Sitka All Day...

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September 12, 2007 - From Donna: Sitka was a delight. We arrived to a foggy morning, putting a somber cloak of gray on the islands dotting the bay. Because the dock is not very deep, our ship had to anchor about a half-mile away, and we were transported by small boats over to the pier. Our cold-weather clothes helped prepare us for a long day of chilly temperatures. However, within an hour, the sun broke through and painted everything with a brilliant light. We grew warm enough to shed our jackets and even wished that we’d worn t-shirts instead of our pullovers.

The colors are so clear here, with a sapphire sky, lapis water, and emerald lawns. We could not believe that grass could be so thick, so lush, or so green. Apparently, drought isn’t a problem here!

The people were friendly and kind-spirited – well, except for the young woman at the coffee house, who was a little surly. I’d guess she isn’t a morning person. We picked out a few things at the gift shops (ka-ching), took some photos of totem poles (used only by northwest Indians, not those all over the US, by the way), viewed a few attractions like the Russian bishop’s house (used when Russia owned Alaska), stopped by a couple of cultural sites, and visited the library for some free Internet time. I also found out why I’ve been having such a terrible time downloading my email. Someone sent me a 24MB file filled with photos – and it wasn’t even anyone I knew. I had to get Yahoo to delete it for me so I could get my Outlook working again.

Lunchtime was late for us – around 3pm – when we stopped at a diner for sandwiches. The place was jammed with cruise ship passengers, so the waitresses were almost wearing roller skates. We couldn’t decide between the Reuben sandwich and the reindeer sausage sandwich, so we ordered one of each and split them. The deer was surprisingly good, more like a Polish than an Italian sausage, with a mild flavor. Our waitress looked definitely Eskimo or Aleut or something similar, with a broad face and black hair pulled into two braids. But practically everyone here seems to be some kind of aboriginal descendant – or some wanderer who wanted to get away from civilization.

Back on board the ship, we found an invitation from the Captain to have cocktails at a private party with him and the other officers. What fun! So we jumped out of our jeans and into our dressy wear and mingled with the folks who were spending a lot more money than we are. But when you’re part of the media, you always get special treatment. We have been fawned over and treated well almost since we arrived.

Tonight at dinner, our waiters hovered like helicopters to ensure that we were happy with our meals. (Diane had prawns Provincale while I had roasted Muscovy duck breast.) One of them reminded us that tomorrow’s formal dinner will be the last one where he will see us. “I know what you’re trying to say,” I teased. “You’re letting us know that next week you’ll be flirting with two other ladies!”

We had one pretty exciting event today. While we slipped out of Sitka’s harbor, we spotted a couple of whales. They spouted several times, and one even flipped his tail above the water. All of us passengers lining the railings let out a round of applause and many “bravos”.

Tomorrow, we hit Ketchikan, but only for a few hours. By noon, we’re due back on the ship again. Otherwise, they leave without us.