Alaska Journal

The Inside Passage

We were waved off at 6.30 by Annie and Jacques, our friends from Brittany, who were staying at Peniarth Isaf while we were away. It was an easy journey at that time of the morning to Terminal 2 at Manchester Airport but the American Air desks were already busy when we arrived. The luggage was checked right through to Seattle leaving us plenty of time for coffee and a sticky. We took off at 10.30 for an 8hr flight to Chicago.

Some people never bother to look out the windows, but as we headed north over Scotland the changing scenery fascinated us. We must have passed over Greenland with its mountains, glaciers, and the sea covered by broken ice floes. Later, as we began the descent over Canada, the whole landscape of Labrador was a mozaic of tiny lakes set in native forest stretching as far as the eye could see. Eventually the huge expanse of Lake Michigan came into view with the suspension bridge crossing the narrows.

At O'Hare airport customs, we dutifully filled in our visa waiver forms assuring the US government that we had indeed committed no crimes of moral turpitude, and we left blank the box that terrorists are asked to tick in order to announce their arrival.

With two hours to kill in Chicago we guessed it was time for our first American beer. First culture shock! No bar! Well, we did find it eventually, a pokey place with room for about six people so long as none of them were sitting down, but on the plus side it seemed that all the interesting people in Chicago were already there. I sidled up to the bar next to this bloke in a stetson hat the size of a well-established termite mound. He turned out to be a rancher from Texas whose life history seemed to be one long catalogue of crimes of moral turpitude. Already we were loving it here. We sank a couple of Budweisers: they must have just run out of real Budvar.

The onward leg of the journey took us over Mt Rainier and Mt Washington to Seattle. Even though the sun was shining, the body clock said it was three in the morning and we were desperate for sleep. We checked into the Clarion opposite SEATAC airport and settled down to fifteen hours kip, awakening to hear that the Seattle Mariners, up against the Cleveland Indians, were losing 8-9 in the 17th, whatever that means! After an early morning splash in the jacuzzi we took the courtesy bus back to the SEATAC for a big breakfast before catching the Airoporter bus, north to Bellingham.

Bellingham is a small town on the coast dominated by the Alaska ferry terminal. Once a week the ferry leaves port and makes its way north up the pacific coastline to the Alaska 'panhandle'. It takes about four days for the ferry to weave its way between the shore and the hundreds of small islands that make up the 'Inside Passage'.

Day 1

The ferry, M.V. Columbia, was already docked when we got there and the terminal was a hive of activity. We checked in and dumped all our luggage in one of the lockers while we had lunch at Barnacles Bar. Go for the pan- fried oysters and Alaskan Amber beer! The great thing about the ferry, as opposed to the tourist cruise ships which navigate the inside passage, is that the passengers are mostly locals from Alaska or workers in the 'Lower 48' who are travelling to visit relatives and friends.

We watched, feeling somewhat under-equipped as the sea kayaks and husky dogs were loaded aboard.

Passengers began loading at 6 p.m. by which time long queues of backpackers had formed. We weren't quite sure what the panic was all about because we had our tickets, and our cabin for the next four days was already booked. Time for a last pint of Amber at Barnacles until the rush died down! When we eventually did climb aboard we could see that the rear deck of the ferry had become a floating campsite and the scrabble had been for the best spots to pitch tents under the overhang of the sundeck.

Checked out the cabin, (it was the business: bunk beds and real portholes!) then set off to explore the rest of the boat. The cafeteria meal the first night was OK but the restaurant seemed really smart. It was almost dark when everyone gathered on deck to watch the ferry casting off. It was a magical scene with the terminal and the town behind it ablaze with lights as we headed off into the night.

Day 2

Next day we woke to see out of our porthole an American bald eagle sitting in a tree on the shore of one of the small islands. Breakfast of fresh fruit salad, wholemeal toast and blueberry muffins and we were fully recovered from the jetlag and raring to go. The boat lurched sharply to the left when the crew announced over the intercom 'killer whales on the port bow!' and all us tourists rushed railwards to clap our eyes on our first cetaceans.

Our first day cruising was breezy but hot and sunny as we relaxed and soaked up the rays on the aft deck.

The inside passage varies from narrow straits between the hundreds of wooded islands, to large sections of open ocean. The hills and mountains on the mainland get gradually higher the further north you go. There are very few settlements and you can travel for hours without seeing any sign of human habitation apart from the lighthouses, which guide the shipping safely into the deep-water channels. Every now and then we met tugs hauling huge rafts of logs back south.

This is the tented village at the back of the boat. A very sociable place to be with everyone cooking and sharing a brew or stretched out in the sun on their airbeds. Next time we won't bother with a cabin, this looks like much more fun! The tents are stuck to the deck with duct tape to stop them becoming barrage balloons.

That night we decided to eat in the restaurant. We'd obviously sussed out the bar earlier on, hidden behind a screen of one-way glass so as not to frighten those of a nervous disposition. Mind you from the look of the two characters from Deliverance, who had taken up residence in Redneck Pete's Corner, it was probably just as well. We loved it anyway. 'All you can eat for $12', so we did. 'Ask for the Wine List', so we did. When it came all it said was 'Red, White or Rose'. After a gorgeous meal and a few glasses of wine we settled into comfy seats in the forward observation lounge to watch the sunset. By this time the air had become very still, the water was calm, porpoises swam in front of us and the mountains turned to silhouettes.

Day 3

Woken at 7.0 by the announcement that we would make our first landfall in Ketchikan in one hour's time. The day was warm and sunny and we grabbed a quick breakfast before making our way onto the top deck to watch the ferry make its way into port. Some of the passengers were trying to pick out relatives from among the crowd on the harbour wall. Float-planes were arriving from all directions to meet the ferry and take people on to the next leg of their journey.

We were allowed an hour and a half ashore before the ferry put back to sea. Just time to take Ernie's Sourdough Bus Tour to the Saxman Indian Reservation. Ernie was a great character, look him up next time you are in Ketchikan. He told us about the history and culture of the Inuit people, but also introduced us to the local brand of sexist humour. As everyone knows there are five men to every one woman in Alaska. "For getting a man the odds are good but the goods are gonna be odd" was a favourite T-shirt joke for many years. But then to counter this there is "Remember ladies, when you go back south you're gonna be ugly again"

Houses, shops and walkways are built on wooden piers because the mountains slope directly into the sea.

Back on board we spent hours sunbathing and people-watching in glorious sunshine as we continued our journey towards Wrangel, our next port of call.

Several times during the day the crew would announce that the car deck was now open for people to join their vehicles. Apparently this was for owners to exercise the huskies which were not allowed in the passenger areas. One very dignified dog had obviously refused to relieve itself in such unnatural surroundings throughout the voyage so far. When we finally did dock at Wrangel and the ship's doors opened, nothing was allowed off until this elderly husky had struggled up the ramp to the first patch of grass. Its first pee on dry land for three days was heartily cheered by everyone on board.

Later that evening we dined in the restaurant on locally caught halibut as the ferry inched its way through the very beautiful Wrangel Narrows.

Day 4

It was a flat calm and the sun was just up at 6.30. In the distance, below one of the mountain glaciers, we could see the town of Juneau. We sat on deck drinking coffee as the ferry moved slowly into the sound. It was a couple of hours later we finally docked at the Auke Bay terminal, and we had arrived at the state capital of Alaska.