Monday-Sitka

We had NO satellite internet yesterday, enveloped by fog and mountains.

It is 5 am local time and we have been at sea since dinner yesterday and still running in a bit rougher seas.  Nothing major but enough that you do get some periodic surprises that impart the gait of a drunk as you bounce off the hallway walls.  We are surrounded by water at the moment with no views of anything by shades of thick gray low and ominous clouds.  

Rod Glenda and Nace surrenders their previously chosen, waterborne excursion for something more stable since the weather warning was not favorable.  I am scheduled for mountain biking around noon and praying that the weather clears and the rain holds off.  

Nace and I observed the docking process which continues to be a great source of fascination.  Not much to see from the ship thus far as we are a few miles from downtown Sitka.  

I have a few minutes to scribble some random observations.  Overall this vacation has greatly exceeded our wildest expectations.  The ship is really spectacular with every decorative detail carefully planned.  There is an obsession with cleanliness and I have yet to find a bathroom with evidence that someone was there before me.  Not one speck of paper on the floors, no detail is overlooked.  

The food is incredible.  The range of choices for breakfast boggle the mind and the sit down dining rivals anything we have experienced on land.  The dining rooms are extraordinary in elegance and comfort, great viewing for everyone and always a place to dine without wait.  We did try walking in without reservation at the French restaurant last night.  No luck there as they do try to accommodate every passenger and guarantee at least one seating in the prestige dining.  Frankly, there is nothing to discourage use of the open dining options as the quality of food and service are equivalent.  

Our stewardess, Teresa, keeps our room spotless and we only encountered her working on the room once.  We leave things a mess, we return a few minutes later an think we walked into the wrong room because it looks nothing like the way we left it.  

My first and only observed dust up occurred this AM.  I have a regular date with the Coffee Connection at 5:30 every morning.  I am usually the only one there and find the espresso machine ready to respond to my need for caffeine.   Today I came up behind a lady having an absolute fit because both machines were out of service in cleaning mode.  No great concern here because room service delivers coffee within 2 minutes of placing the call.  I had to walk away because she was killing my chill.  It would be nice if they had the barista at the full service coffee bar up and ready to go earlier than 7:30

The excursions are very high quality.  Everything we have done is first class. From the moment you step off the ship there are people meeting you to direct you to your destination and the contractors that provide the on-shore excursions are first class.

Afternoon Update:

My Advanced Cycling Adventure is scheduled to start at 12:20.  Our ship is docked several miles from the town of Sitka which necessitated a motor coach ride to the tourist center in downtown Sitka.  I arrived at the drop off and easily found the sign-in.  Thankfully I was prepared for the weather today because we were really getting the temperate rain forest treatment.  The cloud cover obliterated the tops of all the surrounding hills, it was raining and about 55 degrees.  The gusty winds added an additional touch to the bone chilling conditions for a well adapted Neapolitan.  We were transported to the pick up point for our bikes which turned out to be the dock where our ship was moored.  Not sure what the bus ride into town was all about.  Probably to get us back in the midst of the endless blocks of jewelry stores that dominate every town.  There were 15 people signed up for this excursion and I got a kick out of watching their conversation with the guide.  Most wisely abandoned before we even started.  Despite the detailed writeup about the the excursion several people considered their past childhood experience of riding a bike to be adequate preparation.  A few showed up in cruise clothing despite the weather.  We were down to  seven by the time our shuttle took us back to the dock for bike sizing and test driving.  One more abandoned at that point so we were now a group of 6, plus our guide, Michael on the far right.  

The following images are the aftermath of a recent landslide after a big rain.  There were two homes in the path of this and the homeowners perished.

This home, under construction as the mountain gave way, is now value priced.

I am in the photo only for perspective.

It was still raining and there was no hope of this burning off as we finally settled in on our Trek mountain bikes and headed for the trail.  This required a mile or two of riding on the city roads and the locals were very considerate.  We finally turned upward into the base of a mountain onto a very wide, gravel covered trail.  This was not the narrow, rock and root strewn path of my previous mountain biking experiences but still enough of a challenge to keep my interest.  Cornering and braking on the gravel required judicious use of brakes.  There were a few short climbs and then one final epoch elevation that brought back memories of Wibble Hill in my road biking days in Louisville.  The remainder of the ride was across the side of the mountain with some downhills that provided enough speed to take the sting out of the next uphill segment.  

Along the way we dismounted, leaned our bikes at the entrance of a walking trail and were treated to a nature education by Michael, or native tour guide.  

Michael is a 20 year old Tlingit ("Kling-it) Indian who was educated in a non traditional high school in Sitka.  He also proudly told about his additional education at the knee of his grandmother who passed on the tradition and tribal medicine of his Native American heritage.  Michael knew every plant and tree that we came across and we tasted several plants that I would not otherwise have put in my mouth.  Very interesting.  During our walk we ate the Subway panini provided by the tour.  We turned around and regrouped for the ride back to town.  

This is were is got weird.  Apparently we were finished with our mountain experience and were riding back via the highway.  Did I mention the rain?  The roads were awash in water and traffic was flying by us sending it over us with each passing vehicle.  At one point a massive tandem tractor trailer passed, inundating us in a tidal wave of water and turbulence.  Up to this point I was pretty dry.  Even my GoreTex hiking shoes stayed dry on the inside.  Not any more.  Every pedal stroke resulted in a squishy fountain out of the lace holes.  

As we got into the center of town, Michael had us pull into the parking lot of a bank.  Apparently one of our cycling guests had to pick up some cash at an ATM.  Honestly!  We proceeded along the coastal road and once our ship was in sight through the rain and low fog Peter, Paul and I put the hammer down and headed for the bike drop off.  

Time for a steam, shower and happy hour!

I did not pay attention to the captains announcement as we left Sitka except the word “stabilizers” which would turn out to be meaningful very soon.  We were barely underway when the movements of the ship became very noteworthy.  For the most part our sailing had been very smooth.  A few rollers to make it interesting but nothing like what we would experience this evening.  

Our dinner reservations were for Prime 7, the Regent version of Mortons.  We arrived for the earliest seating in this intimate and comfortable restaurant.  We had been looking forward to this all week.  I had even studied the menu weeks before we departed and with great anticipation we began our big night of dining followed by the last show for the week.  

Walking down the passageways to the elevators was challenging.  We arrived at the Horizon Bar for a cocktail with a panoramic view 8-15 foot seas.  This, it turns out, is not a good way to build an appetite.  We never sat down, in fact we could hardly stand upright and decided to head lower and to the center of the ship.  This mMade no difference as this boat was really rocking.  Even the staff were staggering and defying laws of gravity with trays of drinks.  Some did not survive and the serenity of our cruise up to now was punctuated by crashes of trays of plates and drinks.  For Glenda, drinking a cosmo in the past seemed so easy but not tonight.  My bourbon was safely in the bottom of a heavy glass, no concern here.  

Both Nace and Glenda were increasingly uneasy about the ships motion but we proceeded to the restaurant and were treated to a gustatory feast sadly spoiled by the environmental conditions.  We made it through our entree before Glenda succumbed and both Rod and Glenda headed for their cabin.  Nace and I gutted it out and invited a nice lady, now sitting alone nearby,  who also lost a companion to the effects of the turbulent sea.  Kathy was from Durham, ran the Duke bookstore and is now retired.  We enjoyed desert and headed back to our cozy cabin.  

A big steak followed by a great cigar was my M.O. for the evening and I was not about to let this weather event stop my momentum so I grabbed one of the cigars I bought in Vancouver and headed to the Connoisseurs Club.  The walk to my destination was challenging and I ran into several groups of folks staggering around and giggling.  In my worst moments of intoxication I have always been able to stand and walk.  So the inability to take two forward steps without a 90 degree course correction was cause for giggles.  

The cigar bar was furnished with sturdy and well padded chairs that kept me in place without a seatbelt.  I also had a clear view of the sea which was 3 levels below, yet periodically above eye level.  Undaunted I enjoyed a great Cuban cigar and a nightcap before returning to the cabin to find Nace snug in her PJ's and I joined her for the ride atop this most comfortable bed.