Summer Hols West - Ketchikan

Summer Hols West - Ketchikan.

Here we are arriving in the vast metropolis of Ketchikan.
Notice how the tallest buildings in town are three or four storeys high, and we are looking down on their roof?
That's because I'm standing on the 12th storey deck of the ship.
It completely dwarfs everything else in town :-)




In the Global Referendum of '83, the Salmon of the world decided that their Capital should be at Ketchikan.



Hanging at the dock.



See - flopping huge.



Also, if you are in the market for a jewel encrusted crown, Ketchikan is the place to go.



And Ammolite - that wonderful gemstone found mainly in Alberta, Canada.
Hmm.



There was also a good supply of blacksmiths.



At the Lumberjack Show, the kids watched a wooden bunny rabbit get the top of its head cut off.



They are lumberjacks and they're ok.
They sleep all night and they work all day.



So while Delle and the kids are gallivanting around town with jewellery and wood, I had a bit of an adventure on my own.

Out across the bridge over the salmon-filled river into the old part of town where the houses of ill repute still stand I travelled, dragging with me my dirtiest secrets.

Furtively looking this way and that, sneaking past the Salvation Army Church (it was Sunday after all, and the service was in full swing.)

At last I spied my destination, nestled next to a bar down by the docks to give easy access to sailors that required it's special kind of service.

That's right - the laundromat - two weeks on the road left us with a huge bag full of dirty clothes.
On the ship they would wash your stuff for about $2 per item.
I reckon that the $15 I spent washing and drying our stuff saved us about $250 had we used the ship's laundry :-)



Bye Ketchikan.



Hello mini golf course.





Golf is a bit meh. A bit tricky too with the gentle rocking of the ship.
Time for something a bit more exciting, like rock climbing :-)



Yep, she made it to the top.



I gave it a go too - and made it up to ring the bell - yay!




That night after dinner, Delle and I went up to the front of the ship.
It was really, really windy.



Phew - blown away!



Oh no! We've been boarded by pirates!



This one looks particularly nasty.

Summer Hols West - All At Sea

Summer Hols West - All At Sea.
(11-Aug-07)

On the good ship Radiance of the Seas, there are lots of elevators.
The one we used yesterday had a little plaque on the floor that said "Friday".
I was thinking along the lines of Robinson Crusoe when I thought that they named the elevators after characters in nautical novels.
Turns out that the real answer was somewhat simpler.
Here's what was on the plaque today.




Hmm- yes, well - time for more exploring.
Here is the ship's anti-pirate defences.



Here's the Restaurant at the End of the... um ... Ship.



In the middle of the ship is this huge central arcade type thing called, appropriately enough, the Centrum.



And there was this big spokey type thing suspended in the middle of it.



Kids + all you can eat ice-cream = big trouble.



We weren't the only one's having fun. These dolphins were having a whale of a time surfing in the ship's wake.
(Ok, so you have to zoom right in to see them - sorry - I was using the little camera.)



Later in the day, Cayde was posing for a photo when he fell overboard.
We were a little disappointed until we realised that through the magic of Photoshop, we could insert him into future photos, and so not miss him at all.

Summer Hols West - Cruisin'

Summer Hols West - Cruisin'

Look what we found - a big boat.
Let's go for a ride...





Someone is a bit excited.
(Beware of spillage :-)



Ooh - funky green stairs.



Oh no! We're sinking! Abandon ship!



Hey look, a room full of people wearing lifejackets - let's go and sit with them rather than save our lives.



Some people are distracted by shiny things.
I'm distracted by this kind of thing.
(Lots of buttons and lights and sliders and let's not forget the knobs...)



Ok, disaster was averted.
(I think they brought in the Mythbusters and whole train load of ping-pong balls.)

Time to explore the ship.
Indoor pool.



Outdoor pool.



Rock climbing wall and water slide.



Bye Vancouver.



Heading out under the bridge that we drove across earlier in the morning to get to Capilano.



If you look really, really closely, you can see Simone, Mick, Danielle and Katie waving to us on the other boat out there.
Really.



Checking out the kid's club.

Winner!

Summer Hols West - Capilano

Summer Hols West - Capilano

Last day in Vancouver.



Quick trip to Capilano.



This Tlingit dude was singing a song in his native tongue.
I understand that the translation was something like "You're gonna fall off the bridge and die"



It's Beavis or perhaps Butt-Head.
"He he - you're gonna fall off the bridge and die man - he he. Whoa - I'm made out of wood - he he - I said wood!"



Metallica cover band in period costume playing Enter Sandman.



The bridge about which we were warned earlier...



Here we go.



A few months earlier, this tree fell on the bridge.
It only weighed 40 tonnes or so - nothing to worry about at all - hmm.



We made it!



So now we are over on this side, what adventures await us?



Catwalks (but no cats).





It's a weather station.



"Be vewwy vewwy qwiet - we're hunting Ewoks!"



They have very tall beavers here at Capilano.



"I'm a model you know what I mean
And I do my little turn on the catwalk
Yeah on the catwalk on the catwalk yeah
I do my little turn on the catwalk"



The Balad of Big Doug.



Big Doug himself.



Cayde and Addie contemplating how they can push each other into the water without either getting wet themselves or getting in trouble from their parents.



A quick moment to relax - phew.



See - the bridge is really high.



Back we go.






One of these things is not like the others...



Didn't have time to go to Grouse Mountain.
(Even though it would be thoroughly grouse!)