The Shangai Daily...
Power, water crisis as the city swelters
SHANGHAI is baking under a relentless sun, and there is no respite on the way.
Yesterday the temperature hit 39.6 degrees Celsius, making it the equal hottest day in the city in 63 years, and the second highest since weather record-keeping began. The mercury reached the same level on July 25, 2003, and on July 6, 1944.
Mark's notes:
So it wasn't just me. It really is hot over here.
Another tidbit from the article...
The electricity-supply network is also under great stress. The latest power-supply peak, which also created a city record, occurred at 1:50pm on July 20 - an astounding 20.37 million kilowatts.
I thought this article was also interesting...
Heat bonus is mandatory, officials warn
THE Shanghai Labor and Social Security Bureau yesterday reminded all companies they must pay an allowance to all employees who work outdoors during extremely hot weather, a policy many private companies don't follow.
According to a policy issued by the bureau and the Shanghai Trade Union on July 11, workers should be paid an allowance of at least 10 yuan (US$1.28) a day if they work outside when the high tops 33 degrees Celsius.
The policy also states that companies can't reduce wages if employees are given reduced duties during hot weather.
While most employees of state-owned companies that Shanghai Daily talked to said they already receive the allowance, many working for private companies had never heard of the rule or received any bonus for working in hot weather.
"Sometimes the boss will offer us popsicles or cold drinks in hot weather, but we don't receive any allowance," said a water delivery worker surnamed Huang. "Our payment is in accordance with the number of water bottles we deliver - I earn one yuan for each barrel delivered."
Huang said he didn't dare ask his boss for the allowance as he was afraid of losing his job.
Mark's note: In case you didn't do the math above (10 yuan = $1.28) one Chinese yuan is worth about thirteen cents. So the gentleman mentioned in the article gets about thirteen cents for each barrel delivered.
Get these stories and more from http://www.shanghaidaily.com. It's much easier than coming all the way over here and getting them in your hotel room.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Friday, July 27, 2007
A candle prematurely snuffed
A friend of mine lost his battle with cancer this past week. He was 43 years old.
I remember Rob calling me when he first found out. Last summer he called and told me he had something called dermoplastic small round cell tumors. These tumors evidently typically grow in between and around organs rather than within them. It's a nasty problem to have.
He said it was an extremely rare condition and after telling me of their proposed attack on the cancer, said that the survivability rate was extremely low. He spoke of his condition and treatment options very analytically for some time and then, toward the end of our conversation, told me his wife was pregnant...
Rob battled fiercely for a little more than a year. During that time, I don't recall him ever complaining. When I asked about his discomfort he admitted it, but he remained remarkably positive throughout the ordeal. When he spoke of his cancer and their treatment plans, he was astonishingly unemotional about it. You'd have thought we were talking about car maintenance.
I'm still amazed.
He leaves behind a wife, a teenage stepson, and an infant girl.
Rob was a good man, a good leader, and a good pilot.
I will miss him.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Hong Kong, July 2007
Anecdotal snapshot from Hong Kong...
I walk into a Circle K convenience store. There's a lone teenage girl--apparently Chinese--working behind the counter. I walk up to her and she smiles at me and says something like, "Weclome to Circle K. How can I help you?" Her smile was genuine and her english was accented, but perfect. She was happy--genuinely happy--to see me.
She was the perfect little salesperson--helpful, courteous, conscientious, completely competent, bi-lingual and intelligent. I was amazed. Still am. There wasn't a hint of entitlement to her demeanor. She was just doing her job the best she knew how. If I had a Circle K, she's who I'd want working there.
Now, it's not like that everywhere here in Hong Kong or in Asia.
Snapshot from McDonald's just a little while ago...
It's not terribly busy, so I waltz up to the counter where I meet another teenage girl. She looks at me a little blankly, warily even. She doesn't look like she has complete control over her upper lip, so she always displays her top teeth. It's a little peculiar.
I give her my winningest smile--the one I've found to be completely irresistable to the most jaded human--and it registers absolutely nothing with her. I try again.
"Hi," I say and blast her with the full force of my gap-toothed Opie Taylor charm. Zero. Still the lips and the teeth.
Okay, this is a hard case. "I'll have a number three," says me. She says something to me without moving her lips. I'm not sure if she's maybe a wax dummy. I glance at her co-worker who gives me a shy smile and then back to the wax dummy. "I'm sorry, what?"
I'm pretty sure she has asked me what I'd like to drink.
I glance again at the other gal who smiles again (this is more like it) and then to the wax dummy, "Could I have some orange juice, please?" I give her a little crooked smile and raise my eyebrows in the international sign of The Question Mark. She nods ever so slightly and again without moving her lips seems to communicate: Would you like anything else? I tell her no and then pay with--and this is the cool part--my Octopus card.
You read that right. I paid with an "Octopus" card. This is the coolest thing since Google. You go to the subway or Seven Eleven or wherever else it is that you can get these things and you buy this card. You hand over a bunch of money and through the magic of computers and RF readers and all that junk, you get a little card that has virtual money on it. Then you can use your little cash card (except the term 'cash' is so 20th century) in many places. You can use it on the subway, at McDonald's, convenience stores, etc. It's way cool.
And speaking of cool, let's look at the weather.
Click to enlarge images
Okay, now really look at that honest-to-goodness-straight-off-the-internet-so-it-must-be-true weather report. Did ya see that heat index? Whew. That's hot.
Like in Seoul, the subway works well here. It's clean, efficient, and seemingly relatively crime free. Let me insert some other factoids I stole from the Internet here...
Hong Kong consumes more oranges than any other place on earth.
The territory has the world’s highest per-capita consumption of cognac (around 10% of the worldwide market) and highest ownership of Rolls Royces.
The Kwun Tong District in Kowloon is the most densely populated place on earth, with over 50,000 people per square km.
In Hong Kong, a betrayed wife is legally allowed to kill her adulterous husband, but only using her bare hands. The husband’s lover, however, may be killed by any manner desired...
Now I copied all that from another traveler's blog. I don't know if it's true, but she was a pretty witty young (British) gal and I liked her blog so I thought I'd add that stuff here.
This place is indeed congested with people. Walking around in all that congestion you find that people are very impersonal and there's a lot of physical contact. People jostle and bump into one another quite a lot. I don't like that at all. I figure my greatest danger--meaning the most likely threat--while traveling is that I'll have my pockets picked or I'll get mugged. The former is a very real possibility everywhere we go, so all this jostling is a great set up.
Plus, it's hot (remember the heat index above) and muggy, so this is not my favorite place in the summer. However, in contrast to the winter, we have had some nice clear skies. Our approach into HKG this time was particularly scenic--lots of isolated cumulous buildups everywhere, but also lots of clear skies. This part of the world looks from the air like about any other tropical island destination. Really neat. This time I saw reservoirs I'd never seen before. Then the next day, we went to a history museum and learned all about those reservoirs.
I think the museum we went to is this one: http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/History/en/aboutus.php. It cost about $1.25 to get in unless I converted the currency wrong in which case it might've cost me $125. Who knows. Anyway, it's an impressive place. We spent about four hours there and learned that HKG has suffered both drought and severe flooding. The reservoirs I mentioned are a fairly recent development.
After the museum adventure we ate at a new (to me) place. I had a setup meal which included sea bass, chicken steak, veggies, bread, coke, and probably something else. Can't remember. It was, however, delicious. I think it cost about $8. Or maybe $80.
There are many things to do here in HKG if you're properly motivated, well-rested, and heat tolerant. ;-) This trip I'm none of the above, so I'm taking it easy, getting caught up on really important things--like blogging--and napping.
One of the neat things I've started this trip is a course from the Teaching Company (www.thegreatcourses.com) called the Joy of Mathematics. It's neat. And you thought I was a math geek before.
Next stop: home.
(Photo by Mark)
Korea, July 2007
Nice weather, nice folks, good public transportation...
Eighty degrees (F) with a light breeze and sunshine is nice summer weather. I've been frozen to the bone in Seoul before and I've been really hot. It was nice to have some decent weather.
I like South Korea. A few years ago, maybe 2001, I was wandering around the city solo and was looking for an internet cafe. I ducked into a tiny electronics shop and chatted with the proprietor. I told him what I was looking for and he offered me his own computer. Then he provided me with a bottle of cold orange juice. After I quickly checked my email and sent a quick note home, I offered to pay for everything. He let me pay for nothing.
This past trip, my first officer and I made use of the subways. On two different occasions, an older Korean person (one time it was a man; the other it was a woman) came up to us with a smile and asked in perfect McDonald's english, "May I help you?" Now these were not public employees or scammers of any kind. They were just nice folks.
Here's some information from asianinfo.org...
The fifth largest city in the world, the Seoul metropolis has a population of about 10.3 million and is the center for economy, finance, the arts and culture. Seoul is known to be one of the safest places to travel in with its low crime rate.
There is a blend of old and new in Seoul with the modern high-rises and trendy shops mixed in with ancient temples and palaces. Shopping is not a problem with the many department stores and street shops located around the city. People are very sociable and kind to visitors in Seoul. You will always see people in groups laughing and walking along the streets...
The Han River flows through the center of Seoul. Encircling the city are rocky mountains which makes Seoul blend nature and modernization beautifully.
Temperatures in Seoul are clearly defined by the four seasons: spring, summer, fall and winter. Autumn is the best time to visit Seoul since the temperatures are mild and the sky is clear. Seoul has four palaces from the Chosun Dynasty. The Chosun Dynasty determined that Seoul was to be the capital of the Korean Peninsula in 1394. It remained the capital of the entire peninsula throughout the Chosun Dynasty up to the Korean War. During the Korean War, Seoul was almost totally destroyed. From 1960-1970, there was a tremendous effort to rebuild the city. Rapid economic growth was evident and by 1988, Seoul was home to the Olympics which brought to the world's attention that it was one of the major cities in Asia.
This image from a Rolex ad...
I think this is a picture of Namdaemun (Great South Gate), Seoul, which I saw for the first time this trip. This monument is South Korea's Treasure Number One. For more information, please ask Mr. Google.
South Korea...what an incredible story. These are impressive folks. Let me ruminate on that for a minute.
As most of you know, I'm not a profound thinker. If brains were sodas, mine would be Brain Lite: half the calories, no high fructose corn syrup, and lots of fizz. But when I look at the Korean peninsula, I see a grand experiment with clear results. You have the same land mass to the north and the south, the same great folks, the same basic weather, etc. So why is the north starving and scaring the world with their sabre-rattling while the south is, in many ways, more advanced than the good ole US of A?
Could it be that your political and economic systems really do matter? Hmmm...
Could it be that high personal standards, a desire for achievement, and some balanced nationalism are working here? Hmmm...
I'm not the grand thinker here; I'm just ruminating. Trying to keep the sugar from settling in the bottom of that can of Brain Lite.
On this trip, we used the subway system quite a bit and I was impressed with how efficient it was, how clean it was, and how orderly and nice the people were. We can all learn from them. This is a far cry--in a very nice way--from the subways of New York.
One thing about our trip was a bit ironic. I'm a veteran. My first officer is a veteran and a current Lt Col in the Guard. We couldn't get on the Army base (Yongsan) in town! This was less a matter of security and more a matter of bureaucratic idiocy, but there you go...post 911 security in a world gone mad.
I like South Korea and the Korean people. Interesting place.
Next destination: Hong Kong.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Homer, July 2007
Day One
We left ANC on July 12th, 2007 in the midst of a blinding snowstorm, armed with little more than the clothes on our back and a sense of adventure in our hearts...
Okay, it was a little more sedate than that, but we did leave on the 12th with a sense of adventure in our hearts. We were bound for our beloved Homer and even though I don't enjoy driving long distances, I eagerly looked forward to our 225-mile drive because I knew it would be beautiful.
The adventure began as I turned the corner out of our subdivision. Less than a hundred yards from our home, a large moose was walking along the road head to head with my car. I pulled over to take pictures, but the moose started walking toward me. I backed up until the moose decided I was not a threat, then pulled over to take a couple of pix.
La moose...
We took the trip south in nice weather at a leisurely pace, stopping several times at favorite places. Our first stop this trip was at a bakery in Girdwood (about an hour south of ANC) where we get cake doughnuts. We seldom eat doughnuts throughout the year, but this has become a tradition. If you do something two or three times in a row, doesn't that make it a tradition? The teenage girl working behind the counter does nothing positive for the experience, but the doughnuts are good.
Another 90 minutes took us to Soldotna, where we like to eat at Charlotte's. This is a wonderful little cafe and bookshop where the food is moan-out-loud good. This is becoming another tradition we plan on keeping.
We arrived at our little cabin in the woods (www.moosecreekcabins3.com) a little later than planned in a steady, chilly rain. The innkeeper is a terrific guy named Ed Sotelo, who met us at his home and then showed us around. He's a neat guy who, like his wife, is a schoolteacher. He also does carvings, but his schedule did not allow us an opportunity to view his work.
The cabin...
Ed and his wife have a nice home situated in a clearing with an unrestricted view of the mountains. They have about six acres and have three places for guests to stay. You can stay in a downstairs apartment in their home or in one of two cabins. If you stay in either cabin, the setting is very private. Depending on the vegetation, you won't see the other cabin or the house from your cabin.
The larger cabin...
The other cabin is much larger and has a nice view of the mountains. Our cabin is surrounded by forest, but the view is only of a heavily grassed meadow. They have a little shed that has a sauna inside and next to the little shed is a hot tub. The shed is really quaint with its rustic style complete with grass growing on the roof. This area is also very private as it's nestled in the forest.
You can drive to and park near our cabin. Access is down a dirt path barely wide enough for your vehicle. However, you do not have vehicle access to the other cabin. The only access we saw was via walking down a little path through the woods.
Ed provided us with the fixings for continental breakfasts. He also left us with coffee, oatmeal, hot chocolate, etc. and the necessary appliances for small meals--microwave, refrigerator, hot plate, and so forth.
Although we were expecting the cabin to be small, we were both a little surprised at the reality. It's tiny. However, it has everything we need, so even though we stayed five nights, it still worked out just fine. See more pix on Picasa.
For most of the first three days, we had partly sunny skies with occasional rain. When it was overcast, even though this is mid-July, it was pretty chilly. The mornings are chilly regardless of the weather. Fortunately, the little heater warms up the room pretty well. First one up starts the heater and then jumps back into bed until it gets warmer.
By the way, if you come to AK in the summer, you still need to pack as if it's October in the mid-west. While you may get lucky and find warm, sunny days--some folks even call it hot--you'll really want those sweatshirts and gloves if you get out in the wind and the rain. When we walked the beach here in Homer, we wore several layers of clothes and our gloves. It was chilly walking into the wind. It's much more tolerable with the wind at your back.
Denise was the activities director this trip, so she made all our plans while I was gallivanting around Asia. In addition to finding this great little cabin, she signed us up for two trips with Central Charters. The first one was on Day Two.
Day Two
Our first trip was to Seldovia. We left port mid-morning and rode comfortably indoors (for the most part) for a couple of hours on a sight-seeing trip (i.e., the long way) to Seldovia. This trip across Kachemak Bay took us to several interesting islands, coves, etc. before disembarking in Seldovia, Alaska. Along the way we saw lots of birds and sea otters.
Seldovia is a unique little town that used to be larger than Homer. I don't remember the history of the town very well, but I think the short version of the story is the '64 earthquake hurt the city pretty badly and it has never really recovered. There are a few homes, a few businesses of various kinds, some places to eat, bed and breakfasts, etc.
Parts of the original boardwalk remain, however, so we tourists can walk about and see homes built right at the water's edge, many of them on stilts. Parts of the area are very quaint.
It was rainy and chilly while we were there, but it was a neat trip. We did have a very nice meal in town. Most of the ride back and forth on the boat was in the clear and the views were spectacular.
Speaking of which, when I think of Homer and the Kenai Peninsula, I think of spectacular views. You can't help but think of Julie Andrews and the Sound of Music. This is that kind of breath-taking beauty. It's hard to otherwise describe. Here's a panorama shot taken with my Kodak P712:
Day Three
We mostly drove around, did some walking, and checked out several eating establishments.
The food down here is great. Our favorite place is probably the Mermaid Cafe which coincidentally also has a used book store attached. Are we seeing a pattern here? Denise had a BLT that was probably the best we've ever had (I got a bite or two). Think homemade bread, large helpings of bacon fried to perfection, fresh lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise and whatever else (love?). It was awesome. I had vegetable soup that was also excellent.
And yes, I did buy a book.
Day Four
Day Four was very cool--in more ways than one. Denise had us booked to go to Halibut Cove in the afternoon so we spent the day prior to the boat ride doing what we do best: sight-seeing, walking, and eating. There's a quaint little general store about two miles from our cabin. They have post office boxes, general food items like milk, bread, drinks, etc., but best of all they also bake and fix a variety of interesting foods. We happen to love their BBQ sandwiches, but everything on the menu looks terrific. If the BBQ is any indication, this is another outstanding place to eat.
Speaking of nearby attractions, there's a great little nursery called Fritz Creek Gardens (I think). Last trip we got some plants from these folks and also toured their grounds. Neat folks and a really neat place to visit. This place is almost right next door to the general store.
In order to take the charters, you have to go out to the Spit. Prior to coming to Homer and thinking back to my incorrect, naive, visions of the Homer Spit from the late 80's, I envisioned the spit as a rather desolate place inhabited by some wildlife and a little old lady who feeds the eagles. There really is or was a little old lady who feeds or fed the eagles, but I'm not sure where she did that. And the spit was once that desolate landscape of my visions. However, that's not the case now and it probably wasn't that way when we lived here before.
The Spit is a flat, narrow peninsula that juts out into Kachemak Bay. I don't have any reference material handy, but I'd guess it goes out maybe a mile or two and it's pretty well packed with little businesses. It's quite the bustling place. There are tiny shops packed right next to each other along boardwalks that run along both sides of the road. The main emphasis here is fishing, fishing, and more fishing, but you do find T-shirts shops, art galleries, and places to eat.
On the north side of the road, you have a row of little shops and then the land drops steeply down to the marina. On the south side of the road, there's more land between the shops and the water. In fact, there are actually places to park RV's and camp. And it's pretty much wall to wall campers, RV's, and some hardy tent campers.
Back on Day Two this is where we boarded our boat to Seldovia. Likewise, on Day Four we boarded the Danny J for our 45-ish minute ride over to Halibut Cove. The Danny J was built in '42 and was once used to transport troops (as many as 75 men at a time) between ship and shore. A lady now owns the boat and has several captains who take turns running the boat over to Halibut Cove several times a day, every day of the season.
When we departed at around 5:00 p.m., there was a large cloud deck moving in toward us at sea level. I guess you might call it fog, but as we drove down the hill from our cabin to the Spit, you could very clearly see this cloud bank moving in. It was very distinct and pretty vast. By contrast, fog tends to be more ethereal.
In any case, as we were boarding, I asked the lady captain about her navigational equipment. She told me she had radar and a compass. I asked if they ever cancelled due to low visibility and she cheerfully told me, "No."
Shortly after departing, we were engulfed in the fog, but visibility wasn't that bad. It was probably 1/4 of a mile or better. For pilots, that's pretty low, but for a boat moving at 6 knots, it was plenty enough that we could see other boats that occasionally went by.
A couple of miles (I'm guessing) from the opposite shore, we moved out of the fog into brilliant sunshine and a gorgeous view of the land mass. Imagine snow-capped mountains in the background and lush green hills in the foreground. Some of the hills in the foreground eased gracefully into the bay. In other areas there are steep bluffs. At the top of one of these bluffs, you can see an old wooden fence. We later hiked to that fence line and viewed the bay from atop a grassy knoll.
As you pull into Halibut Cove, it's very much like a movie scene. There aren't many homes there as only about 30 people live there year round, but the homes and businesses are mostly built on pilings along a boardwalk. There are a few boats tied up alongside the pilings and docks and the hills rise up dramatically with the snowy mountain tops in the background. On this gorgeous, nearly cloudless, sunny afternoon it was a breathtaking sight.
We had reservations for dinner scheduled for the moment of our arrival, so we climbed the steep ramp straight into the open doors of the Saltry Restaurant. I believe that saltries were originally places where they salted fish before sealing them in kegs for shipment. This area used to be a huge herring fishing place but they actually decimated the herring population.
The restaurant that took the old saltry's location and name appears to do a thriving business. No small feat considering their very high prices and limited clientele. The food was good, however, and the ambiance or setting was worth every penny.
After dinner, we walked along the boardwalk and then made our way along some paths and up some steep slopes until we finally found those grassy knolls overlooking the bay. Once again, the views were just spectacular. From up on the hills, you see no houses, people, nor indications of mankind except for that very quaint wooden fence. I was in heaven. I didn't want to leave.
I'm not aware of any roads or any modern cars or trucks on this island. People get around on foot, on little golf-cart-like vehicles, and--get this--unicycles. Yep, unicycles. I've never seen so many. I didn't actually ever see anyone riding one, but I must've seen half a doze of them lying around in different places much like you'd normally see bikes. Funny.
The ride back on the Danny J was very nice in nice weather. This is a must do trip if you ever make it to Homer.
Day Five
Day Five we meandered around, eating, hiking the beach, reading, and loafing. It was relatively warm, sunny, and gorgeous.
Day Six
We reluctantly left Homer on another gorgeous summer day. It was warm, sunny, and almost cloudless. The skies down there and in Anchorage are seldom that brilliant blue you see in Colorado. There is almost always a slight haze. Consequently you'll see that in a lot of our pix. Still, it's a magnificent view.
Because we kept stopping for one thing or another, it took us about an hour to finally drag ourselves away from town. Then on the drive home, we stopped several times to enjoy the views, stretch our legs, stop at our favorite eating places and so on. We also stopped by Portage Glacier to take some more pix.
When I get a chance, I'll post them on Picasa.
Stay tuned.
We left ANC on July 12th, 2007 in the midst of a blinding snowstorm, armed with little more than the clothes on our back and a sense of adventure in our hearts...
Okay, it was a little more sedate than that, but we did leave on the 12th with a sense of adventure in our hearts. We were bound for our beloved Homer and even though I don't enjoy driving long distances, I eagerly looked forward to our 225-mile drive because I knew it would be beautiful.
The adventure began as I turned the corner out of our subdivision. Less than a hundred yards from our home, a large moose was walking along the road head to head with my car. I pulled over to take pictures, but the moose started walking toward me. I backed up until the moose decided I was not a threat, then pulled over to take a couple of pix.
La moose...
We took the trip south in nice weather at a leisurely pace, stopping several times at favorite places. Our first stop this trip was at a bakery in Girdwood (about an hour south of ANC) where we get cake doughnuts. We seldom eat doughnuts throughout the year, but this has become a tradition. If you do something two or three times in a row, doesn't that make it a tradition? The teenage girl working behind the counter does nothing positive for the experience, but the doughnuts are good.
Another 90 minutes took us to Soldotna, where we like to eat at Charlotte's. This is a wonderful little cafe and bookshop where the food is moan-out-loud good. This is becoming another tradition we plan on keeping.
We arrived at our little cabin in the woods (www.moosecreekcabins3.com) a little later than planned in a steady, chilly rain. The innkeeper is a terrific guy named Ed Sotelo, who met us at his home and then showed us around. He's a neat guy who, like his wife, is a schoolteacher. He also does carvings, but his schedule did not allow us an opportunity to view his work.
The cabin...
Ed and his wife have a nice home situated in a clearing with an unrestricted view of the mountains. They have about six acres and have three places for guests to stay. You can stay in a downstairs apartment in their home or in one of two cabins. If you stay in either cabin, the setting is very private. Depending on the vegetation, you won't see the other cabin or the house from your cabin.
The larger cabin...
The other cabin is much larger and has a nice view of the mountains. Our cabin is surrounded by forest, but the view is only of a heavily grassed meadow. They have a little shed that has a sauna inside and next to the little shed is a hot tub. The shed is really quaint with its rustic style complete with grass growing on the roof. This area is also very private as it's nestled in the forest.
You can drive to and park near our cabin. Access is down a dirt path barely wide enough for your vehicle. However, you do not have vehicle access to the other cabin. The only access we saw was via walking down a little path through the woods.
Ed provided us with the fixings for continental breakfasts. He also left us with coffee, oatmeal, hot chocolate, etc. and the necessary appliances for small meals--microwave, refrigerator, hot plate, and so forth.
Although we were expecting the cabin to be small, we were both a little surprised at the reality. It's tiny. However, it has everything we need, so even though we stayed five nights, it still worked out just fine. See more pix on Picasa.
For most of the first three days, we had partly sunny skies with occasional rain. When it was overcast, even though this is mid-July, it was pretty chilly. The mornings are chilly regardless of the weather. Fortunately, the little heater warms up the room pretty well. First one up starts the heater and then jumps back into bed until it gets warmer.
By the way, if you come to AK in the summer, you still need to pack as if it's October in the mid-west. While you may get lucky and find warm, sunny days--some folks even call it hot--you'll really want those sweatshirts and gloves if you get out in the wind and the rain. When we walked the beach here in Homer, we wore several layers of clothes and our gloves. It was chilly walking into the wind. It's much more tolerable with the wind at your back.
Denise was the activities director this trip, so she made all our plans while I was gallivanting around Asia. In addition to finding this great little cabin, she signed us up for two trips with Central Charters. The first one was on Day Two.
Day Two
Our first trip was to Seldovia. We left port mid-morning and rode comfortably indoors (for the most part) for a couple of hours on a sight-seeing trip (i.e., the long way) to Seldovia. This trip across Kachemak Bay took us to several interesting islands, coves, etc. before disembarking in Seldovia, Alaska. Along the way we saw lots of birds and sea otters.
Seldovia is a unique little town that used to be larger than Homer. I don't remember the history of the town very well, but I think the short version of the story is the '64 earthquake hurt the city pretty badly and it has never really recovered. There are a few homes, a few businesses of various kinds, some places to eat, bed and breakfasts, etc.
Parts of the original boardwalk remain, however, so we tourists can walk about and see homes built right at the water's edge, many of them on stilts. Parts of the area are very quaint.
It was rainy and chilly while we were there, but it was a neat trip. We did have a very nice meal in town. Most of the ride back and forth on the boat was in the clear and the views were spectacular.
Speaking of which, when I think of Homer and the Kenai Peninsula, I think of spectacular views. You can't help but think of Julie Andrews and the Sound of Music. This is that kind of breath-taking beauty. It's hard to otherwise describe. Here's a panorama shot taken with my Kodak P712:
Day Three
We mostly drove around, did some walking, and checked out several eating establishments.
The food down here is great. Our favorite place is probably the Mermaid Cafe which coincidentally also has a used book store attached. Are we seeing a pattern here? Denise had a BLT that was probably the best we've ever had (I got a bite or two). Think homemade bread, large helpings of bacon fried to perfection, fresh lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise and whatever else (love?). It was awesome. I had vegetable soup that was also excellent.
And yes, I did buy a book.
Day Four
Day Four was very cool--in more ways than one. Denise had us booked to go to Halibut Cove in the afternoon so we spent the day prior to the boat ride doing what we do best: sight-seeing, walking, and eating. There's a quaint little general store about two miles from our cabin. They have post office boxes, general food items like milk, bread, drinks, etc., but best of all they also bake and fix a variety of interesting foods. We happen to love their BBQ sandwiches, but everything on the menu looks terrific. If the BBQ is any indication, this is another outstanding place to eat.
Speaking of nearby attractions, there's a great little nursery called Fritz Creek Gardens (I think). Last trip we got some plants from these folks and also toured their grounds. Neat folks and a really neat place to visit. This place is almost right next door to the general store.
In order to take the charters, you have to go out to the Spit. Prior to coming to Homer and thinking back to my incorrect, naive, visions of the Homer Spit from the late 80's, I envisioned the spit as a rather desolate place inhabited by some wildlife and a little old lady who feeds the eagles. There really is or was a little old lady who feeds or fed the eagles, but I'm not sure where she did that. And the spit was once that desolate landscape of my visions. However, that's not the case now and it probably wasn't that way when we lived here before.
The Spit is a flat, narrow peninsula that juts out into Kachemak Bay. I don't have any reference material handy, but I'd guess it goes out maybe a mile or two and it's pretty well packed with little businesses. It's quite the bustling place. There are tiny shops packed right next to each other along boardwalks that run along both sides of the road. The main emphasis here is fishing, fishing, and more fishing, but you do find T-shirts shops, art galleries, and places to eat.
On the north side of the road, you have a row of little shops and then the land drops steeply down to the marina. On the south side of the road, there's more land between the shops and the water. In fact, there are actually places to park RV's and camp. And it's pretty much wall to wall campers, RV's, and some hardy tent campers.
Back on Day Two this is where we boarded our boat to Seldovia. Likewise, on Day Four we boarded the Danny J for our 45-ish minute ride over to Halibut Cove. The Danny J was built in '42 and was once used to transport troops (as many as 75 men at a time) between ship and shore. A lady now owns the boat and has several captains who take turns running the boat over to Halibut Cove several times a day, every day of the season.
When we departed at around 5:00 p.m., there was a large cloud deck moving in toward us at sea level. I guess you might call it fog, but as we drove down the hill from our cabin to the Spit, you could very clearly see this cloud bank moving in. It was very distinct and pretty vast. By contrast, fog tends to be more ethereal.
In any case, as we were boarding, I asked the lady captain about her navigational equipment. She told me she had radar and a compass. I asked if they ever cancelled due to low visibility and she cheerfully told me, "No."
Shortly after departing, we were engulfed in the fog, but visibility wasn't that bad. It was probably 1/4 of a mile or better. For pilots, that's pretty low, but for a boat moving at 6 knots, it was plenty enough that we could see other boats that occasionally went by.
A couple of miles (I'm guessing) from the opposite shore, we moved out of the fog into brilliant sunshine and a gorgeous view of the land mass. Imagine snow-capped mountains in the background and lush green hills in the foreground. Some of the hills in the foreground eased gracefully into the bay. In other areas there are steep bluffs. At the top of one of these bluffs, you can see an old wooden fence. We later hiked to that fence line and viewed the bay from atop a grassy knoll.
As you pull into Halibut Cove, it's very much like a movie scene. There aren't many homes there as only about 30 people live there year round, but the homes and businesses are mostly built on pilings along a boardwalk. There are a few boats tied up alongside the pilings and docks and the hills rise up dramatically with the snowy mountain tops in the background. On this gorgeous, nearly cloudless, sunny afternoon it was a breathtaking sight.
We had reservations for dinner scheduled for the moment of our arrival, so we climbed the steep ramp straight into the open doors of the Saltry Restaurant. I believe that saltries were originally places where they salted fish before sealing them in kegs for shipment. This area used to be a huge herring fishing place but they actually decimated the herring population.
The restaurant that took the old saltry's location and name appears to do a thriving business. No small feat considering their very high prices and limited clientele. The food was good, however, and the ambiance or setting was worth every penny.
After dinner, we walked along the boardwalk and then made our way along some paths and up some steep slopes until we finally found those grassy knolls overlooking the bay. Once again, the views were just spectacular. From up on the hills, you see no houses, people, nor indications of mankind except for that very quaint wooden fence. I was in heaven. I didn't want to leave.
I'm not aware of any roads or any modern cars or trucks on this island. People get around on foot, on little golf-cart-like vehicles, and--get this--unicycles. Yep, unicycles. I've never seen so many. I didn't actually ever see anyone riding one, but I must've seen half a doze of them lying around in different places much like you'd normally see bikes. Funny.
The ride back on the Danny J was very nice in nice weather. This is a must do trip if you ever make it to Homer.
Day Five
Day Five we meandered around, eating, hiking the beach, reading, and loafing. It was relatively warm, sunny, and gorgeous.
Day Six
We reluctantly left Homer on another gorgeous summer day. It was warm, sunny, and almost cloudless. The skies down there and in Anchorage are seldom that brilliant blue you see in Colorado. There is almost always a slight haze. Consequently you'll see that in a lot of our pix. Still, it's a magnificent view.
Because we kept stopping for one thing or another, it took us about an hour to finally drag ourselves away from town. Then on the drive home, we stopped several times to enjoy the views, stretch our legs, stop at our favorite eating places and so on. We also stopped by Portage Glacier to take some more pix.
When I get a chance, I'll post them on Picasa.
Stay tuned.
Friday, July 6, 2007
DXB, CRK, HKG, July 2007
Dubai to Clark to Hong Kong...
Left DXB around noon. It was quite hazy and yes, quite warm. The desert is very interesting from the air, but it was too hazy for picture taking.
We flew all through the day and into the night on our way to Clark, Philippines. The vis was low with fog.
After a lengthy delay due to the weather, we proceeded to Hong Kong. The sunrise was beautiful. Look for pix on Picasa. We took naps and then hit the streets of HKG.
More pix to post. This evening, there will be a fireworks show celebrating ten years of Chinese control of HKG. More pix to follow.
Left DXB around noon. It was quite hazy and yes, quite warm. The desert is very interesting from the air, but it was too hazy for picture taking.
We flew all through the day and into the night on our way to Clark, Philippines. The vis was low with fog.
After a lengthy delay due to the weather, we proceeded to Hong Kong. The sunrise was beautiful. Look for pix on Picasa. We took naps and then hit the streets of HKG.
More pix to post. This evening, there will be a fireworks show celebrating ten years of Chinese control of HKG. More pix to follow.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Dubai, July 2007
Sunrise in Dubai...
The view from my 21st floor hotel room is obscured by condensation on the outside of the window and a thick coating of dust. I can look directly at the sun through the haze without squinting. It appears to be foggy, hazy, and warm outside as the city wakes up. At 5:00 a.m., the temperature is 88 degrees F with a heat index of 108. The visibility is three miles.
Breakfast was mediocre, but at least it was expensive!
Furnishings are very modern and attractive. My last stay here was in 2002.
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