When we woke we were well on the way into berth at Port Vancouver and only ten minutes or so behind Sapphire Princess as I had expected. To observe the quayside activity for Volendam's next voyage to Kobe was quite instructional. A ballet of fork lift trucks gracefully moved from shore to ship more water melons than you have ever seen and many other less identifiable materials. The noise was cacophonous but in fact this came mainly from construction in the cruise terminal.
Disembarkation was early and formalities swift. We decided, although laden, to walk to the hotel on a balmy morning. The Renaissance had at last grasped our request for a day room and it was a haven indeed. With an internet connection I could only dream of on the ship I began to restart my life and its slightly pathetic addiction with all things online.
I was a little edgy (when am I not?) and miffed with Holland America who had not been one little bit interested in collecting our 1-94W stubs. I really don't want any hassle when I arrive at LAX in November.
We took the lazy option and lunched at the hotel restaurant, outside, and with the view of the harbour that remains between the recently risen apartment blocks on the shore. It is easy enough to imagine a return to Vancouver and we hope it will be a the end of a journey on the Rocky Mountaineer. Why not?
Wednesday, 23 September 2009
Tuesday, 22 September 2009
Say Goodbye To Your Last Evening
With the early fog a memory we spent much of the day in the BC Inside Passage and it was a beautiful day. This was the weather which might have made Alaska look beautiful but the fact is it did not happen. In my experience all the beautiful places of the world, Scotland and Wales closer to home for example, look pretty grim in bad weather. So, at this end of the season, Alaska had perhaps not had a fair rap from the conditions. I’ll admit wide open spaces or at least those apparently unmarked by humans, make me itch. I do not feel an urge to put on a backpack and sturdy shoes and find myself having to do the same thing in the woods that bears apparently do.
I tried to like Alaska and I was impressed by the scale and many of the things I saw. The glacier sightseeing was an unparalleled experience. The most vivid memory; the defeated salmon, of whom I wrote earlier. It would be hard though not to be aesthetically aroused by the gold, green and blue BC evening we left behind as we steamed again towards Vancouver. If the end of the day were not vivid enough, we could add to our memories fleeting views of both humpback and orca. Just the waterspout of either brings the satisfaction of a cruise well bought. Later, dolphins swam playfully TOWARDS the ship.
To move away for a moment from the environment outside to that on board; one thing that has been consistent on all our cruises is the enormous hard work of the crews in circumstances which sadden me. Predominantly male and usually Indonesian or Filipino, the non-officer types on board work extraordinary hours for anything up to 12 months at a time – a 10 month contract is typical. For up to a year these endearing, industrious and charming people are away from home, often from wives and children to earn money which is poor by western standards but much more than most could earn in their own countries. The hours I mentioned, although regulated, are again by our standards, stunning. A waiter might be involved in all three services. A room steward, working hard at the best of times, has an unbelievably long day either side of port. Long after daily duties he will be moving baggage at midnight for disembarkation only to be up again for port day at 0530.
I felt assured that the $11 per guest per day service charge would be distributed fairly as described but, as in any tipping environment, I cannot help but wonder why the wages cannot be appropriate in the first place thus removing the reliance on goodwill which, however deserved, is not always there with all voyagers (or diners). The difference in lifestyle between a 3-4 a year vacation couple and a family man torn from his home for 10 months a time at sea is embarrassing. It verges on cynical and exploitative that the people who serve us so well on ships cannot easily get visas for land jobs or even vacations in the countries which provide so many of the cruise patrons. It simply isn’t fair. If you don’t learn to respect other people here and count your own blessings, maybe it is time to leave the planet.
I tried to like Alaska and I was impressed by the scale and many of the things I saw. The glacier sightseeing was an unparalleled experience. The most vivid memory; the defeated salmon, of whom I wrote earlier. It would be hard though not to be aesthetically aroused by the gold, green and blue BC evening we left behind as we steamed again towards Vancouver. If the end of the day were not vivid enough, we could add to our memories fleeting views of both humpback and orca. Just the waterspout of either brings the satisfaction of a cruise well bought. Later, dolphins swam playfully TOWARDS the ship.
To move away for a moment from the environment outside to that on board; one thing that has been consistent on all our cruises is the enormous hard work of the crews in circumstances which sadden me. Predominantly male and usually Indonesian or Filipino, the non-officer types on board work extraordinary hours for anything up to 12 months at a time – a 10 month contract is typical. For up to a year these endearing, industrious and charming people are away from home, often from wives and children to earn money which is poor by western standards but much more than most could earn in their own countries. The hours I mentioned, although regulated, are again by our standards, stunning. A waiter might be involved in all three services. A room steward, working hard at the best of times, has an unbelievably long day either side of port. Long after daily duties he will be moving baggage at midnight for disembarkation only to be up again for port day at 0530.
I felt assured that the $11 per guest per day service charge would be distributed fairly as described but, as in any tipping environment, I cannot help but wonder why the wages cannot be appropriate in the first place thus removing the reliance on goodwill which, however deserved, is not always there with all voyagers (or diners). The difference in lifestyle between a 3-4 a year vacation couple and a family man torn from his home for 10 months a time at sea is embarrassing. It verges on cynical and exploitative that the people who serve us so well on ships cannot easily get visas for land jobs or even vacations in the countries which provide so many of the cruise patrons. It simply isn’t fair. If you don’t learn to respect other people here and count your own blessings, maybe it is time to leave the planet.
A Metaphor For Life
Yesterday in Ketchikan I saw for the first time in my life the attempts of salmon to swim upstream to spawn. The images stayed in my mind and, this morning, revealed themselves as a metaphor for life. The impossibly strong current of modern day living proves overwhelming for many. A majority wait in the stills taking comfort from both proximity to and common cause with so many others. In the shadows of those calmer waters one fish is indistinguishable from another. Even there though , there is a little jostling and more than a little aimless movement. From time to time a brave soul throws himself into the current to commence the long, exhausting and frequently unsuccessful struggle to move up. There is no co-operation; the only way to make it is on your own. All around lie the bodies of the failures.
Perhaps the metaphor is not complete. The fish cannot cheat, lie or buy their way to the top. They make it through their inner strength or remain behind to be eaten by birds, flies and rats. In the human condition we are blessed with a range of feelings for ourselves and others. There can be co-operation, encouragement and even intervention. There are also perspective and reason. We can choose to stay in the stills and survive to lead valuable lives. We can choose to think no less of those who make such a choice.
Swim upstream if you choose but look before you leap.
This entry also appears in my new blog at www.johnoram.spaces.live.com
Perhaps the metaphor is not complete. The fish cannot cheat, lie or buy their way to the top. They make it through their inner strength or remain behind to be eaten by birds, flies and rats. In the human condition we are blessed with a range of feelings for ourselves and others. There can be co-operation, encouragement and even intervention. There are also perspective and reason. We can choose to stay in the stills and survive to lead valuable lives. We can choose to think no less of those who make such a choice.
Swim upstream if you choose but look before you leap.
This entry also appears in my new blog at www.johnoram.spaces.live.com
Monday, 21 September 2009
Ketchikan
Now we approached Ketchikan our final port on this cruise. A week does not sound long but somehow it has passed in slow motion. The view from the cabin was familiar if a little lighter. Tens of thousands of trees, some low cloud though less than yesterday and a great deal of heavy weed, floating in the water and often giving the impression, from a distance, of being something more exciting.
I saw an eagle flap into a tree and, a little while later, I was equally pleased to see Ketchikan airport and the departure of an Alaskan B737. Float planes were prolific.
Ketchikan, where Sapphire Princess was already docked was by far the most vibrant of the three places we have stopped. Our brief and self-guided walking tour was marred a little by the onset of increasingly persistent rain but it was much warmer than further north. The highlight of our foray was undoubtedly to see the late salmon attempting to swim upstream. The bodies of the unsuccessful were everywhere. The fish in countless numbers even in this essentially urban setting wait in the more sheltered parts of the Ketchikan Creek before hurling themselves into the current to go for most of them, nowhere. There was some leaping but mostly determined, if largely futile, swimming.
The rain and the ubiquity of tourist shops suggested a return to the ship but not before we had bought a beautifully carved stone seal.
I saw an eagle flap into a tree and, a little while later, I was equally pleased to see Ketchikan airport and the departure of an Alaskan B737. Float planes were prolific.
Ketchikan, where Sapphire Princess was already docked was by far the most vibrant of the three places we have stopped. Our brief and self-guided walking tour was marred a little by the onset of increasingly persistent rain but it was much warmer than further north. The highlight of our foray was undoubtedly to see the late salmon attempting to swim upstream. The bodies of the unsuccessful were everywhere. The fish in countless numbers even in this essentially urban setting wait in the more sheltered parts of the Ketchikan Creek before hurling themselves into the current to go for most of them, nowhere. There was some leaping but mostly determined, if largely futile, swimming.
The rain and the ubiquity of tourist shops suggested a return to the ship but not before we had bought a beautifully carved stone seal.
Sunday, 20 September 2009
Green Sea?
If I have one criticism of all cruise lines it is their profligacy with paper. I hope they have robust recycling programmes. Every day on board brings a flurry of flyers almost all promoting some part of the money making machine, casino, jewellery, art. It nearly all goes straight in the bin which even has a compartment precisely for such paper. It is not all waste. The Times Digest newspaper is beautifully written and commendably free unlike NCL’s equivalent offering.
Glacier Bay
In the early light of Glacier Bay it was like sailing through the monochrome of an Ansel Adams landscape. Later, reluctantly, some colour emerged on its own terms. Cloud clung to mountains and hills and wildlife was elusive until pointed out to us by the rangers on board. Even from some considerable distance it was quite exciting to see mountain goat. When pointed out, they stand out as remarkably white and one can only wonder how they got to where they were. Truly only a mountain goat could do it I thought until the captain later reported that a beat had been seen too but slipped from view before the sighting could be relayed to us.
It is very enjoyable simply to sit on the balcony and watch it all go past. We went up on deck to see glaciers including the Johns Hopkins; spectacular and powerful. It was perhaps not surprisingly cold and wet and later visibility reduced somewhat. At lunchtime we circled before the extraordinary Margerie glacier (today’s photograph) and when we sailed on we passed a swimming bear who was a long way from shore and lucky not to be run down.
Greg went to a cooking class which again underlined the value provided on a Holland America cruise compared with others before. He got the lesson, ate the meal and received a large bottle of mineral water and an apron all for $29. Part of my holiday is to catch up on sleep which I did. I have had a lot extra and the quality of sleep away from everything usual, has been noticeable.
In the evening we sailed into the roughest weather of the voyage so far. This does not affect me or Greg. It seemed not to affect others either as the dining room was well filled for another satisfying dinner. Fruit and leaf salads were very fresh but we both doubted that cous-cous was the ideal accompaniment for salmon en croute.
It is very enjoyable simply to sit on the balcony and watch it all go past. We went up on deck to see glaciers including the Johns Hopkins; spectacular and powerful. It was perhaps not surprisingly cold and wet and later visibility reduced somewhat. At lunchtime we circled before the extraordinary Margerie glacier (today’s photograph) and when we sailed on we passed a swimming bear who was a long way from shore and lucky not to be run down.
Greg went to a cooking class which again underlined the value provided on a Holland America cruise compared with others before. He got the lesson, ate the meal and received a large bottle of mineral water and an apron all for $29. Part of my holiday is to catch up on sleep which I did. I have had a lot extra and the quality of sleep away from everything usual, has been noticeable.
In the evening we sailed into the roughest weather of the voyage so far. This does not affect me or Greg. It seemed not to affect others either as the dining room was well filled for another satisfying dinner. Fruit and leaf salads were very fresh but we both doubted that cous-cous was the ideal accompaniment for salmon en croute.
Saturday, 19 September 2009
WP&YR
The rail ride after lunch was very much the kind of thing that keeps me happy. We were hauled by WP&YR 99/110/100 in a livery I would not have chosen and I thought unsympathetic with the carriages. The engineering of the route is undeniably spectacular as is, of course, the scenery. I felt guilty though as I became aware that, much though I was enjoying it, a large part of me felt blasé. You see so much on film and TV that it is hard for anything in real life to have true impact. Just in case you are wondering about my aesthetic integrity I can assure you that there are some things which still do (have such an impact). I sat pressed against the side of my carriage and happily looking down with a composure I would not have felt had I been driving the nearby Klondike Highway at similar elevations. The weather was mostly kind and we tarried – confined to the train – for 10 minutes in BC before retracing our tracks to Skagway.
The commentary en-route was useful but one of the two girls providing it as well as selling a resistible DVD had a voice like an angle grinder. Suffice it to say it carried from one end to the other of the carriage without PA.
As a railway enthusiast I enjoyed the manoeuvres at Skagway before finally leaving the train. More photos can be seen in my album at www.johnoram.spaces.live.com the home of my future blogs.
The commentary en-route was useful but one of the two girls providing it as well as selling a resistible DVD had a voice like an angle grinder. Suffice it to say it carried from one end to the other of the carriage without PA.
As a railway enthusiast I enjoyed the manoeuvres at Skagway before finally leaving the train. More photos can be seen in my album at www.johnoram.spaces.live.com the home of my future blogs.
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