Skagway

Well I’m glad I packed my shorts – 24 degrees today and sunny – all the Alaskans were complaining heavily!

We hired a car from Avis – about a ½ mile  level walk from the boat - and headed into the Yukon.  The drive is spectacular – the scenery of the mountains and lakes making you feel very insignificant.  

We drove as far as Emerald Lake 127km from Skagway – a beautiful lake that, as its name suggests, reflects blues and greens from the silt.  

Lunch at the Sourdough bakery in Carcross – simple soups and sandwiches which was lovely.  

James was very tired so he slept the whole way back and woke a much more alert child, funnily enough.  I had a wander around town – full off touristy jewellery shops in the gold rush style ( but I still managed to find a lovely Alaskan Lights pendant)

Our usual routine of drinks in the schooner bar

( looked after by the lovely Rabello) followed by dinner at Cascades. Entree of spicy meatballs and then a Xmas dinner of turkey roulade and cranberry sauce.  Kahula soaked chocolate cake finished us off!

We had a chat with Rabello about the working conditions – they work 7 months straight – no days off – often 10 – 11 hour shifts.  They have single rooms but not very big and in the evenings you see them on the lower outer decks all calling their homes – they seem to be mainly Indian and Philippino waiters with a smattering of Australian and European in the entertaining field.

We came home to find we had had a visitor