Me Other Blog: Ketchikan

Don't be fooled by the restaurants and jewelry boutiques along the waterfront here; until relatively recently, this was a full on rough and tumble logging and commercial fishing town. Right where the cruise ships now tie up used to be a big sawmill and a three storey smoky sawdust burner and canneries, cold storages and fish processors lined the waterfront.

Saturday nights in those days were particularly rough. Then the fishing boats would start to arrive .... the crews with a few bucks in their ass pockets, ready for a big night, drinking and carousing at Dolly Arthur's and the other brothels along the boardwalk at Creek Street, known as the only place in Alaska where the fish and the fishermen both came to spawn. (pinched from the very readable and beautifully illustrated, The Alaska Cruise Handbook, by Joe Upton).

Awoke in Ketchikan, variously described (depending on motives) as the salmon capital of the world or the wettest place (13 feet of rain) in the world. It was a superb day, blue skies, no wind and a top of 70F.

I didn't know what to expect and first impressions were that it was very small. Which it is. 8000 people live on Revillagigedo Island which is larger the the entire state of Rhode Island. I'm a mine of useful information these days, as long as I'm in an American pub.

We drove in a 1970 GMC bus along a winding road beside the east channel which lies between the Tongass Narrows and Revillagigedo Channel. This is the sort of useful information I want from my guide, not the puerile rubbish spouted by our gap year driver. I hope she was 18 but they get their licences early in the states and she drove fast like a P plater:(

We wandered pretty aimlessly about Saman Totem Park. I don't know why they made the totems but I do know why it's hotter in Summer! Here are a few of the very Polynesian looking totem poles.

After a fortunately short drive further on - no point trying for pictures from the bus - we arrived at the George Inlet cannery. I enjoy old industrial sites so I found the tour informative. I'm glad things are fairer for the salmon these days. The indentured labor practices were nothing short of people trafficking.

We left the cannery behind and boarded a sleek monohull aluminum boat for our return trip on the George inlet and back to Ketchikan. The waterway was magnificent and the tour guide stuck mostly to her script which was informative. The Captain would join in as well. We saw some bald eagles and their nests as well as some jumping fish and porpoises.

Like Juneau, Ketchikan residents rely on float planes to get away and I miss not taking a flight to the Misty Fjords but we were due to leave at 12.30 so there was no time.

The cruise up the channel was idyllic. Carnival Spirit would take some sea to upset her but the waters have been calm and progress majestic. I dozed on our balcony in between looking at the passing spectacle and reading my excellent Alaska Cruise Handbook - mile by mile.

I wish I HAD BOUGHT IT AT THE START AS IT HAS REALLY USEFUL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SIGHTS AND PORTS (damn caps lock!) which I should have read before we passed through:( Please borrow it if you plan a cruise up the Inside Passage - which I would highly recommend.

Tomorrow we sail all day and land at Victoria, CA around 7.30pm. We set sail again at midnight. I guess we have time to pack and attend to photos, which i have neglected the past couple of days. No cheap wifi is a disincentive to work on images. This musical interlude shows both one popular act and decor of the lobby.

We arrive at Seattle at 7am and hope to spend a long day sightseeing. The up very early to catch our 7am ferry to ..... Victoria! Where we will have time to see the sights and exercise. I have tried to be goodish on the cruise but the food is everywhere (last night's Chef's table was fantastic) and exercise options limited. Hope to try the slide once before I go.