The All Night Lights!!

Well, isn't this a turn up for the books?! Me... writing TWO blogs from the same place! Yes, i'm still in Alaska, but i've been here 4 days, so thought i'd enlighten your lives with what i've been upto recently! Look, it was either this, or a MONSTER blog entry in two days... and no-one likes one that's too big, it's painful for some, and just makes other 'posts' feel inferior when they cop an eyeful. Ah, it's good to be crude haha.

Right, I left you by saying i was goin' to bed and that i was off to Seward the next day, and indeed that is what i did! Seward, for those not in the know, is 140 miles south of Anchorage in the Kenai National Park. Now, this is no ordinary park... no no no... there are VERY few trees, but a shedload of ice, fjords, glaciers... and AWESOME mammals!

The whole point of me coming to Alaska (as well as the brag factor, naturally), was to see nature in its raw state. As much as i love seeing animals in zoos, i always leave feeling sad for them, because they've lost their freedom (i'm no hippy, but i do have concerns for the little things!). Kenai is a whole different kettle of fish - everything's wild, and you won't EVER see some of these animals in zoos, as they're frankly too damn big!

As ever, i decided to rock the shorts look. As anyone who vaguely knows me will know - i tend to wear shorts when the weather REALLY dictates that i shouldn't. So a journey to a glacier where the temperature is just touching a few degrees above freezing is PERFECT for me to short up! I can proudly say i was the only one on the boat wearing shorts. Consequently, we also had a safety talk about capsizing. Now, i've had WAY too much training in this when i was younger. I can happily say i'd survive a ferry capsizing as i know loads of tricks to stay alive... but if we hit that arctic water then over 1/2 the passengers would die instantly. Why?? Most of them look ready to be deposited on the ocean bed to turn into oil... they were so old!! Before we even set off, i knew there'd be no romance in front of a glacier. I dig older women... but only about 5 or 6 years older than me, i don't dig the 50-60 year old bracket!

Anyway, to the actual cruise. Simply, it was amazing. I saw what i wanted to see... HUMPBACK WHALES!! They weren't super close (about 300-500 feet), but we saw two of them come up to breathe and saw them 'fluke' (aka tail slap). Words can't describe how breathtaking it is to see these animals in action. Some of you will be thinking 'can't wait to see the photos', well, you're going to be disappointed there. Yesterday, i remembered something my Dad said the other week: ''I just wanted to enjoy the moment while it was actually happening'' (talking about my graduation), and that's exactly what i did. I'd have missed the moment using my camera, so i just absorbed it. It was amazing.

Also managed to see sea lions, seals and sea otters swimming freely! We also stopped to see puffins... and i'm not being funny, but i could care less about puffins, or any bird for that matter (except Amazonian ones). Four years at Sheffield Uni has killed ANY interest in birds! (Folks who did bio with me at SU will know exactly what i mean!). And besides... i saw puffins in Scarborough when i was younger. Sure, the surroundings aren't exactly on par, but the birds are the same, so sod it!

We also floated out to see an active tidewater glacier. What's that? Well, you know when you see an arctic nature program you see those enormous ice sheets near the sea, where huge chunks slide off into the ocean?? That's a tidewater glacier, and that falling is called 'calving'. I was lucky enough to see Holgate Glacier in Kenai calving! Again, i skipped photographing the calving, but it was a spectacle that you can only see once. It's so saddening to think that my kids will never be able to witness this, as these glaciers are retreating SO rapidly because of global warming! I heard a woman say she 'didn't believe in global warming' on the boat. That vexed me, and i almost gave her a lesson... but then i figured that she's American, so it'd only go over her head. She's better off looking at puffins.

That was basically all of yesterday! The boat cruise was 6 hours, with 6 hours of travelling to and fro Seward... but it really was worth it. I may not have seen wild grizzlies, but a humpback whale or two DEFINITELY satiates my hunger for wildlife... for now...

So, what have i done today?? Walked! And walked and walked and walked! I've covered about 25 miles today on foot, and boy can my feet feel it. I just wanted all of nature around Anchorage to soak in, and it did. Sometimes literally. I'm getting quite adept at grabbing mosquitoes mid-suck now, which must annoy them SO much (to the boys reading... i'm sure you can empathise with the poor buggers... there's nothing worse than someone stopping mid-suck is there?? There's no satisfaction, and only frustration remains unless the job is finished! ;-) Ha!) My legs still look like the elephant man, due to too many bites (and my insistance on wearing shorts in Alaska), but i'm getting better at catching them!

Also did a spot of souvenir hunting, which was pretty cool. Only got souvenirs from places that have touched me - aka NOLA and Alaska (although i wanted stuff from Vegas and Hollywood, but i guess memories will have to do!).

Finished off my day by stopping at this VERY Pulp Fiction looking diner (we actually saw the real diner from the film in the 'wood, but despite Sarah and I's desire to get in there, we never had the time). I wouldn't even mention this fact except that they even had 'Five Dollar Shakes' on the menu. If you're a fan of the film, that should be ringing bells! I, naturally, had to order one... and a quote only seems apt... i shall echo the words of Vincent Vega to Mia Wallace (John Travolta and Uma Thurman, respectively): ''That's a pretty ----ing good milkshake. I don't know if it's worth five dollars, but it's pretty ----ing good all the same!'' And it was. I had to get that quote in here haha.

What next pour moi?? Well, tomorrow i fly back down South to San Francisco - i'm beginning my journey East again, and back through the 5 timezones that exist in the US! On this 'leg' of my tour i'll be hitting San Fran, Yellowstone National Park (can't wait!), Salt Lake City, Chicago and finally, New York! Sounds pretty sweet... made even more tasty by the fact that this only involves TWO more Greyhounds, though both are beasts - each well over 20 hours! Best charge up that i-pod then right??

Oh, and for those concerned about my rear (and let's face it - every girl under 30 is!), it's feeling fine again after being pounded by my bike.

Right, time for a shower! Then off to bed with me! I'm knackered, and my feet would appreciate the rest before my loooong day tomorrow. I'll drop y'all a line in a couple of days before i embark on my journey to Yellowstone.

Speak soon y'all. Much love.

Aaron! x