Up the Inside Passage

This is probably yet another blog title that will have certain acquaintances of ours sniggering like naughty schoolboys, step forward Gary, Alan, Marc, Phil, Roger and others!

I am of course referring to the famous coastal route for oceangoing vessels that navigates up through the thousands of islands of British Columbia and South East Alaska and avoids the need to cross open seas. Prospectors took this route in the late 19th century, lured by talk of gold in the Yukon, the very things that caused many of them so much privation, rugged scenery, wildlife and remoteness lures us.

You can only admire the navigational skills of early explorers like George Vancouver RN who sailed these waters in 1792 after arriving via Cape Town, Australia and China. There are literally thousands of islands along this coastline, many of which still don't feature on the Garmin Nuvi GPS, which we used to make sure the Captain of the MV Columbia stayed on course!

Sharing the flagship of the Alaskan Marine Highway Ferry System with 950 other people was not the best preparation for the wilds of Alaska, especially as we faced the prospect of 3 nights on a recliner chair in the TV lounge full of children thanks to a lack of cabins (we were on a "waitlist" which ran to 3 pages of names).

We stared in undisguised envy at the seasoned travellers who had rushed on board in Bellingham to claim their spots on the rear decks, where they erected a tent city that would put the UN relief agency to shame.

Our nearest neighbours in the recliners were a couple from Michigan who had driven non stop for 2 days to catch the ferry after their car had broken down. They were heading for Alaska to start a new life, and they were happy to have 2 recliners despite paying their travel agent for a reserved cabin, which didn't exist!

None of this information made us feel good when, after hearing our name called over the tannoy, we rushed down to the Pursers Office to find we had been allocated a cabin with sea view. Writing this days later I wish I could report that we offered our cabin to the Michigan couple, but we didn't!

In fact we also made sure that a guy called Ray Salsbury, who'd arrived thinking the Purser was calling him, was not going to get our cabin either, I think we were prepared to commit murder that day to get our own bed and toilet!

The three day ferry trip (with a cabin) has to be one of the highlights of all our US trips, the scenery is stunning and we had whales and dolphins sightings every day. A ranger from the Tongass National Forest (17 million acres of temperate rain forest, the largest in the US, in fact the largest on the planet) gave regular talks about the islands and mainland we were sailing past.

An awesome voyage, pity then that the Bush Administration has recently agreed to open up parts of this pristine road less wilderness to commercial logging companies, overturning previous protective legislation.

A fascinating aspect of the voyage, especially for Angela who is naturally nosey, was people watching. It made us realise that's why people go on cruises, it can't be just for the endless shopping excursions ashore, it must also be the chance to observe your fellow humans in a controlled zoo like environment.

I've no idea whether Alaska attracts a certain type of person but based on our admittedly non scientific survey (and I have to be careful here as we are going to Alaska to stay with friends) it does encourage a higher than normal turn out of oddballs and outright nutters, an opinion that has not been undermined since we arrived in Juneau, the state capital.

More of Juneau in the next blog, but I'll end this one with the unsurprising revelation that there is one certifiable, proven basket case living in Alaska. It is the person who dreams up the Alaskan Marine Highway Ferry System timetable, how else do you explain our arrival in Juneau ferry port at 3.45 IN THE MORNING?

A close cousin clearly works for the harbour authorities, whilst the cruise ships moor alongside downtown Juneau; the ferry port is conveniently situated……….14 miles away! Not a problem as Juneau has a good public bus service, sadly another cousin has sorted that one out as well, the bus doesn't go as far as the ferry terminal.

Anyway, as McDonalds tends to say….We're lovin it!