Inside Passage – Staring at the start of the lap

Factsheet 4×1

Date: 07/10/2012 and 09/10/2012

Saímos of: Haines, Alaska, USA.

Final destiny: Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Canada.

Total distance: 765 km

Travel time: A day and Two nights.

Path: We took the ferry across Inside Passage and, so, in despedíamos of Alaska.

Where to sleep: In the chaos of the rest room, raft.

What we eat good: The food was not the best ferry, but got two sandwiches for free on the first day! J

Tire cheio: The opportunity to meet new people, without haste and without the routine normally run the Expedition.

Tire murcho: Sleeping on the floor is never good right! (hehehe)

Was 16h Day 07 October and we were ready to board the ferry that would take us from Haines to Prince Rupert, a trip 2 days, stopping to exchange vessel only once. We boarded with Tana and sailed around 17h toward Juneau, the state capital of Alaska, where would exchange ferry to leave then finally to Prince Rupert, Canada not. Tana Paramos a raft, along with several other cars, and went up to her to make a reconnaissance vessel.

Essa route we would do between Haines (to north) and Prince Rupert (most southerly), sailing between islands and the mainland is known as Inside Passage (in Portuguese, interior passage). It does not come to pass by the open sea and the impression was that, As is ground on both sides, We were down a great river. Mountains covered with ice, glaciers and sometimes even whales are often seen things on that route (unfortunately the "high season" of whales had just a few weeks ago and I could not see any). But still, is a surreal landscape, especially when you remember that this is simply a "ferry" for routine users!

How much time we would not be in it, do not bother to look for good places, we just sat in the observation deck outdoors watching the beautiful scenery passing before our eyes while there was still a bit of daylight. The night came quickly and then down to Jantar we prepare to land, it was near Juneau and would need to go to the other ferry Tana.

As we did not know for sure how long we had to exit a ferry and embark on another, and so we were careful that everything was ok already removed the Tana and take it to the point of waiting for the boarding another ferry. However, then we found out that our expectations were not very real: we had to wait over 3 hours for boarding. Well, back a bit, so stop with Tana in the waiting area realize that the entry of passengers walk was about to be released. Therewith, we split and 3 of us went to the queue of passengers without car, others 2 were hoping to steer the ship when it authorized. The pedestrian entrance seemed a race. Let us explain why: not many people are willing to pay for cabins for sleeping and, then, bring their sleeping bags and pillows to lie in any public place of the ship and sleep. We, clear, we fit into this category. Therewith, when opening the entry for all passengers who are going with this intention immediately in search of the best places! We were in 3, then we parted and soon we were dropping our junk where we thought it a good place. After a few laps on the ship discovered a "small room of rest" that was definitely the best option for sleep: ground "soft" (carpet), few windows (what deixava dark) and with ample space between seats, encaixarmos great for our sleeping bags! We confirm our choice once we realize that several people were behind this place hahaha.

Meanwhile Gabriel and Gustavo, accompanying the Tanajura, continued to wait outside and ended up making friends with other drivers who also awaiting shipment of their vehicles in ship. But one of them was special: Jeremy - a plumber approximately 34 years old, very smart and with a great life story, we talked a lot even within the ship (we will tell soon). It was almost midnight, the cold began to tighten. We were already hungry and after nearly 3 hours late, finally got put Tana na raft. Next step was to look for something to eat, since with the long delay in the exchange of ships could not eat anything. We had luck! The snack bar was about to close and you then saw our guys hungry and offered us two free sandwiches! We started sleeping in the spaces we had booked.

We woke up the next day without haste, because this would be the day we would spend just on the ferry. We used to read a lot, write and play our favorite game of ships: One or! Hahaha. But one of the highlights of the crossing was able to chat with other passengers and watch the beautiful landscape of mountains of snow, glaciers, birds dived for fish, addition of small villages that were outside the channel Inside Passage, surrounded by pine. That was the day that we can better understand the story of Jeremy.

The conversation began with him only the night boarding in Juneau through simple (and practical people costumeira) curiosity that Tanajura woke them. “Diesel hein?! Legal! …What kind of brakes you use? …This cool bumper! What kind of material did you use? …In how many inches you raised her?"These, Among many other questions showed that Jeremy knew about off-road. Actually he gave us a lesson. It, em moments, showed us the journals in off-road he signed and photos of your darling! By 4×4 yellow that looked like a bigfoot so high! Jeremy was a plumber and in his spare time took her 4×4 to "play" (As he spoke) mud in the interior of Oregon, where he grew up and where his parents and siblings still living. Jeremy still in boarding Tanajura gave us, also, a lesson on the cities there Inside Passage. Told us about the size of major cities and the "fight" between environmental policy, politicians and residents who were divided in opinion create a road that would connect Juneau (Alaskan capital to do) the rest of the continent. It turns out that Juneau is a small town surrounded by high mountains and glaciers and has no roads that cut and allow the city to more easily "connected with the rest of the world". If on one hand this would impact the environment, the rich nature of the region and also its "status" of small and harmonious village; second, its residents have other options out there, This would represent also an alternative to the ferry (such that we were getting) and the small airport in the city - by the way, both much more expensive costs to exit and enter the city. So, By this connection unless something practical and trivial, costs of city life are quite high, mainly with basic issues like food, once everything arrives or ferry or plane.

And the conversation continued with Jeremy on the boat. He told us how his routine was working there in the region and behaved like the union to which he belonged. Reported on labor relations between companies, union and professional technical level, as ele. Muito interesting, because we know a little of the organization of these relations, their pay levels, advantages and disadvantages to each party involved, especially when compared to what happens in Brazil, where the demand for skilled labor is increasingly scarce. It could be an alternative model for us, but need to be well adapted, because workers and unions would be too beholden to corporate interests, without much flexibility and high risk in crisis situations in the country.

But the subject that Jeremy was more sensitive in discussing, and we most alongamos, was abortion. Although the subject is very controversial (not the whole world, by the way), Jeremy stated their opinions on this, about how he saw the interference of the State and also the theme on how this interference can impact and shape the thinking of American society. Jeremy still married to 15 years and he and his wife tried a son when he still had 16, but the baby died in the womb of his wife. The following year tried again and this time they had their first child. Other attempts have occurred and Jeremy and his wife lost more 1 or 2 children of miscarriage before reaching the number of 4 sons who have now. The losses rocked much to him and his wife who have studied the issue enough. Today Jeremy asks very lucid state intervention in the American health, once there is support and funding abortion methods and a disregard with respect to poor people with serious illnesses or even terminally ill (something that was not the first time we hear). He also spoke about the issue of the use of weapons in the country and how he sees a reversal of values ​​in society and in education as a whole. Jeremy sought religion a few years ago and now their daughters are missions to help communities at risk in countries of South America and Africa. Truly an amazing life story and that greatly moved us and made us think hard!

The boat went on and the scenery outside was really gorgeous.

At the end of the second day docked in Ketchikan, stop where Jeremy and descend, how we would get 2 hours standing laser, he invited us to see the car he had built with his own hands! We waited in a cafe near the port and in a few minutes he returned with his wife and with the car so we knew. The vehicle was actually a contraption, all modified, with a suspension that left much louder than a normal car, cutouts on the hood for engine breathing, current support for the driver get up, all designed to the smallest detail. Too bad the time was short and soon had the fire to voltarmos the boat, but Jeremy made sure to pray for us and ask for blessings for our return to the southern part of the continent.

We returned to the boat for our last game of Uno. 23h was almost crying when a man passed by the ship's restaurant where we played our partidinhas: “There are some nice Northern Lights out there!” (Northern Lights is what they call the Aurora Borealis). And off we went running to the top where there was a ferry deck open for viewing from view. No wonder the amazement of the man as they are unusual cases of Aurora here in southern Alaska. Why E? In a simplistic way, and since we are not scientists, We can explain the Aurora as follows: O Sun, Alem de luz, also emits charged particles in space a lot of energy. These particles as they approach the Earth are "absorbed" by our atmosphere and displaced towards the poles of the planet (due to the magnetic attraction of the poles). Thus these particles collide with atoms of Earth (Oxygen mainly, we breathe, and Nitrogen) generating a chemical process in which releases light. Why the lights emitted by this collision of particles can only be seen near the poles of the Earth! Since the light emitted by the sun is stronger than the light emitted by these particles, Aurora can only be seen at night, with clear skies, cloudless. So, on a clear day, The later, less influence of city lights and closer to the poles you are, will be easier to see Aurora. Normally this combination occurs closer to winter, where the nights are longer and the weather (in the case of Alaska) but e seco, without influence of clouds. So, only very strong solar flares are able to allow it to be viewed as a place "far" Polo, where as there were! Something unusual happened! Eita fate, hein!!!

Coincidence or not, this was our last night here in Alaska, because the next day already atracaríamos in Canada. The parade here in Ketchikan with Jeremy was, officially, Our last stop on the territory of our first goal (Alaska) and marks the beginning of a new phase: the descent into Ushuaia, Land of Fire, or also called The End of the World.

Fresh air to come. And the journey continues!

Want to see more photos of our trip? Click here!