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Alaska-Russia
By Milt Abel | October 9, 2009
| October 9, 2009Alaska to Russia 9/16/2009
Despite what former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin might have said to pad her international chops, you can’t see Russia from anywhere in Alaska, certainly not from where I was when I went way out on the Aleutians to cross the Bering Sea. And let’s not even mention the fog. Just because you can see something doesn’t mean you’ll have any kinds of expertise about it, I mean, I know what my wife looks like, but she’ll agree, that doesn’t mean I understand her.
I was aboard the Regent Seven Seas Mariner; a beautiful little ship that is, without doubt, the highest-end cruise ship I have yet to sail on. If you can afford it, go. The luxury and courtesy were embossed in every detail, and I had a bathroom that was almost the size of the one I have at home -unheard of in my previous sailings. The inclusive alcohol was a bit of a party onto itself as well. Even the production shows were a caliber above anything I’ve yet to see on a ship. A stable of very talented singers and dancers put on show after that show that was outstanding as I joined the Ship from Seward, Alaska to Hakodate, Japan.
Dutch Harbor was lean. We called on the port for a day and I was curious to see any effects of World War II. There had been some fighting there in the middle of 1942 and the Japanese even occupied a couple islands in the Aleutians. Dutch Harbor was bombed, and I mentioned on stage a few nights later that they wouldn’t nowadays because there were too many Toyotas and Hondas parked about. There was a nice museum about the WWII experience in the Aleutians in Dutch Harbor and it was fascinating, I recommend it.
We sailed for two days across the Bering Sea to Petropalosk, Russia. I had been to Russia earlier this year. In June I spent three days docked in St Petersburg but wasn’t allowed of the ship because I was negligent about getting the proper visa. Regent, in its thoroughness, took care of that and I was able to spend the afternoon strolling through this extreme eastern Russian port. Didn’t care for it. Dirty, decrepit, depressed, dowdy, disenchanting, all the negative ‘D’ words -A to Z really. Certainly there was love and joy there, but it wasn’t on display. My concise description of Russia: Canada if it had been arrested and abused in its youth.
Something unique happened as we crossed from Alaska to Russia. We crossed the international date line and just threw Monday, September 21 out the window. Chose not to observe it. Like some fanatical religious sect, we all agreed not to participate in a tradition (i.e. a whole day) that was observed by all others. I joked onstage about the power the captain had, that he could just wipe a whole day off the face of the earth just by his choosing. “He’s going to take away the letter ‘O’ next!” I warned my audience.
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