Juneau, Alaska - Part 1 (Dan Moller Cabin)

After my travels through SE Asia, I went to Alaska for a few weeks to spend some time with Katrina and her family.  It was a beautiful part of the Earth, although a bit too cold and not enough sunlight for me.  I really enjoyed the attitude and atmosphere of Juneau and wish I would have spent some more time exploring the rest of the state.  The first week there I went on a hike with Katrina and her father to Dan Moller Cabin.  It was about a 3 hour hike up to the cabin, but it was a pretty easy hike up.  Finally, for those of you who do not know, Katrina broke up with me the day before Thanksgiving.  So, these memories are a little bittersweet and I will leave it at that...

(First adventure, Dan Moller Cabin)

(Our journey up the mountain begins)

(A view of Mt. Juneau, I believe)

 (There are boards set up to help when things get a bit swampy)

(More steps and more of the hike)

(Myself with a nice view in the background - it was beautiful)

 (A lot more hiking to go...)

(The vastness and wilderness can not be described.  It was a bit overwhelming and peaceful at the same time.)

 (I believe that was an avalanche warning sign)

(A little creek on the way up)

(Break time by the big tree)

(This is a special effect known as 'Alpine Glow.'  Sadly, I did not get to see the Northern Lights and that remains on my bucket list.)

 (First view of Dan Moller Cabin.  I think it was around 30 or 40 bucks a night which rented out the cabin in the evening and paid for the propane that we used to stay warm.)

 (Picture time for everyone once we got to the Cabin)

(Outhouse to the left)

(Bean and cheese burritos for dinner)

(There was no fire or lights so we had candles for lighting)

(A view from the balcony on the second floor)

(Time for some snow shoeing, first time for this guy and I loved it)

(Katrina's dad, Jay, leading the way.  He's a great guy.)

(Katrina and her father hanging out, taking in the scenery)

 (That's part of Juneau down below nestled between the mountains)

(We were on the island of Douglas so there was water on both sides)

 (Off on an adventure... actually, we just took this photo and then turned around...)

(I honestly thought a National Geographic Team should have been with us filming, but this is everyday life in Alaska...)

 (Katrina making her way back down to the cabin)

(We put on our special snow slippers for the walk down)

 (Another shot of downtown Juneau from Douglas)

Mekong Delta Tour - The Final Destination and End to My Time in SE Asia

I wouldn't say it was a fantastic tour and I wouldn't say it was a terrible tour.  For the price, it was well worth it and I would do it again.  There were a lot of experiences, even though they only lasted a short period of time.  We would do one thing, rounded up, and moved on to the next.  Met a lot of great people on the trip and had a lot of fun.  Also, got to see some really great things.  So, here are the final photos from SE Asia and the end of a journey.  

(Older man cutting coconuts)

(Traditional Vietnamese Band) 

 (The row boats we took down a little passage way for about a 10 minute ride)

(Our lady gave us all hats to wear, even though from what I understand it is traditionally a woman's hat)

(View of the passage we went down)

(Sweet flower we saw at the family owned honey business)

 (A younger girl wrapping the honey candy - I know, she should be in school)

 (Here you can see the family involvement)

(The important part of the operation)

(They also have coconut candy and here you can see the shells being used to heat the mixer)

 (Coconut press to get the milk and oil out)

(On our boat, off to lunch, up the Mekong, down the river)

(I have no idea what exactly this was used for other than for fishermen or women to walk out and use it to cast lines)

(A few boats along the river)

 

(Entrance to the temple we went to next)

(A giant fat Buddha)

(A painting inside one of the temples we went to visit)

(An even larger reclining Buddha.  Yep, those are people if you look close enough.)

(A shrine inside the temple)

(An early trip to the market the next morning revealed some gems - a few dried shrimp, separated by size)

(Gave me a whole new outlook on meat storage)

 (A giant bowl filled with tiny octopi)  

 (A few of the locals getting ready for the day by bathing and cleaning fish)

(Refrigeration system)

(Yep, people live in those houses so be thankful for what you have)

(Time for the largest floating market in SE Asia)

(The boats tended to be larger.  Farmers bring their goods here and sell them to local merchants or middlemen who then find a way to distribute them in the city)

(A few more boats)

(There were a few smaller boats as well peddling goods)

(It is a way of life and I am sure for a lot of people, their boat is their home)

(Bananas, pineapples, cold drinks, and hot coffee)

(This woman was selling pho - the traditional Vietnamese rice noodles)

 (That is us on the boat with the other smaller boats trying to pull up to ours and sell their goods)

(Another humble abode)

 (More houses)

 (Here is a woman at work in a rice noodle factory.  She is taking the gooey rice concoction and spreading it into a large pancake shape.  The average salary for menial laborers in the countryside is $60 a month...)

 (The noodles are made into a thin pancake shape, laid out to dry for a certain period of time, and then cut into noodle size strips using a machine)

 (A little bit of the rice used)

 (Next, we went to an actual rice factory were the rice is split, divided, and bagged based on what part of the rice it is from and its size)

(Here is some of the smaller sized rice pieces being bagged)

 (Cleanliness was a high priority)

(It was an amazing little operation)

 (A few of the belts used to drive the machines)

(This was used to take the outer layer off the rice and separate it from the inside part)

 (Delivery truck)

(On to the fruit farm...  this is the monkey bridge at the fruit farm, which allows monkeys to cross water.)

 (A few lotus flowers, supposedly good for purifying water)

 (Jack Fruit)

(Coconuts)

(Dragon Fruit trees, which reminded me of aloe)

(Dragon Fruit)

(If you stole fruit you would have to pay 100,000 dong or about $5)

 (A few old coconut shells)

(And to finish it off, this was on the menu at the last place we stopped - yummy...)