I was scared to go alone on this trip and could see myself staying forever around the familiar places in California. Booking a ferry ride on the Alaska Marine Highway was the solution for my fear, a specific date to commit to. A boat ride from Bellingham to Haines, through temporary rainforest area of the South East. With stopovers in Ketchikan, Petersburg and Juneau to give me a sense of the local culture and cuisine. And so in the middle of April I board the ferry in Bellingham.
Ferry 1: Bellingham to Ketchikan
L shoves a chair besides mine. Its nice to have her besides me, and within 1 minute we are friends. She is on her way to Juneau to stay with her fiancé for the summer. We are calling the solarium deck home for the next couple nights and share our home with about 20 other persons, all hugging a long chair with our sleeping bags. Most people are coming either back home from a winter away or coming up for a summer job in one of the small villages on shore. It’s a nice group of people and we share stories and keep each other company. J promises me to find me a whale, and on the second day he spots me my first humpback whale ever. The weather stays rainy and cold for the whole trip, but with 5 layers of clothing it doesn’t bother me. I actually enjoy it. After so many years living in California, I have been begging for rain. I don’t like the California gold, I love the Dutch green.
I pick up J from the dock and he shows me around the village of Ketchikan. J has left the family company behind for the summer to live on a boat, climb trees, make pictures and enjoy his life. There is not much going on in Ketchikan, while most shops are not opened yet for the Tourist season. J brings me to the local bookstore and for almost an hour we talk with the owner of the store. Its wonderful to meet people with time and I am buying some books about the South East.
Ferry 2: Ketchikan to Petersburg
Why are there people knocking on my Oto in the middle of the night. I am standing in the waiting line for the ferry and just fell in a deep sleep in the back of my Oto. What…I can board the ferry now…its in the middle of the night. But now I am awake it doesn’t make much difference. With a sleepy head I drive the Oto inside and take a bag with food and my sleeping bag upstairs. I crash down somewhere on a floor for some more hours of sleep. I wake up with a headache and move quickly to the solarium deck for some more sleep and fresh air. The weather is still shitty, but it doesn’t matter. We navigate a big sound with no views on either side, but my new book keeps me occupied.
The last part of the trip before we enter the harbor of Petersburg goes through the Wrangell Narrows, which doesn’t give much room for any navigation mistakes. I am standing in the front of the ferry and look upwards to the bridge. Must be nice to see whats going on there…
Dag,
Iris (Petersburg, 3985 miles)
