Last night I was drinking vodka and sprite for 4 hours in a friend’s cabin and tonight after judging a karaoke contest I sat with new friends from all over the world in the rooftop lounge till midnight enjoying martinis and goldfish. I am so happy that my cabin does NOT have a window because in a few minutes I will shut the lights off and sleep in complete darkness. It is still bright outside. The conversations are about long contracts sailing around the world. These folks LIVE at sea most of the year with little time off. That’s what I want. I want to live at sea most of the year. I am sad and nervous about returning home. There is so much stimulation here, I am afraid of being in my house with nothing but a TV. This picture is on Takshanuk Mountain. I drove a Kawasaki 4X4 Mule up 1,500 feet on a narrow cleared roadway with sharp twists and turns onto a lush and mountaintop rainforest. We stopped along the way and took photos at this raging waterfall. Look at the rich colors. The air is sweet smelling and clear and there is no sound. Just wind, trees and air. On the way down the mountain, we stopped at a log cabin and feasted on freshly caught halibut, smoked chicken, salad and warm chocolate chip cookies and hot cocoa. The hills were steep and winding. After this 4 hour adventure, I took a 40 minute ferry ride back to the ship. I have been on many of the shore excursions and only have 3 weeks to stay in Alaska before returning home. Now I have time to meander into the small towns and have coffee at small shops and use the free wifi on my Ipad. This is definitely like camp. The summer is coming to an end and I do not want to leave. When I wake up I will be in Anchorage, AK. The ship will empty out and a whole new group of passengers will get on and off we go again, back to Vancouver. We see whales from the ship and sea otters swimming on their backs. The food comes out on time on various decks and there is quite a selection every time. I will have to go out for every meal when I get home. Cook? Not me. Time to go to sleep. I am finally feeling tired.
