Today we disembarked the ship (a very quick, easy procedure) and got our bus for the journey to Anchorage. We opted for an all-day bus trip that took in the scenery, sights and allowed for photo stops along the way, along with a visit to Exit Glacier and the Alaskan Wildlife Conservation Centre. Another glacier I hear you ask???? Yes, another glacier, but just as spectacular as the others we had seen. Once in the bus, Bernie assumed her position and went to sleep. This woman can sleep anywhere if she needs to.
First stop on the bus trip - Exit Glacier, with a reasonable sort of walk to get to it. You can get right up close to this one, with a reasonable walking trail. As I am much slower than the others, I soon fell waaaay behind and almost gave up a couple of times when the going got a bit tough. I did have a fall and banged my left knee against a large boulder which slowed me up even more. As this is my blog, I will admit quite honestly that I was crying with the soreness and pain and also about the fact that no-one in the group seemed to want to slow down their pace to mine and keep me company. Very selfish I know, but I am a female and this is how we think sometimes. I also admit that I do tell everyone to “go on and not worry about me”, but that is because I do feel awful if I slow them down, but again was upset that they take me at my word and someone, anyone, did not want to walk with me.
I finally reached the glacier and it was worth it. I again admit honestly that I was very short with my travelling companions, took a few photos and set about on the return trip. I had to take a seat at the top of a little rise up from the glacier and Liz and Mark joined me. Apparently they had joined me to accompany me back down, but didn’t actually say so, and so I urged them to go ahead, and being very literal people, they did, along with Don and Helen. They went a different way as it seemed to be a circuit, but I went back the way I had come because I knew it. Am I my own worst enemy or what????
I continued on the way down and came to some steps which had been a bit of a challenge going up, but with no handrails or trees to hold onto, I was seriously worried I would not be able to negotiate them safely. Luckily, Bernie and Wayne soon came past and Bernie took my tablet (which I had been worried about losing down the side of a cliff somewhere on the path). When Wayne came past he helped me down the stairs and then kept pace with me for the rest of the “dubious” bits (for me anyway) and helped me negotiate slippery bits and rocky bits and descents. I was extremely grateful for this help. A bit further on, Helen, not knowing Bernie and Wayne had found me, came up from the path they had taken to join me and make sure I was okay.
Once back on the flat, I was able to go at quite a reasonable pace. Meeting up with the others, Liz and Mark explained they had come up to me with the intention of helping me back down, so I thanked them for the thought and apologised for my sookiness. I have actually done that a lot this trip. It is much harder than I realised to be the odd man out for such a long time, but more on that in another blog.
To continue on our journey from Seward to Anchorage. Next stop was the Alaskan Wildlife Conservation Centre (admittance included in bus fare), where we got to see bears, caribou, bison, elk, musk ox and more. There were moose here, but I did not get time to get to their area. All I want to do is see a moose in the wild. As these animals were not technically “in the wild” it wouldn’t have counted anyway. There was also a large brown bear who was chilling out on a log and I could only see his head and a paw and boy what claws he had. One swipe of those claws and you would fall apart in sections like Sylvester.
Even though these animals are behind “fences”, they have large areas in which to roam and most are rehabilitated and released.
Next stop was the Alyeska Hotel and Tramway. Here we were supplied with very nice sandwiches and water for lunch and the ticket for the tramway supplied in our bus fare. We ate our lunch in the beautiful garden surrounds of the Hotel and then took the tramway. I am also now an expert at riding gondolas up high. It was so beautiful at the top, with views to die for.
We ended our day with a drop off at the Ramada Anchorage for our overnight stay and had dinner and drinks at the Slippery Salmon next door. Helen then proceeded to empty their supply of Heineken and Wayne also emptied their supply of white rum. Just because the supply of Heineken and white rum was limited to one bottle is a moot point - they still exhausted the supply.
I did forget to say that on the bus ride to Anchorage the bus driver drew our attention to a female moose off in the scrub and then later on - (drum roll please) - a bull moose, complete with full antler complement. Although it was a quick look, we did see him on the way back down the same road. So no photo as it was quick, but I have now seen a bull moose in the wild.