Day 6 - 6/7/08

Looking out the window of the Captain Cook we watched these birds. Notice the long tails.

Another bus ride--this time from Anchorage to Whittier where we boarded the ship. On the way we stopped at the Alaskan Native Heritage Center. All the indiginous people of Alaska came together to create a place where they can display their people's heritage and teach the young people about their history. There are exhibits, replica huts, native interpreters, and demonstrations of games and dances. We didn't realize how many different groups of native Alaskans there are--not just Eskimos--and how differently they lived and still do live.

This shows how tall totem poles are.

This teenager is demonstrating a game the young people play. The object is to balance on one knee and touch the suspended bird.

This man shared the story of his encounter with a polar bear as a teenager.

These ladies are demonstrating a native dance.

This is the view from the back door of the Center. All around the lake were examples of native huts and buildings for each tribe.

The drive to Whittier was longer than we thought it would be, but driving along the coast gave me lots of photo ops.

Native fishermen fishing in the surf. Under Alaskan law native fishermen are not required to be licensed and are not restricted in when and where they can fish. Fishing is considered "subsistance."

Here's our first look at a glacier.

The ice really is blue.

This tunnel is the only way into Whittier. It is 2 1/2 miles long and shared by cars, trucks, buses and trains. Each has to wait their turn in the tunnel because it is only one lane.

Whittier is a very isolataed town with only a couple hundred people. Princess built a port solely for use by their ships. Almost everyone now living in Whittier is connected to the port or to Princess.

>

We cleared in at the port and boarded the ship, ready for part 2 of our adventure.

>

Looking out from our veranda we saw these kyakers--and there's still some now on the ground!

This is our first view of the ship--the Sapphire Princess.