Homer Day 2

Homer Day 2 – The Fishing Trip

Woke up at 5 am feeling pretty good, which pleased me because when I was trying to do my blog last night before I went to sleep I suddenly felt really tired and had a bit of an upset tummy, so I wondered if I was coming down with something.  But all seems good this morning.  So I got myself breakfasted and ready to meet the other guys before 6 am so we could drive up to the jetty in their motorhome and be down on the boat Irish Mist before 6.30 am.  I have never been on a fishing charter before, but the crew of John and Chuck were great – Chuck is actually John’s grandfather, so that is lovely.  It was raining and very grey as we set of from Homer harbour (past fishing ship “Time Bandit” from “The World’s Deadliest Catch” TV show) and we were expecting a wet day. We set off to go about 2 hours west from Homer Spit, so quite a long way into the Cook Strait, and  near the 4000 ft active Augustine Volcano, which is an island in itself.

Homer Day 1

When the wind blows in Homer, it blows cold !!  Woke up this morning at about 5.30 am after having had a late night last night trying to get the blog and photos uploaded. I am not overly impressed by the internet in Alaska, but then I guess it wouldn’t be any better in Coober Pedy or Cunnamulla camp sites !! But it wasn’t raining – And I am learning that in Alaska, that means it is a nice day !! So after a while thinking about the contortions I needed to go through to get me dressed to go out into the outside world, I put my thoughts into action, got dressed, and went for a walk down the spit. Lots of the bat charters go out at about 6 or 6.30 am, so the place is a hive of activity early.  While on my walk I went to check out the dock from which my ferry would be leaving later, and also went further down the spit where I had been told that sea otters often congregate in the mornings – But apparently not this morning !!  Not much wildlife out there at all this morning, which was a bit disappointing. However, I had the ferry trip to look forward to, so went back to camp, and by the time I had showered and had my breakfast, and chatted to several people who came wandering by and wanted to talk, it was time to head for the dock.

Seward to Homer

My first windy pack up of camp this morning, so that was quite interesting, to say the least – You take out the tent pegs and the whole tent blows down through the camp site !!!  You have to find a whole new way of doing it, and folding everything up when all it wants to do is blow up like a parachute in the wind !!  However, all successfully accomplished, and I was on the road by a surprisingly early 7.45 am.

Seward

I was woken up by the wind at about 5 am, with the tent shaking and straining at the guy ropes.  Looked out, and they had been right, it was fine – But that wind was super icy blowing up the Resurrection Bay – What is the good of “fine” weather  if the wind is so strong and cold that you need to stay out of it ? !!!!  After a while of lying their thinking about things, I decided to go for a walk, so I rugged up (or rather “I didn’t take any of my night clothes off” !!) and set off beside the Bay.  It was actually quite pleasant, but sitting around at a table to eat my breakfast wouldn’t be much fun.  Once again I ended up trying to boil the billy for a cup of tea inside the tent, and eating my cereal and yoghurt inside too.  Not too promising.  One of the local Seward attractions is a glacier that comes right down to the road, just 11 or so miles out of town.  So I got myself sorted out, made a couple of sandwiches for the hike, and set off to the Exit Glacier. By the time I got there the wind was dropping and the day was turning out to be beautiful.

Anchorage to Seward

Woke up early in order to try and get on the road and hopefully find some wifi in Seward to do my blog and get email.  After freezing outside a closed Starbuck’s in Anchorage  last night, and then going to 3 different McDonald’s to try to find some wifi (2 of them closed, and one had their wifi “not working tonight, sir” !!), this morning I first went to an open Starbuck’s to get my blog out, and then went round to REI to buy a couple of spare cans of gas for my little cooker – Only to find REI didn’t open till 10 am !!  So sat outside REI for 40 minutes, and naturally ended up with about 20 people round the car chatting as we all waited for the store to open !  2 minutes after the doors opened, I was on my way south to Seward, gas cans safely stowed.

Valdez to Anchorage

I awoke to another clear blue sky, and knew what was in store for me today because I had driven part of the road last night with Mark and Emmie.  And they had said that the drive today, all 300 miles of it back to Anchorage, was going to be like that most of the way, except for a “boring bit” in the middle !!  And they were right !!

Valdez

It was a cold night in Valdez on Sunday night.  The sky was clear, and for the first time in a week or so I had to get my chemical hand warmers working and put them down in my socks to keep my feet warm !!  Also needed quite a lot of clothes on to keep warm, but once I finally had everything on, I was warm as toast !!

Updated - Whittier to Valdez

Woke up to rain this morning at about 3 am – was this to be my first wet pack up ?  If so, no matter – I guess I must be getting used to this camping life !!  But my mind did start to try to work out how I could do it without getting everything (including the inside of the car) too wet.  The first thing I had to do was get the roof on the car !  I had the shower cape on in the hope it would stay fine – Whoops – this is Alaska !! So in a lull in the rain at about 4 am I nipped out and got the roof on, then back to bed for a while.  I don’t really sleep in the tent – More a case of dozing a it between frequent wake-ups !  Probably about every hour I either find myself off my narrow sleeping mat, or need to turn over, or get some breathing space due to having my beanie pulled down over my eyes to keep out some of the perpetual light, or because my woollen neck warmer is covering my mouth !!  Certainly a regular bed will take some getting used to !!  Anyway, at 6 am, I gave up, got dressed for the rain, and went for an hour’s walk around what there is of Whittier.  What an absolutely incredible place.

Updated - Anchorage to Whittier

It is 10 past 11 at night and I am sitting on the beach in Valdez to get a wifi signal, and I am cold. I am very cold. In fact I am freezing my proverbial nuts off. So I am NOT going to write lots now - Will update tomorrow.  (4.6.12  Now updated)

But basically, went down beside the fjord, Turnaround Arm, and Portage Glacier, from Anchorage, sun out, train with waving passengers beside me, with the most unbelievable view possible. Words would fail me even if I wasn't cold !! It was simply one of the most divine Elise drives ever. (Have I said that before ?) Seriously, just jaw dropping, and to be bombing down there with Elsie purring, it was almost too good to be true. It was THAT good that in a break in the traffic I actually got up over 100 mph, just because it was that kind of day. And then it got ................better........

Anchorage

I arrived in Anchorage on Wednesday from Denali, and the camp site is not exactly the best, being beside a railway line and under the flight path for many of the small planes that fly out of here up to the mountains, but fortunately both of these don’t seem to be too active at night, despite the light.  And the showers are clean and hot.   Unfortunately, their wifi is pathetic and you can’t even go into google, so it means I have to go up to Starbuck’s yet again to get wifi, which is a  30 minute walk and is a royal PITA.   But  apparently it is the best camp site in Anchorage !!

Had a lazy Wednesday evening, mostly spent chatting to the hoards of Aussies that rolled in in 20 motor homes -  I had met some of them in Fairbanks and also passed quite a few on the highway, so we all kind of knew each other anyway.  They hand their motorhomes back in on Friday morning, and then catch the inside passage cruise back to Vancouver, from where they fly home.  For me, a visit to the shops to get some food and beer, and I bought some spare ribs and salad for supper from the shops which were delicious for a change from my “home cooking” !!