No Puffin in Seward

 Seward, Alaska - May 15 2024

I feel like I should have more to write about, I mean after all we are in a city. Well if you call a permanent population of 2500, that swells to 10,000 because of the temporary workers and cruise ships five or six months out of the year. Sorry but anything interesting sounding, all seemed way too expensive. I didn’t see value for money.

Siri told me it was 6am and I thought about just lazing in bed, but as it was a city, so I best get a crackin’. The long climb to the top deck to check out the weather and grab an early morning picture. With the sun rise being 0415, I guess 0630 isn’t exactly early morning. Down to breakfast with the wage slaves on service today. If you order an over medium egg you get a perfectly cooked over easy egg. I tried the over easy a day or two ago and it ran off the plate. No conversation with my table mates, so back to the room to do the morning routine.

Fresh smelling, I grabbed my day pack and stuffed it full of dirty clothes. The next eight days will be at sea, and I’d prefer to give NCL the fewest additional dollars possible. I was given a coupon that for $34 I can stuff a laundry bag to the brim, and really will take advantage of it later in the voyage. Like a sailor I slung the day pack over my shoulder and left the ship for a short bus ride to downtown. The bus driver was from Anchorage so he didn’t know the minutia of Seward. He knew how to get fro the ship to his two stops and back to the ship, that was all.

I got off at the first of two stops and started following the map on the phone to the laundromat. A stop along the way to pester a local to make sure I was heading in the correct general direction. A former church now coffee shop named, Resurrection Coffee had a nice cup of coffee and pointed across the street to the laundromat.

I walked into a strange unknown world. A coin operated washing factory. Back home I lift the lid on the washer plop in the washing, grab some nearby detergent, and twist a dial. Here, first order of things is to get quarters. There was a machine on the wall that ate US currency and spit out quarters. A five in and then the sold of a winning slot machine began. With a fist full of quarters fill the slots on the detergent machine push and pray. A solid thunk the small breakfast cereal sized box of detergent dropped. Next clothes into the maw and close the door. Fortunately a guy who knew what he was doing came by and rescued me from my ignorance. You put the money in the slot, you pour the detergent in this hole in the top and sit back and relax. A chapter in my Nook and the machine was done. Next was the dryer. I toted the wet clothing and dumped it into the dryer, dropped in the quarters and pressed the start button. The dryer above started. OH ! That’s what that arrow means ! I swapped tubs, and the clothes began to dance in the air. When the dancing clothes stopped they were still damp, but manageable.

Back to the ship through the imitation TSA check and to the room where I hung up the damp clothes, talked to Jesus my cabin steward. Left my burden behind and reversed myself and returned to the bus and downtown. Now, what to do? Explore I guess.

It would be great so see a Puffin bird. The town aquarium was right at the drop-off spot they probably know where the Puffins live. I asked the woman at the ticket counter if it was possible to see a Puffin within a two-mile walk. No, but they had captive Puffins upstairs. For the price of a cup of coffee I’d had probably gone, but the price was enough for several pots of Starbucks best. I continued following the main drag, 4th street down the only way it went past shops selling trinkets, then the residential area and finally the harbor. I looked at the Puffin excursion was going to cost more than buying one at the Puffin pet store and decided I guess seeing a Puffin is not going to happen.

A U turn and back to the bus stop. On the road a man on the other side of the street yelled something at e. Was there a bear in the direction I was going? Perhaps a whale had grounded itself. Maybe there were free Puffins 50 feet ahead. I crossed the street, and he looked at me in my Scarlet travel vest and said "You know? Red is your color", then he smiled and continued on his way. What, just happened?

Back to the bus stop and the short ride back to the ship. Through the now angry Imitation TSA and back on board. Ran into Theresa (Rose) and had a quick chat, talked to Judy and Tammy at the bar. Went down to my room for some quiet time.

The entertainment so far has been individuals. I found out today that they had been bunked in the cabin next to me. My quiet reverie was disturbed by banging in the next cabin. I am not sure if it was angry or passionate pounding. I am pretty certain bodily fluids were involved and really don't want to know which. Tonight’s entertainment is an ensemble show, and between two and four cast members are now my neighbors. I hope they aren’t too crazy.