June 1, MV Columbia, Alaska State Ferries.

Boarding the 'Good Ship Columbia' was not an illustrious start to our ferry cruise through the Inner Passage to Alaska. Dutifully arriving about fifteen minutes before the required check-in time of 3 hours prior to departure, we took our place in lane 8 as directed and awaited instructions. We are no novices when it comes to car ferry trips, terminals and boarding procedures, so we waited patiently to be called to drive up the ramp and board the ferry. So we waited and we waited...

Let us digress for a moment to the current state of the US economy and how American industrial might is being challenged by the Chinese and others. Cheap labour is often cited as the reason Asian economies can effectively compete against American industry. This may well true, but with the minimum wage in the US at just over $8.50 an hour, this is rapidly becoming a weak argument. No, what it is all about is efficiency.

At a time when the Greeks and Italians are the current international communities' 'whipping boys' when it comes to economic efficiency, it is interesting for us to return to our reflections on the loading of car ferries.

Aside from one best forgotten incident in the Greek port of Patras, when there was a problem with the ship, our experiences on European ferries have been way more pleasant that what we endured today at the Port of Bellingham, Washington. Four hours it took to load the ferry! People with clipboards and pens periodically ran up and down the rows of cars and checked windscreen stickers. Ours was checked at least three times by the same girl. One has to wonder why the ticket we were told to fix to our window had a barcode? Paper tickets and Ids were checked on entering the port area and then again at a booth on the loading ramp, one car at a time. It finally occurred to one of the sharper ticket checkers that it would save time if tickets were checked in the line. Good idea. Bad timing. There were only half a dozen vehicles left in line at that point. We, of course, were one of them.

Even the ever erratic Greeks and Italians can load a ferry with scores of large trucks, cars and assorted motorhomes in less than an hour!

We are finally on board and in our cabin. The purser had noticed that we were on board for two legs of the trip and had put us in the same cabin for both legs. Finally some sanity.

2 June, MV Columbia, Inner Passage, Canada.

Ferry cruising may not have all the luxury of a Four Star cruise ship, but what you see over the rails is exactly the same. The scenery, even through what is reportedly the less spectacular southern part of the passage is breathtaking, made even more so by some bright sunny weather and mild temperatures. Mind you, after 20 hours or so of pine-covered mountains, it becomes a bit like the Australian Outback; the first 100 kms are riveting, the next 1000 can be a bit same old, same old.

The lodgings aren't quite Four Star, but they are fully self-contained with a spacious shower, good water, wide bunks and plenty of storage space. In fact, our cabin is so large that it is probably twice the size of the hotel we stayed in in Tokyo on a recent trip.

Sleeping options on board range from our style of cabin to bunking down on the chairs in the lounges, sleeping outdoors in a heated 'solarium' area or pitching a tent on the front or back deck. The last of these, while probably a little uncomfortable, is certainly the most social.

Most people seem to carry on coolers with enough food and drink for the full voyage which, if you do it in one stretch, is three nights and three days. As you might imagine, our Esky had little room for food, so we've been eating in the cafeteria and restaurant.

June 3^rd MV Columbia, Inner Passage, Alaska.

We broke our voyage today with a couple of hours on shore in the small Alaskan town of Ketchikan, once the 'Salmon Capital of the World'. Today it is probably more accurately described as the cruise boat capital. Three enormous liners disgorged thousands of tourists into the small downtown area as we wandered about the T-shirt shops and diamond 'outlets'. We had made a bad call in Bellingham when we boarded, opting to off load our car for the 6 hour stopover. Consequently, a fair portion of our time was spent getting on and off the ferry. Check-in time was two hours prior to departure, so once again we cooled our heels in line waiting for our turn to board.

Our day started well. The diner we selected for breakfast was the old style diner that we love and it seemed to be favoured by the locals. Just as we were inspecting our bill after struggling through another enormous American breakfast, the guy beside us at the counter lent over and said he would like to pick up our bill!. We were a bit taken aback, but he was genuine. He had had his breakfast tab picked up recently by a stranger and he felt he should return the favour. No strings. He just took the bill, paid it and disappeared. You gotta love Americans!

Touristy as Ketchikan is, it does have an interesting history. Once a major fishing port and a stepping off point for miners during the Klondike gold rush, the town, unsurprisingly, once boasted an active Red Light district. Most of the original brothels still stand along the boardwalks of Creek Street. Most are now a mish-mash of the usual tourist souvenir shops, but Miss Dolly's House has been maintained in all its early 20^th century splendour. Miss Dolly was forced to close up shop, along with all her competitors along Creek Street, in 1954. Unlike the other Madams, Dolly stayed on in her house, keeping it fairly much as a time capsule until her death in 1972 aged 84.

After a quick trip to a totem pole museum, (probably not our last) we replenished our beer supplies and joined the line to load the ferry for Juneau.

Later in the afternoon we cruised into the tiny settlement of Wrangell, Alaska. Just a speck on the map, but apparently a great place to kill stuff! As we sidled up to the dock we were able to share a moment of true ecstasy with a few of the local lads as they unloaded an enormous black bear from the back of their pick-up. Dressed in camouflage, these 'good ole boys' were posing with their kill. This is truly the last frontier. “If you go out in the woods tonight be prepared for a big surprise' – 'specially if you are a bear!

After confronting the hoards of cruise boat tourists we are even more convinced that the local ferry trip was the best choice for seeing the Inner Passage. The pace is slow and the whole environment on board ship is laid back, friendly and extremely comfortable. Very few foreigners travel this way. There is a small sprinkling of Australians, a Kiwi or two, but that's it. The remainder of the passengers are American, mostly very average folk. Family groups and retirees predominate along with a few Alaskan locals returning home. Pick-up trucks and well used RVs fill the vehicle decks. Not a BMW in sight! All this is enhanced by fantastic scenery and mild, sunny weather.

Most people seem to survive on food brought with them or on snacks from the cafeteria. We have been frequenting the restaurant where meals are reasonable quality and excellently priced, particularly since tipping is prohibited because the staff are state employees.