.
It is very cloudy and rainy today. No idea to use their tram to the top of Mt Roberts - for the obscured view (it cost 31 USD RT. Lets hope that tomorrow the sky will be blue!
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Sep 15, 2013 04:00 PM Ketchikan - the gateway to Alaska
Great, picturesque bay, forested Islands around, seaplanes and high Deer Mountain over the small settlement. 1500 people only live here. Old, painted timber houses in the Creek Street. During the Gold Rush there were mostly public houses... Now - museums (seniors pay 5 USD for the tour to the Dolly's Public House) and souvenir shops.
Nice, historic place. They offer free shuttle bus to the Totem Heritage Center on the hill (entry 5 $ again).
But the biggest attraction today are thousands of salmons jumping over the cascades in the Ketchikan Creek. Thousands of them mate up in the shallow river!
Public Library offers only 30 minutes of free internet. So I mus to finish. Greetings from Alaska!
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Sep 14, 2013 04:00 PM Foggy Great Inside Passage
Can you imagine? 21 years ago I came to Vancouver with my 11th years ols son Adam. We jumped on the Alaskan ferry "Columbia" in the Port of Bellingham. We were sleeping in our little tent on the aft open deck. And "Columbia" took us with a stopovers through the Great Inside Passage as far as Skagway. We had great time!
Now Adam is 32 and I am sailing this route again - in the opposite direction.
Our ship is big and I stay in the last expensive inside cabin. To go for the breakfast to the self-service restaurant takes me 10 minutes walk to the deck 14.
Unfortunately the weather now is not as nice as 21 years ago.
Foggy! I still try to adjust to the 10-hours time difference - hope that tomorrow will be better day!
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Sep 13, 2013 04:00 PM Meeting in Vancouver marina
Jerzy Kusmider is an outstanding Polish sailor living at the moment in Vancouver. I had a chance to meet hin on his yacht "Varsovia" in the Vancouver Marina. It is hard to imagine, that he managed to sail alone on such a little boat to Hawaii...
Jerzy or Jurek for friends is a nice person my age. He is not only the sailor but also the traveller. He started to travel the world already in the 70-ties, when I also managed to go to the west for the first time...
We had a great time on his boat sailin around Vancouver Peninsula, enjoying the sun, the views and talking about our adventures. Jerzy thinks about an expedition through the NWP. Thanks a lot Jurek for your warm hospitality and good luck!
Today in the afternoon I will board a ship sailing to Alaska and onward - to Asia. From my experience: the internet aboard is extremely expensive so I do not know when I will send you the next message. Just keep your fingers crossed please! Thank you dear Friends!
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Sep 12, 2013 04:00 PM 8 years after Mozambique...
I met Marilyn 8 years ago in the Black Africa - in Mozambique, in the small provincial town of Cuamba. She was traveling alone - very nice and brave lady. I had a feeling that there we were the only two foreigners in Cuamba. We decided to travel onward toogether to Nampula, Ilha de Mozambique and Ibo island. We both enjoyed company.
Now Marilyn lives on Vancouver Island and she came to meet me here - after 8 years. What a day, what a memories! We took a walk to the totems in Stanley Park talking about our experiences and plans. Marilyn soon will depart to Europe and India... Thank you Marilyn and happy traveling!
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Sep 11, 2013 04:00 PM Vancouver on the Pacific...
Room was crampy, but the bed was comfortable!. I stay in the Vancouver Central Hostel, 1025 Grainville St. It i worth to book "two bed dormitory" here - small room with bunk bed. If nobody else will arrive you use it as a single room. That's what happened and I was alone in my dorm.
Basic breakfast is included in the 45 CAD price but you can eat as much as you want - could be enough till the evening.
Free wi-fi internet is free, but weak in the room so I was forced to go to the lobby to check my mail.
Strong sun and blue sky from the morning - the lovely summer is still present here!
It is the long walk through the Stanley Park to the high Lions Gate Bridge. I never was on this bridge so I expected great view. Yes, it was great, but the light in the late afternoon is not so good for the pictures. Morning coul be better...
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Sep 10, 2013 04:00 PM 12 hours on the plane...
It was cloudy morning in Gdansk when I was boarding LOT plane to Frankfurt. LOT in not a low-cost airline but they do not serve any free meal onboard. Shame!
Then I had few hours of waiting in Frankfurt airport. Local Telekom offers you 30-minutes of free wi-fi connection now but you have to provide your e-mail address (could be fake address, otherwise they will send you spam!).
Only a year ago there were stands with complimentary tea/coffee in the wings of FRA. Forget it! It seems thay they also feel the results of crisis (but they still collect high airport tax)
From Frankfurt to Vancouver/Canada I fly Conndor - one of very few airlines who offer reasonably-priced one-way fares to North America. Condor flight was 1 hour delayed and full.
But I had great views of the glaciers of Greenland and North Canada from the window seat. After another 10 hours on the plane we landed in Vancouver - some people say; the nicest city of Canada. Canada Line train took me to the center. It is worth to wait till 6.30 pm when they offer reduced fare (6.75 CAD) - still a lot for the backpacker. 9 hours of the time difference - I dream about the bed!
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Sep 09, 2013 04:00 PM 11th Around the World - why not?
This summer was just lovely in Poland. But after 4 months at home I already feel the feever! :)
New, long journey starts tomorrow! And this will be another, already eleventh expedition around the globe! Commencing from the long flight from Europe to Western Canada it will took me to the ship that will sail first along the coast of Alaska, and then cross the North Pacific heading for Asia. It will be something new, because I had never cross the Pacific on board of the ship. After visiting several ports in Japan, Russia and South Korea I will say goodbye to a ship in the Chinese port of Tianjin. Then, traveling mostly by train I want to see unknown to me places in the North China: Old Dragon's Head where the Great Wall reaches the sea, Heavenly Lake in the East Manchurian Mountains (Changbai) and the palace of the last emperor of China in Changchun. If I'll find myself already in Asia, it will not make sense to go back to Europe via America. So this expedition will turn my trip to the around the world voyage. Cheap airline then will take me to the warm Malaysian Borneo where I would like to see the long houses of Dayaks and orangutans, and to Indonesian Sumatra for volcanoes and Lake Toba. Why not? The world is so exciting!
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Jun 08, 2013 04:00 PM They are sailing around the North Pole!
Lady Dana 44 is made of steel! The target of the voyage is to sail on a sailing yacht under Polish flag around the North Pole during one summer season, across the free of ice waters of the Arctic Sea, first along the northern coast of Eurasia to the Bering Strait, and further east, along the northern coast of North America, to finish the circle across the Atlantic.
The leader of the expedition is cpt Ryszard Wojnowski, 55 (see him on the picture). According to the itinerary they expect to be back in Poland in around 4 months. I wish them to achieve the dream target. Lets keep the fingers crossed for them!
The web page of the expedition: www.arctic2013.pl
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Jun 07, 2013 04:00 PM Lady Dana 44
Today I had a pleasure to say good-bye to my friends - the brave Polish sailors who are sailing around the North Pole on the little (14-m long) yacht "Lady Dana 44". In the history only two boats did such a route (yachts from Russia and Sweden). Going eastbound they will sail first through the Northeast Passage (I recognize this stage the hardest part of their expedition) and then through the Northwest Passage.
I visited in the past many places they are going to... But it took me many years... I gave them my DVD movie from my Nothwest Passage Expedition in 2012 so they can check in advanve what to expect there. Happy Journey my friends!
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