I was really getting excited for the Cruise!
We started our journey to Seattle from Ontario, CA. We, I mom and poppa flew on 6/29/2012 through Southwest airlines. We landed in Sacramento. There the flight got delayed, I got little mad. Then Poppa and mom took me to train and bus ride in and around the airport. Then we finally landed in Seattle. Mom’s cousin Seema brought yummy home cooked meals for us to the hotel where we were staying.
The breakfast at Ihop near our hotel was very delicious. I mom and poppa got into a taxi on 6/30/2012 morning to the Seattle seaport. I liked the way the cruise ship was built. It was an amazing piece of work men ship. I was given preferential boarding. I was so thrilled to see the ship departing Seattle port at 4:00pm on 6/30/2012. I got to see the downtown buildings including space needle.
I am fascinated to see inside the Golden Princess ship. It was like being in a palace. I got so much to eat and drink. The food was so delicious. I had lot of fun swimming in a wave pool. It was like a ocean waves. I am so not used to this kind of pool.
On 2nd July we reached Juneau. We took a tram ride to the top of the mountain. We hiked for a short distance. It was so beautiful to see all the city landscapes from the top, the gold mine, the shore and the city of Juneau. I was so stunned by the beauty of American bald eagle, which was kept inside a cage on the top of the mountain. We then came down through the tram and took a bus tour to Mandanhall glacier. I was so fascinated to see the glacier blue in color. I was told that ice absorbs all the colors except blue. That’s the reason it looks blue. I was thrilled to see how nature works in a mysterious way. It was an amazing tour to glacier. I was listening to our tour guide, she said that glacier is melting really fast. It is an alarming indication of global warming. On our way back we saw governor’s mansion, where Sarah Palin used to live in luxury. I was so relieved she is no longer a governor of Alaska. In my opinion she was just a wonderful person and good mother. She is better off staying a mere public figure.
Then we came to downtown Juneau. We shopped a little then boarded our cruise to our next destination, Skagway. On July 3rd, In Skagway we took a train ride to a scenic tour. It was so beautiful to see natures’ wonder. All is so green. The train took us a round trip to all the way to the top of the mountain. I heard our tour guide saying about gold rush around 1890. One thing I was amazed was the construction of the rail tracks in and around the mountains. The people in 1890s had so much skills, without any modern technology they were able to construct the rail tracks. I saw beautiful snow pack mountains while riding the train. It was very scenic. After the ride we stopped at a store in downtown Skagway. I happened to see some interesting stuff like, art work which are depicting local animals that are in the wilderness. Animals like goats, bear, fish reindeer. They were all carved in wood.
In Ketchikan on July 4th I was sort of afraid to hike in the wilderness. Because the guide Elliot said there were some wild bears in the bushes. But I was soon over with my fear and saw lot of different kind of trees and bear scratches on the trees. It was amazing to see how a baby bear would learn to climb a tree from it’s mother. Elliot, our guide also said there are some foxes in the wilderness. I also saw and fed some lettuce to captured reindeer. I also saw an American Indian sculpting a ‘Totem Pillar’. The Indian said, his people were very much into saving nature. I am pleased to learn how native Americans were nature worshiper and are into preserving the nature. Then we rode the bus back to the cruise ship.
On July 5th morning the cruise stopped in-between two maintains to show the passengers the The Tracy arm glacier. An amazing view to see floating ice burgs and one huge glacier.
On July 6th we were in Victoria British Columbia. We rode a bus to Butchart Gardens it was a beautiful garden with different kind of flowers. trees. and plants. The garden blossomed under the supervision of Jenny Butchart.
On our way to cruise ship we drove around downtown Victoria, saw the beautifully lit parliament building.
I had a fantastic time in the cruise ship also. I got to see wonderful live performances of ship entertainers. I was not at all scared of the sound. I enjoyed all the shows. I ate all yummy food they served. I am so pleased with all the luxury that poppa and mom gave me.
We disembarked in Seattle on 7th July morning. We took a train to downtown Seattle and met mom’s cousin Seema again along with her husband Mithuna, her daughter Nesara and her parents-in-law. After a yummy lunch together we headed back to airport by train, and flew to our home on 7th July night.
Over all it was a most wonderful experience sailing in a ship to astonishing Alaska.
Rohit.
Sinking into Popular Thoughts 