We visit "Ketchikan" today, our first port of call heading north. It's Alaska’s first city claiming to be the salmon capital of the world and it also holds the title of the rainfall capital of the US, so the area surrounding is abundant with well fed freshwater rivers and streams bursting with salmon each summer which results in a lot of wildlife activity. I’m guessing it’s up there with Tully rainfall!!

The temperature is between 14 and 17 degrees partly cloudy, so we layer for the first time this trip and take a rain jacket, leaving at 8.00am for our morning tour.

Ketchikan reminds me of a movie set in the gold rush, sea side town, with timber jetty and coloured timber homes along the waterfront, some of the streets are known to be timber stairs and boardwalks constructed along the banks of Ketchikan Creek.

The town is buzzing, as four cruise ships have arrived and there are passengers everywhere, one of the cruise boats is the Radiance of the Sea which was the ship we travelled on last year around Vanuatu.

We arrive at The Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show, were there is a rowdy competition held between two twin boys from Dawson Creek – Canada and two other mischievous fella’s of the Spruce Mill Camp - USA.   There is springboard chopping, buck sawing, axe throwing, speed climbing and log rolling competitions, to keep tab of the score an audience member is given a chip of wood each time there is a win to hold onto and then they are all counted up at the end, Dawson Creek Twins won, which was the team we were plugging for.   Why are the rugged frontier woodsmen so hot –girls they all seem to be good looking!

Lots of corny jokes, ye ha’s and laughter - a great time had by all – it was a lot of fun.

We were then collected by a bus for a tour to the famous Totem Bight State Park by the Misty Fjiord. 20% of the population can trace its heritage back to three regional tribes, the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian. Ketchikan means Eagle Wing River and stems from a wording described by the Tlingit people the swish of the eagle wings in flight.

Ketchkan is home to the world’s largest collection of totem poles. It was interesting to hear about the way the different tribes carve the poles, some of the poles with characters placed on top of each other, and the other technique all interwoven characters which are much harder to work out the characters. The poles tell tales, tall tales – as they are very tall logs and are mostly made out of a single cedar trunk. Like our indigenous, the paint is made from natural products from the wilderness, so upkeep of poles both the timber (the timber rots from inside out) and repaint is required constantly.     The totems at one time kept the remains inside the pole, but later on became a pole that told a story of the dead and celebrations.     At the Totem Pole park we also saw a 19th century Clan House with house poles inside to tell the story of the family crest, in the centre of the house, is a fire that burns 24 7 for light, warmth and smoking fish, the house is made with no nails, only timber dowels, this is where the natives lived, in groups, mostly the women lived here whilst the men were out fishing.   The entry of the door is small so that unwanted visitors can’t get in easily.

The tour finished with a drive along Creek Street – which was once the red light district with more than 30 brothels. Along the creek we could not only see but smell 5 species of salmon and trout – the fish return from the open ocean and migrate back to their birthplace to spawn.   The locals fish for lunch right from the Creek Street Bridge, if they don’t get caught, they keep going up stream and sadly that is why they smell - as their lives finish.   I’ve never seen so many edible fish flipping around and going to waste L Salmon is a delicacy at our Supermarkets hey. Easy to remember five types of salmon if you use your hand –

Thumb rhymes with – Chum Salmon (or we know it as Dog Salmon)

Pointer Finger – can sock someone in the eye – Sockeye Salmon (we know it as Red Salmon)

Middle Finger is the tallest – King Salmon (we know it as Chinook Salmon)

Slip a silver ring on your ring finger – Silver Salmon (we know it as Coho Salmon)

And the pinky – easy one – Pink Salmon

We then had about an hour and half of time in the town and then were back on the ship by 1.30pm.

Not surprised – lunch was fish BBQ, yummo!

The afternoon was relaxing, we viewed photos taken by professionals and then a rest on the deck all rugged up for me, I wanted to be the first to see a whale. That turned out funny, ended up snoozing, so didn’t watch for anything, but I did wake to screams of look, look whales in the “Snow Passage” on our way to Juneau.    We saw Humpbacks fishing, flapping their big fins, a few big jumps and tails too. Unfortunately camera not quick enough to get all the action due to the excitement of seeing so many of them, Dad did video though.

The evening was finished with a New Orleans type show - love the sax!   The props and costumes were amazing.