It seems that we have been on the move ever since arriving onboard. This is an expedition cruise, not a pleasure cruise. There is a great deal of focus on educational and cultural learning. We will be having expedition days when we will go out on either kayaks or Zodiacs to get up close and personal with nature, whether it is glaciers or sea life or even animals. As you can imagine, there is a great deal of focus on safety. So, we did drills on how to prepare to go out on the Zodiacs. We met all our expedition staff. They are mostly young Cal Poly grads, all with degrees focusing on scientific specialities. They will teach and share with us as we explore in the coming days. Very exciting for all.
Of course there was a great meal with a variety of entrees and a free flow of spirits and wine. One of the nice things about this cruise is there is a large list of complimentary drinks, alcoholic and non-alcoholic eliminating the pressure to purchase packages. The same is true for the excursions on the non expedition days. There is a full compliment of excursions that are complimentary and also some premium ones if you choose to go that route. All of this makes it very easy for passengers. For sure, there is plenty to eat and drink all day long, guaranteed to add a few pounds if one is not careful.
We met two couples, one from Texas and the other from Oregon. They are funny and fun to be with and we have become a “group” sharing activities and meals. It makes the trip more fun in a way but on the other hand, we miss opportunities to meet others. Most of the people we have met are well educated, well traveled and well monied! But the common thread of all is a love of life. But I digress.
Our first port stop was KaKe (pronounced cake). The community has about 500 residents, mostly native Alaskan. A representative of the community came onboard to welcome us to their community. She spoke to us in Tlingit first and then translated into English. It is quite a complicated language with a wide range of sounds — harder than Chinese! She shared with us how their culture and language was nearly completely lost. Over the past ten years, there has been a drive to return to the culture and teach the youth the language. She shared how each family lives a mostly subsistence life style; hunting, fishing and gathering the bounty of the land including under the sea. It is not an easy life but one that involves everyone in the family from the oldest to the youngest. She wore a vest that is decorated to represent the tribe she belongs to and the larger tribal connection of her mother. She also brought a tribal drum and sang two songs for us. As she sang, you could see the emotion of the song written on her face. Clearly, they spoke about family and the history of their people.
Afterward we climbed into the Zodiacs and headed ashore. First off, we went to the community center where a variety of locals were there displaying and demonstrating their various crafts. One lady created the beautiful vests and other costumes worn when they sang and danced. Another demonstrated how they gather the materials and prepare them to be woven into baskets and other implements. Another worked with hides of animals such as the Otter. She had beautiful hats and other things. I fell in love with a “bucket” hat that was lined with foe fur, guaranteed to be warm. I am sure it will keep my head warm when we visit the glaciers on the Zodiacs tomorrow. Last but not least was an artist who was demonstrating how to make a traditional drum. There is respect for the culture and customs in everything they do. Before making a drum, one must get permission from the elders to do so. The one he was making was from the hide of a deer. When it is completed, one of the young girls will paint traditional symbols like the Orca or Eagle on the face of the drum. The drums can be any size from 12 inches to 36 inches depending on the size of the hide. It was quite interesting.
Next, we walked down to the freshwater stream where the Salmon were running. We hoped as we walked that we might see a bear fishing. The run is nearly complete so the likelihood was slim but we had hope. There is a Salmon processing company on the island and is one of the main job sources. So Salmon is very important for the economy as well as for subsistence. As we reached the bridge over the stream, we could hear others saying there, there. Sure enough, a young black bear was making its way down to the stream. At first, he seemed likely to run back into the woods because all the noise from the group was loud. But finally, he just slipped into the water and swam to the other side where he hauled out and ambled upstream away from all the noise. We did not get to see him fish but we saw a bear in its natural setting.
We headed back to the Zodiac to return to the boat. On the dock a fisherman was cleaning and filleting two Halibut. Each one weighed about 110 pounds. They would provide some income as well food for the family. With all the walking we had done, we were ready to relax and have a cocktail. It had been such a good day and tomorrow promised to be even better. During the night, we would sail a distance to the Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness area where there are several glaciers. There we would anchor until morning as sailing in the dark with so much ice around is dangerous. It will be an expedition day and we will get up close and personal.
Our Hostess
KaKe in the distance
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