New Delhi, Wednesday October 28, 2009
08 travel
didyouknow?The US Senate approved the purchase of Alaska from the Russian Empire on March 30, 1867, for $7.2 million at the rate of two cents per acre
Soar above the wilderness
If you can’t see the top of the mountain, it’s raining. If you can, then it’s about to. Welcome to Ketchiken, the rain capital of the US DK BHASKAR
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tanding on the pier, watching floatplanes landing and taking off from the Ketchikan waterfront, my excitement ran high, both for the view and in anticipation of the thrill of the ride. Then the captain, Jack Evans, invited me to his single engine de Havilland DHC-2 — “You can sit in the copilot’s seat.” I couldn’t even begin to imagine what it would be like to look out of the cockpit window. The weather was sloppy. It had rained persistently during the first two hours of walking through Ketchikan, a small port
the beautiful granite cliffs and lush mountains. The landscape was a mosaic of various densities, subtle colours, and diverse flora — a panoramic view of the vast Alaskan wilderness. “Most of what you see below are cedar trees, red, alaska, hemlock and spruce, hundreds of years old, untouched by man,” said Evans. Only in a few patches could you see signs of logging. The scenery below changed every minute. Fractured granite walls, scoured by glaciers plunged into deep fjords, misted mountains rose over snowfields, waterfalls cascaded out of rock clefts. Bald eagles swooped through the air, humpbacks flirted on the water’s surface, otters popped out of the coves in curiousity. This was Alaska at its wild best.
Landing in wilderness
Topographical survey A single-engine de Havilland DHC-2 that took the author over the Misty Fjords
The rain eventually stopped but the cloud cover persisted as our floatplane took off. We rose to a little over 3,000 feet, high enough to look down through the clouds to
As we began our descent, all I could see was a vast expanse of still water surround-
FACTFILE
PHOTOS: D K BHASKAR
city in Alaska — America’s 49th state — forcing me to take refuge in a jewellery store on the waterfront. A old man smiled at me through his wrinkles. “Didn’t you know Ketchikan is the rain capital of the US? If you can’t see the top of the mountain, it’s raining. If you can see it, it’s going to rain.” He was a Tlingit Indian, the group of natives who built a coastal culture in Southeast Alaska long before even the Russians arrived.
ed by greenery. “See there,” said Evans pointing to the right, “two orcas hunting for the seals!” Two beautiful black and white whales splashed through the glasslike water surface. Rugged and remote, Misty Fjords National Monument is an untouched coastal ecosystem formed by unique geological features. Part of the country’s biggest forest area, Tongass National Reserve, a vast expanse of over 17 million acres, it’s filled with extraordinary wildlife. The landing in the middle of Behm Canal, a long deep channel in the heart of a fjord, was the smoothest I’ve had. The only avenues to explore this landscape are air and water. We hopped onto a waiting catamaran. Allen, the captain of the boat, had our journey chalked out. “We will sail through Punch bowl cove, Rudyard bay and see some wildlife, possibly a bear!” This place records more than 170 inches of rainfall annually, so rushing streams are plentiful as are splendid waterfalls and wet meadows. Rainbows appear in a flash and splashes of sunshine warm up the landscape as squalls blow past gaps in the cloud cover. Arriving back at Ketchikan, the weather changed and brought in a pungent odour, a mixture of oil from the fishing boats, sawed timber and freshly processed salmon, explained Lauren, a local. “Stay,” she urged. “Tomorrow, I’ll take you to see the salmon spawning.” “Next time,” I promised. The author is a photojournalist whose work has been published in the National Geographic magazine
GETTING THERE Fly Jet Airways/Virgin/Canada Air/American Airlines to Vancouver. Prices start at Rs 65,000 (return). You can stay in one of the comfortable downtown hotels that offer packages for those sailing from Vancouver ports. I stayed at the Marriott Riverfront, close to the pier. GETTING AROUND You can visit Alaska only by air or water. The most popular way to visit Ketchikan is
by taking a cruise. Among the many I researched, the MV Mercury offered the best value and service. In Ketchikan, I opted for the services of Allen Marine Tours (www.allenmarinetours.com; tel: +1907-225 8100) for the floatplane and boat ride on the fjords. ACCOMODATION There are cabins/B&B/independent cottages/ in Ketchikan. Prices start from $ 70 (Rs 3,250) a day.
A road leading away from the waterfront
A bird’s eyeview of the Misty Fjords National Monument
A line of payphones at the pier
The magical I world of Sentosa
Zabeeh Afaque
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zabeeh.afaque@hindustantimes.com
t’s time you changed how you have enjoyed your holidays and celebration all these days. Very soon, you’d not be needing a travel guide to locate a place where you can relax as well as enjoy. Resorts World Sentosa on Singapore’s Sentosa island promises to be a one-stop
destination when fully operational by next year.
An universe of fun Apart from it’s beautiful coastline, the Sentosa Island’s claim to fame will be the Universal Studio theme park that will soon open here. It’ll house the largest marine life park and six different hotels to stay in.
Life on the island The resort offers a luxury spa, casino and a world of shopping options. Live concerts, free public performances and 18 free rides in the Universal Studios theme park is sure to keep you active. The resort has a movie theme part that has the world’s tallest Dueling Coasters and Shrek’s castle. What more, you can also meet look-a-likes of Marilyn Monroe to Betty Boop. One of the most expensive resorts in the world, this US $4.4 billion property makes sure that it’s visitor’s have the best of time. “We ensure that our guests experience what they wouldn’t anywhere else in the world,” says Krist Boo, VP-Head
Communications, Resorts World Sentosa.
Check out the place Take free bus rides to the Vivocity, pick up stuffs for your loved ones from the Mustafa Market and ofcourse, gorge on street food. China town is also a popular place to shop for low priced stuffs. One must also remember that Singapore is called the ‘Fine city’ — so be cautious before you drop your cigarette on the road!
How to get there?
■ Direct flights from Delhi and Mumbai to Changi Airport, Singapore ■ Taxi from the airport to Sentosa Resort ■ Time: 20Minutes of drive
Aeriel view of Resort World Sentosa
Glittering act of devotion lanning a trip to P Malaysia? Don’t forget to check out its latest
attraction — the Arulmigu Sri Raja Kaliamman Temple, or the ‘glass temple’, in Johor. The 87year-old temple re-opened to the public on Sunday after undergoing a major renovation — over 90 per cent of its structure is now made of finely-cut glass! Almost three lakh pieces of glass in blue, red, yellow, green, purple and white colours adorn the temple walls in beautiful patterns. The cost of the whole project is a cool three million ringgit.
An idol of Ganesha in a glass-tiled sanctum
The inner hall
— HTC
The temple’s outer facade
Hollywood Pantages Theatre
Far Far Away Castle
Sci-Fi City - Battlestar Galactica