6.30.9 - RETURN TO CASA D’CHAOS – IT’S A WRAP

And so it goes Dear Hearts and Innocent Bystanders

The Aerobatic Dragon Lady and her erstwhile navigator Chuckie have returned to Casa D’Chaos, much to the delight of the Grandbabies and their loving parents who are now ready for a break themselves, but much to the dismay of your Wacky American Tourists who wish it was just a liiiitttllle bit longer.

It’s time now for that all important wrap up to NOWAT ALASKA 2009 with the usual do’s - don’ts, highs - lows and general comments. So sit back with a cup or glass of your favorite whatever as that Wack job Chuckie rambles on to the finish. And,,, as with all of his final diatribes, this will be a bit longer than usual but without pics, those you can follow along on the Picasa Web ALASKA albums,
picasaweb.google.com/ChuckMercurio/NOWATALASKA2009
picasaweb.google.com/ChuckMercurio/NOWATALASKA200902
with more to be added when the 35mm are developed

First and foremost - Seattle and our Newest and [in Earl’s case] oldest B.F.F.’s the Sedliks. What can we Say but WOW!!! If you're gonna see Seattle, ya gotta see it with the Sedliks. Prouder Seattleites do not exist, and the grandest of hosts cannot hold a candle to this extraordinarily humble, yet effervescent duo. Words cannot express our gratitude for a fabulous couple of days in their care. Thanks Earl and CK for having the Chamber of Commerce order up such fabulous weather and for showing us Seattle like a native. Even if we couldn’t find Larry’s, the camaraderie, meals and wine were FANTASTIC!

Then there were our adventures in the various ports of call.

It is hard to describe the grandeur of Glacier Bay and the glorious vista there. With near perfect weather and total tranquility, the Margerie and Johns Hopkins glaciers were awe inspiring to say the least but we'll let the pictures we took tell it all. Hopefully we'll be able to get some of the 35mm pics up on the Picasa album soon.

Juneau is a beautiful capitol and the weather couldn’t have been better for Whale Watching on Auk Bay, the crew of our vessel was most gracious, the captain exact and even the Whales cooperated in providing a better show than anyone could expect. DL was beside herself, clicking away with the rapid shot digital, ecstatic at the results and overwhelmed with the experience.

Then there was the helicopter to Mendenhall Glacier, over the great peaks of Juneau and onto the bluest of ice. Again, the weather cooperated, while wind chill had us about as blue as the ice, we will never forget a most incredible experience.

Sitka in da Rain was a step back in time, strolling through the rustic village and into the fantastic rainforest and Totem Park, but the real highlight was the visit to the Raptor Center to experience up close, the magnificent Eagles and Hawks residing there. The work done there is an exceptional example of the love these gentle people have for nature and its wonderful creatures. Finding the Dragon Lady’s personal navy was a hoot too.

And then there was Ketchikan. I really didn't know what to expect when we got to the Rainforest Canopy and Zip Line Expedition considering her acute acrophobia, but as usual, the Beautiful, if still navigationally challenged Dragon Lady showed the world, or at least us immediately present, that there is nothing she can’t overcome when she sets her mind to it. Not only did she handle it like a trooper, but even the guides were amazed at her performance when I let them in on her fear of heights... well...AFTER we had started the adventure. I'm SO DAMNED PROUD of her I could bust. As soon as I can figure out how to download the video tape to the computer, we'll try to post the video of the Dragon Lady’s “Flight Thru the Trees”.

Downtown Ketchikan was another step back in time... to a degree. Creek Street was a hoot, considering they converted a string of Brothels into tchotchke shops...then again it was just trading one form of clip joint into another. The tchotchkies were in some cases unique... and while there was some original work by local artists, the majority “Made in China” drivel was disappointing. Yet...Grandma Dragon Chic got her requisite goodies and a start on Christmas as well.

Victoria in da Rain, was a mild disappointment, yet we didn't expect that much considering the short time we were scheduled there. The rain didn't help, but the Bard and Banker Pub was a pleasant find to wait out the weather.

Now for the Cruise itself. While we weren’t quite sure what to expect from Holland American, we had somewhat high expectations based on recommendation from friends who have sailed with them before. Quite frankly... a disappointment. Perhaps it was the Westerdam in particular. We had been advised that the atmosphere would be a bit refined, the passengers a bit older and the tempo a bit slower, but didn't expect it to be so laid back and with such poor attention to detail. While the crew was most cordial and sometimes attentive, it lacked the warmth and friendliness we had experienced on Carnival’s Freedom or Triumph, or even the RCCL trip for the Templeshiffs honeymoon. We expected much better considering they are owned by Carnival but alas... Holland America didn't hit the mark. Perhaps we’re more accustomed to a faster pace, continuous fun and excitement and a much more attentive crew. Or maybe it’s just us.

The whole deal, cruise, and flight were booked on Travelocity. While not a first choice, we were drawn there by some deals originally set for Norwegian Cruise Lines, but after reading several marginal and negative reviews, we decided to shop around and for some reason stayed on Travelocity. The booking experience was neither good nor bad and as online services go it was OK.

This was the first time we booked all the excursions through the cruise line and as usual found them to be a bit pricey. Since we booked so short out, I didn't have time to really research and book direct with the vendors as we did on MedCruise 2008, and with such short times in port we didn't want to run the risk of running late for “All Aboard”, but I'm sure we could have probably saved significantly. However there are no complaints about the actual adventures or the quality of the guides. All were exceptional. If you ever get this way... the helicopter onto the glacier, whale watching and the Rainforest Zip Line are a must.

Over-packing, however, was another thing. Being from Sunny [sometimes] South Florida, we were very apprehensive about what to pack and the advice we got was “Layer...Layer... Layer”. This caused us to seriously over-pack resulting in more baggage that we normally carry. Of course the heavy boots [thanks Big time Sharon] and extra foot ware, along with the 2 Formal Dinners [on just a 7 day cruise] didn't help. Considering the time spent on excursions, some outer-layers could have been recycled and of course not being able to self-launder as we’re accustomed added to the extra load.

In the end we consider it a fabulous trip, and somewhat relaxing considering the amount of time at sea. And of course we wish we had more time in Seattle, there was so much we didn't get to do or see, through no fault of the Sedliks who went out of their way to keep us hopping.

As always, we hope you enjoyed traveling with the Wacky American Tourist and the Ever-lovely, and now quite aerobatic, Dragon Lady and we thank all of you who have expressed your support through your comments on our NOWAT BLOG. And of course... remember... it ain't stoppin’ yet, this was just the first leg of the Dragon Lady Does American Tour so there will be many a NOWAT to come

We leave you with our usual parting NOWAT Benediction, and look forward to your comments, critiques, and/or Bronx Cheers… which ever you feel appropriate. But hey… it could have been root canal.

Work like you don’t need the money.
Love like you’ve never been hurt.
Dance like nobody’s watching.
And during life's darkest moments remember the
4 most important words in any language:
"This Too Shall Pass!"

Ciao 4 Now,
Chuck and the grinning at her picture on the Zip line, but happy to be back on the ground, Dragon Lady