08New Delhi, Wednesday October 28, 2009

travel didyouknow?The US Senate approved the purchase of Alaska fromthe Russian Empire on March 30, 1867, for $7.2 million at the rate of two cents per acre

DK BHASKAR

Standing on the pier, watchingfloatplanes landing and taking offfrom the Ketchikan waterfront,my excitement ran high, both forthe view and in anticipation of the

thrill of the ride. Then the captain, JackEvans, invited me to his single engine deHavilland DHC-2— “You can sit in the co-pilot’s seat.” I couldn’t even begin to imag-ine what it would be like to look out of thecockpit window.The weather was sloppy. It had rained

persistently during the first two hours ofwalking through Ketchikan, a small port

city in Alaska—America’s 49th state—forcing me to take refuge in a jewellerystore on the waterfront.A old man smiled at me through his

wrinkles. “Didn’t you knowKetchikan isthe rain capital of the US? If you can’t seethe top of the mountain, it’s raining. If youcan see it, it’s going to rain.” He was aTlingit Indian, the group of natives whobuilt a coastal culture in Southeast Alaskalong before even the Russians arrived.

Topographical surveyThe rain eventually stopped but the cloudcover persisted as our floatplane took off.We rose to a little over 3,000 feet, highenough to look down through the clouds to

the beautiful granite cliffs and lushmoun-tains. The landscape was amosaic of vari-ous densities, subtle colours, and diverseflora— a panoramic view of the vastAlaskan wilderness. “Most of what you seebelow are cedar trees, red, alaska, hemlockand spruce, hundreds of years old,untouched byman,” said Evans. Only in afew patches could you see signs of logging.The scenery below changed every minute.Fractured granite walls, scoured by gla-ciers plunged into deep fjords, mistedmountains rose over snowfields, waterfallscascaded out of rock clefts. Bald eaglesswooped through the air, humpbacks flirt-ed on the water’s surface, otters poppedout of the coves in curiousity. This was

Alaska at its wild best.

Landing in wildernessAs we began our descent, all I could seewas a vast expanse of still water surround-

ed by greenery. “See there,” said Evanspointing to the right, “two orcas huntingfor the seals!” Two beautiful black andwhite whales splashed through the glass-like water surface.Rugged and remote, Misty Fjords

National Monument is an untouchedcoastal ecosystem formed by uniquegeological features. Part of the country’sbiggest forest area, Tongass NationalReserve, a vast expanse of over 17 millionacres, it’s filled with extraordinary wildlife.The landing in the middle of Behm

Canal, a long deep channel in the heart of afjord, was the smoothest I’ve had. The onlyavenues to explore this landscape are airand water. We hopped onto a waiting cata-maran. Allen, the captain of the boat, hadour journey chalked out. “We will sailthrough Punch bowl cove, Rudyard bayand see some wildlife, possibly a bear!”This place records more than 170 inches

of rainfall annually, so rushing streams areplentiful as are splendid waterfalls and wetmeadows. Rainbows appear in a flash andsplashes of sunshine warm up the land-scape as squalls blow past gaps in thecloud cover.Arriving back at Ketchikan, the weather

changed and brought in a pungent odour, amixture of oil from the fishing boats, sawedtimber and freshly processed salmon,explained Lauren, a local. “Stay,” sheurged. “Tomorrow, I’ll take you to see thesalmon spawning.” “Next time,” I promised.

The author is a photojournalist whosework has been published in the National

Geographic magazine

Soar above the wildernessIf you can’t see the top of themountain, it’s raining. If you can, then it’s

about to.Welcome to Ketchiken, the rain capital of the US

GETTING THEREFly Jet Airways/Virgin/CanadaAir/American Airlines to Vancouver. Pricesstart at Rs 65,000 (return). You can stayin one of the comfortable downtown hotelsthat offer packages for those sailing fromVancouver ports. I stayed at the MarriottRiverfront, close to the pier.

GETTING AROUNDYou can visit Alaska only by air or water.The most popular way to visit Ketchikan is

by taking a cruise. Among the many Iresearched, the MV Mercury offered thebest value and service. In Ketchikan, Iopted for the services of Allen MarineTours (www.allenmarinetours.com; tel:+1907-225 8100) for the floatplane andboat ride on the fjords.

ACCOMODATIONThere are cabins/B&B/independent cot-tages/ in Ketchikan. Prices start from $ 70(Rs 3,250) a day.

Zabeeh Afaque■ zabeeh.afaque@hindustantimes.com

It’s time you changed howyou have enjoyed your holi-days and celebration all

these days. Very soon, you’dnot be needing a travel guideto locate a place where youcan relax as well as enjoy.Resorts World Sentosa onSingapore’s Sentosa islandpromises to be a one-stop

destination when fully oper-ational by next year.

An universe of funApart from it’s beautifulcoastline, the SentosaIsland’s claim to fame will bethe Universal Studio themepark that will soon openhere. It’ll house the largestmarine life park and six dif-ferent hotels to stay in.

Life on the islandThe resort offers a luxuryspa, casino and a world ofshopping options. Live con-certs, free public perform-ances and 18 free rides in theUniversal Studios themepark is sure to keep youactive.The resort has a movie

theme part that has theworld’s tallest DuelingCoasters and Shrek’s castle.What more, you can alsomeet look-a-likes of MarilynMonroe to Betty Boop.One of the most expensive

resorts in the world, this US$4.4 billion property makessure that it’s visitor’s havethe best of time. “We ensurethat our guests experiencewhat they wouldn’t any-where else in the world,”says Krist Boo, VP-Head

Communications, ResortsWorld Sentosa.

Check out the placeTake free bus rides to theVivocity, pick up stuffs foryour loved ones from theMustafa Market andofcourse, gorge on streetfood. China town is also apopular place to shop for lowpriced stuffs.One must also remember

that Singapore is called the‘Fine city’ — so be cautiousbefore you drop your ciga-rette on the road!

How to get there?

Planning a trip toMalaysia? Don’t forget

to check out its latestattraction — the ArulmiguSri Raja KaliammanTemple, or the ‘glasstemple’, in Johor. The 87-year-old temple re-openedto the public on Sundayafter undergoing amajor renovation —over 90 per cent of itsstructure is now made offinely-cut glass!Almost three lakh

pieces of glass in blue, red,yellow, green, purple andwhite colours adorn thetemple walls in beautifulpatterns.The cost of the whole

project is a cool threemillion ringgit.

— HTC

Themagicalworld ofSentosa

Glittering act of devotion

Hollywood Pantages Theatre

Aeriel view ofResort World

Sentosa

A bird’s eyeview of the MistyFjords National Monument

A single-engine de Havilland DHC-2 thattook the author over the Misty Fjords

A line of payphones at the pier

A road leading awayfrom the waterfront

Far Far Away Castle

Sci-Fi City - Battlestar Galactica

FACT

FILE

PHOT

OS:DKBHAS

KAR

The temple’s outer facadeThe inner hall

An idol of Ganesha in aglass-tiled sanctum

■ Direct flights fromDelhi and Mumbai toChangi Airport, Singapore■ Taxi from the airport toSentosa Resort■ Time: 20Minutes ofdrive