Gallivanting the globe 2019 - RTW and then some

[JohnM]

Back to the ship for lunch and moving on up the inlet past Lavrentiya, the Chukchi town we stopped at in the dense fog on our outbound journey, on a glorious clear afternoon to make a landing at Unnamed Bay.

Three Kamchatka brown bears were spotted from the hilltop we climbed to in the distance feeding on salmon in the river, but they were too far away to get a pic.

 

[tgh]

The botany in these wild places is always interesting.. well done young fellow…..

 

[stoney]

Did you book the CUN-HAV on points or buy a seat? I am doing that leg,Interjet (paying $732 2pax) on a RTW global award "J" trip June 2020. Did you get a better deal?

 

[JohnM]

Did you book the CUN-HAV on points or buy a seat? I am doing that leg,Interjet (paying $732 2pax) on a RTW global award "J" trip June 2020. Did you get a better deal?

I bought CUN-HAV and HAV-CUN separately, direct from Interjet on the web. Initially, I bought the CUN-HAV sector (USD125), thinking that I could fly AA direct HAV-MIA but I subsequently discovered that is not permitted for pax who have been in Cuba for tourism. So, I then later bought HAV-CUN (USD155).

If you are on a OneWorld Award (which has no requirement to go RTW), Interject is not a member of the OWA, so you can't use points. I don't know that they are in any alliance as they are, primarily at least, a Mexican domestic carrier.

My primary air itinerary was a Business Class, 4-continent OneWorld Explorer (DONE4). This is a 'true', paid RTW fare. That got me to MIA. I bought MIA-MEX separately and traversed MEX-CUN by land. After going HAV-CUN, I bought another separate fare CUN-MIA, from where I picked up the DONE4 again. A PITA, but silly rigmaroles forced by US Government paranoia about Cuba are simply unavoidable if going via the US.

Hope that helps.

 

[JohnM]

I previously mentioned sighting Big Diomede island on the horizon and how Little Diomede was behind it, but I omitted to include the pic.



Next day we went ashore at Whale Bone Alley on Yttygran Island, a WH-listed indigenous cultural site dating from around the 1300s. It’s a 550 m stretch of coast containing 52 pairs of bowhead whale jaw bones, set in parallel lines and interspersed with skulls spaced 10 to 20 metres apart and stone-lined square pits used to store meat from the carcasses of the slaughtered whales.

The purpose of the site is unknown although theories include it being a sacred site, or simply being a place where people gathered to feast or trade.



On the way back to the ship, there was grey whale activity in the bay, so we cruised about in the Zodiacs to get some close looks.

 

[JohnM]

In the afternoon we went ashore at Gil’mimyl, once a permanent Chukchi settlement. It’s now used by a Chukchi family as a summer residence. Situated in a spacious basin, Gil’mimyl has plentiful food resources available from sea, lagoon, river and tundra.

There are hot springs a little way inland and some people took to the tub there.

 

[JohnM]

 

[JohnM]

Overnight, the weather turned to strong winds, rain, hail and fog. In the early hours of the morning we moved a short distance from Gil’mimyl north to Penkigngey Bay, the only spot that gave enough shelter to launch the Zodiacs and leave the ship for a landing on a long shingle beach.

 

[JohnM]

 

[klm597]

What an absolutely amazing "voyage" and excellent pictures despite the size of the camera

I had no idea it was even possible to see that many polar bears in one trip! Thank you for sharing and for all the work you put into your reports.

 

[JohnM]

That afternoon Zodiac cruising in the rain was offered for those who chose. Meanwhile the captain lifted anchor and followed the Zodiacs out of the bay, meeting them at the entrance a couple of hours later.

After lurking under the stern of the ship while waiting for all Zodiacs to load, we were off in the rain and spray. A bit of a blast for the last adventure day, but terrible for photography bouncing around in the Zodiac in the rain. Of course, there ended up being plenty of puffins that I just could not get a clear shot of.

We did strike it lucky with some close encounters with five humpbacks.



The next day was a straight run across the Gulf of Anadyr, weather conditions being unsuitable for any landings. The following morning, we awoke to be anchored off Anadyr and the transfer to shore and the airport for the flight back to Nome.

And the end of a sensational part of the trip with the haul out of DYR.

 

[Antoallison]

Thanks - great report from our intrepid adventurer, AFF’s own Ranulph Fiennes ?

Although I doubt I would ever venture into that area of the world, I have enjoyed reading about it and have been very surprised at the variety of unusual flowers.

 

[tgh]

IN retrospect, a tad disappointment that the amazing botany was not catalogued by the photographer.
I mean how can I get my local nursery to order this stuff if it has no ID ?? more work needed…...

 

[JohnM]

IN retrospect, a tad disappointment that the amazing botany was not catalogued by the photographer.
I mean how can I get my local nursery to order this stuff if it has no ID ?? more work needed…...

There was a botanist on board but I preferred to wander around and take pics of what I liked the look of, rather than getting bogged down in detail. I also covered more ground that way.

 

[tgh]

hmph...... excuses excuses.. professional is as professional does….

 

[drron]

There were a couple that looked like orchids.I have seen orchids growing in Alaska and northern Norway.
Unfortunately Google and Duck,Duck go couldn't come up with an orchids of Wrangell Island page.

But for where you were the weather certainly seemed not as bad as it could have been.Lucky with the amount of wildlife and flora you saw.Really enjoyed the pics-particularly of the flora.

 

[JohnM]

I tend to walk around peering at the ground; many don't.

 

[JohnM]

Oops, correction. Crossing the International Dateline (2 h trip but going back a day does everyone’s head in) played havoc with my pics from camera and phone when sorted by date.

The previous last two pics were dropping back into OME. Here are the pics hauling out of DYR and finally hitting the deck in OME.

 

[JohnM]

OK, back to correct dates and order. Overnight in OME and then out to the very small AS terminal at OME for the flight back to ANC to resume my DONE4.

Nome is certainly an outpost, but the AS terminal just cannot cope with the arrival pax and those waiting to depart on the incoming bird. After shunting everyone through security, there is simply not enough space to hold a B737’s load of pax. The warehouse adjacent is used as a ‘lounge’.



While waiting, I sat next to a fellow who had joined our charter flights to and from DYR, even though he was not on our voyage. I had gleaned from others after the OME-DYR flight that he was a journalist from The Economist doing a story on the native people of the region each side of the Bering Strait.

As a subscriber to The Economist, I had sought him out and we had a very interesting conversation. It turned out that he’s very senior, has worked for the magazine (they call themselves a ‘newspaper’) for a long time and is now editor-at-large. He shares a multi-barrelled surname with a famous QF A380 pilot and visits his relatives in SA frequently.

I noticed that his story was published in October: Russia’s Chukotka and America’s Alaska are an era apart.

If anyone is interested in the full story and cannot access it, I have pulled it out from behind the paywall. Send me a PM and I’ll forward it to you.

I had much of the day and into the evening to kill in ANC, so I stored my gear at the airport and headed downtown for a wander around.

Central ANC.



Then I found a Champagne and oyster bar for an evening snack before heading back to ANC for my 2300 h departure AA flight to LAX…

 

[JohnM]

Given the short overnight flight from ANC-LAX, I opted to chill in a hotel near LAX for the day and overnight there before continuing the DONE4 the following day on what is perhaps my favourite flight. QR740, 16 h LAX-DOH, departing at 1600 h and in QSuites. Perfect dinner and sleep timing IMO.

A pre-flight S&P squid and Champagne snack in the QF FLounge before hauling out of LAX in 1K (rear-facing).

Arrival in DOH about 1800 h; again, great timing. Overnight there before continuing to HEL the next morning.