The trip from Seward to Homer, via Anchorage is about 349 miles so I was quite looking forward to seeing a range of landscapes. The coach taking me to Anchorage firstly, the 'Park Connection', would depart Seward at 10:30am, leavng me just enough time to pack, leave the Moby Dick Hostel, have some breakfast, and get to the coach. Packing was sorted fairly quickly, with the aid of my checklist, although it seems I left my Shampoo/Shower Gel in the shower the other day and someone (probably the cleaner) has taken it. It's not a massive problem, though.
Fuelled from the 'Full Stack' -three pancakes if you haven't been catching up- and a hot chocolate, I arrived in very good time at the coach stop. The lady driving didn't have a name badge, and her microphone was a bit dodgy so I never caught it, but having said that, the journey I felt didn't need commentary she decided to give. The first segment of the trip was entertained with a video, showing various aspects of Alaska, including it's fishing industry, the last ice age's mark on the landscape, and the species of animals that live in the 49th state. Although distracting my views of outside, I learnt that there are actually 440 species of birds from all 7 continents living here, and 17 species of whales! The video ended, and so did we! We hit a queue of traffic that had stopped because of resurfacing roadworks on the highway; in addition to that, I think they're also installing new drainage pipes into ditches to deal with meltwater after the fall. I suspect these have to periodically maintained because of the freeze thaw action that takes place in the ground, especially in permafrost lain areas. The journey amongst mountainous terrain on both sides of the road continued until Anchorage, but what did dramatically change, is the vegetation. The dense deciduous temperate rainforest of just a few species (Hemlock and Spruce) gradually changed to a less dense covering, and I was able to spot a variety of species and colours! Land clearing areas providing wildlife corridors offered passengers including me some lovely photo opportunities, although shooting through glass isn't always the best.
We soon reached the 'Turnagain Arm'; mountainous terrain continued on the right hand side of the bus, whilst on the left, a panorama of mudflats, created from glacial silt. I've passed these before at high tide, but this was my first view at low tide, which looked even more stunning. Where water was still deep, further up North, I even managed to spot a couple of whales!
Without much trouble, the Park Connection bus dropped me off at the Anchorage Airport and I proceeded to find a taxi. It seems all the taxis are yellow! It would be my very first trip in a yellow cab, and my next location was the StageLine Depot, where I was to pick up my next bus to Homer. The driver, who made it known to me just how gutted he was to be driving cabs on such a lovely day- but not necessarily in those words- hadn't heard of StageLine, which wasn't reassuring! However, with an aid of a SatNav, we were there. Not a bad fare; $10 in the kitty for the Yellow Cab company, although I do imagine he wouldn't be earning that much himself! I was too early for StageLine, so I decided to get a bite to eat across the road. It was a rather large cafe, empty though, and I sat staring at an empty aquarium and a Christmas tree. StageLine's office, when I arrived just before 3:00pm, was a rather spacious room. The seats for waiting passengers were obviously taken from an old bus, as the seat-belts had been left on. No, I did not put my seat-belt on in the office! After a few phonecalls were made, the driver led me to the vechicle that would take me to Homer. An old Ford Van, with the appropiate registration initals 'DLE'. It reminded me a bit like the van's my high school used to have, to take athletes to cross country meetings; clanging here, rattling there! Would it last the whole journey? As we left the depot, the thought had passed my mind.
The four hour journey to Homer from Anchorage was one that showed me just how varied the landscape is in Alaska. It seemed like the further we went, the flatter the terrain seemed to be getting; the towns of Seldovia and Homer are certainly quite flat, and a bit like Norfolk in that respect! The journey was punctuated with five stops; a few too many, I thought! The first gave me the chance to stretch my legs and buy some sweets for the remainder of the journey: trust me, Spice Gums aren't the best sweets in the world, but I managed to ration them to last the whole four hour journey! (Can you believe that Mum and Dad?!) The second stop was at a Drive-Thru 'Tobacco Express' where the lady driver bought three packets of filters! Not soon after that, was the third stop, at the Kenai River. The driver had to pick up a parcel, and suggested I went down to the Kenai River and check out the scenery. I did, and very gladly so, as fishermen were down there, catching successfully, and the colours of the surrounding foliage were lovely, I just had to take a photo!
The fourth and fifth stop were quick; the driver just wanted to make sure I had noticed the volcanoes on the other side of the island. Indeed, I had! She told me it was the start of the Pacific Ring of Fire, although I'm not sure how you can have a 'start' (or a 'finish' for that matter) in a ring. Smiling and nodding though did the trick. It wasn't long before we had arrived in Homer.
Homer would be the only place in this whole scholarship where I'm actually staying in an ACTUAL HOTEL! The Heritage Hotel, and I have to say, what a change from the hostels! My own double bed, my own desk; even my own bathroom! Shame I'm not here for longer!
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