DUTCH HARBOR/UNALASKA, ALASKA-THE PLACE WITH 2 NAMES

SUNDAY, APRIL 21, 2013
About 800 miles SW of Anchorage, the "place with 2 names" is known chiefly as the heart of the area's booming fishing industry, situated between the North Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea.  The waters of Dutch Harbor are ice-free year round and provide a sheltered anchorage for vessels from the storms of the 2 seas.
Even before the Russians arrived on the Aleutian Islands in 1741, native Aleuts lived on the bounty of the sea.  The Aleuts were forced to join the Russian in their quest to trap seals and sea otters for their lucrative pelts.
The US Navy appropriated DUTCH HARBOR in 1940 and it incorporated as a city in 1942.  During WWII  area was bombed heavily and the surviving Aleuts were removed for their safety.  It wasn't until the 1960's that resurgence in the king crab industry led to a financial boom and a restoration to the previous affluence.  It is now a thriving fishing and marine port and exports millions of pounds of king crab, snow crab, salmon, halibut, cod and herring a year.  Unemployment usually hovers at about 2%, but because of the remote location, cost of living here is the highest anywhere in the US, over 200% than Anchorage and about 150% above the national average.  The 5,000 residents don't seem to mind.

GRAND GALA BUFFET

TEAM TRIVIA

3 FUN FILLED DAYS @ SEA-we went across the international date line and had 2 Fridays, the 19th of April.  We have left RUSSIA and are on our way to DUTCH HARBOR, ALASKA.
Our TEAM TRIVIA  won today and instead of keychains and flashlights, we received 25% off a shore excursion.  We are playing with 2 Brits and 2 Aussies and have had a good time.
Today was the GALA BUFFET with had lots of please the eyes and the palate.

PETROPAVLOVSK, RUSSIA-This is a city without style since it didn't expect visitors.  It is shut off from the outside world and is only accesible by ship and by plane.  It is part of the Russian Far East and is 9 time zones away from MOSCOW and Russia has 11 time zones in all.  It is the world's second largest isolaated city after Iquitos, Peru, but has a population of almost 200,000.  The fishing industry flourishes here along with the military which houses Russia's largest nucliar submarine base for their Pacific Fleet plus important military radar installations.

THE KAMCHATKA PENINSULA IS HOME TO THE WORLD'S DENSEST POPULATION OF BROWN BEARS.  A MATURE MALE STANDS 9 FEET TALL AND WEIGHS A WHOPPING 800 POUNDS!

I took a shore excursion called "RUSSIA COUNTRYSIDE DACHA EXPERIENCE.  We traveled about and hour outside of the town to a dacha (country home) of John and Vonna where we were served special lunch with entertainment by the local people. 

4 DAYS @ SEA-We love sea days!!  Breakfast, lunch dinner, lectures, Team Trivia, Bingo and Bridge for Nancy.  What fun!!  We had 3 days of Bingo and I won 2 games on 2 different days and came in 1st in Bridge with my partner Ina from Germany.

CAPTAIN'S WELCOME PARTY

COCKTAILS @ THE CAPTAIN'S QUARTERS