The two fire boats in Tokyo Harbour greeted our ship with powerful fountains of water shooting high in the air. It was our first stop and an appropriate, symbolic start to a special "Pacific Ring of Fire" cruise.
Each year, the Holland America cruise ship Statendam repositions itself from Osaka, Japan to Vancouver to begin its Alaska service. For those lucky 1,200 trans-Pacific passengers, it was a rare treat to take a northerly route along the Ring of Fire passing more than 60 active volcanoes and hundreds of lofty cone-shaped peaks that were once active but are now considered dormant or extinct. The whole region is along the edge of several continental plates where huge pressure is built up in subduction zones causing regular earthquakes and lava-spewing volcanoes.
Hubbard Glacier.
Japan, comprised of four large mountainous islands, is particularly vulnerable to earthquakes and is home to about 10 per cent of the world's active volcanoes. The highest and most spectacular is Mount Fuji (3,776 metres).
This symbol of Japan dominates the skyline near Tokyo and forms a perfect volcanic cone with a crown of white snow that attracts thousands of hikers and millions of photographers each year. Mount Fuji last erupted 300 years ago but geologists think it's capable of re-erupting at any time. We took a tour halfway up the gentle slope where hotels, gift shops, horse rides and fast-food vendors (fish and meat satay sticks were especially popular) competed for tourist yen while expensively-outfitted climbers trudged through the nearby snow.
After leaving Tokyo, the Statendam headed toward the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido and the port of Hakodate. Like the rest of Japan, Hakodate is surrounded by volcanic mountains, the most prominent of which is Mount Hakodate overlooking the city of 300,000.
Hakodate is off the usual tourist path in Japan but is worth the visit because of its glorious setting, wonderful cherry blossoms (we were surrounded by parasols of pink and white) and the enthusiasm of its citizens toward visitors. As we were getting ready to leave port, scores of uniformed schoolgirls and men in bright yellow jackets gave us a rousing sendoff by singing and dancing their Squid Song.
Although the geography was similar (a port city surrounded by mountains) the contrast at our next stop couldn't have been more extreme. We were on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Eastern Russia and the sad, isolated community of Petropavlovsk. It's the second largest city in the world that cannot be reached by road.
The harbour at Sitka, Alaska.
For most passengers, it was their first visit to Russia and an unfortunate reminder of the many problems facing that country. There were a couple of bright spots (a few friendly entrepreneurs were offering free vodka and caviar samples on the wharf) and we felt it was a worthwhile visit if only to experience modern Russia. The harbour and surrounding mountains (there are at least 35 active volcanoes on Kamchatka Peninsula) created a spectacular setting with huge potential for tourism. If only they could figure it out.
Pleased to be back on board a clean, efficient ship, we proceeded eastward past the International Date Line (we experienced two Fridays) toward the 1,600-km chain of Aleutian Islands and the port of Dutch Harbor, Alaska.
Several magnificent volcanoes surround Dutch Harbour, the highest of which is Mount Makushin (2,400 metres). Its last discharge was in 1980 but hot springs and steam vents are still prevalent.
Our last two ports before Vancouver were also in Alaska and filled with interesting, sometimes tragic, history and culture.
Kodiak, another major fishing port, is nestled between mountains on Kodiak Island, the second-largest island in the United States (after Hawaii). Known for its Kodiak bears and giant fishing fleets, the town suffered a devastating earthquake in 1964 (9.2 on the Richter scale) that killed 130 residents and swallowed much of the community with a tsunami. It's now a thriving, picturesque town with several good museums and the best fresh halibut we've ever tasted at a lively restaurant called Henry's.
After a leisurely cruise along Disenchantment Bay to the 100-metre high rugged face of Hubbard Glacier (10 kilometres wide at its mouth, the river of ice stretches 120 kms from its source on Mount Logan in the Yukon), we arrived at our final U.S. port of Sitka, Alaska. Once the bustling capital of Russian America (the town was known as "The Paris of the Pacific"), Sitka's strong Russian heritage is still in evidence with onion-domed churches, Russian folk-dancing displays with authentic costumes and Russian-made souvenirs in many of the upscale shops. Like every stop on this extraordinary cruise, the skyline of Sitka is dominated by volcanic mountains. In Sitka's case, the long-dormant Mount Edgecumbe (named by Captain James Cook in 1778) sits at its western edge like a carbon copy of Mount Fuji and adds beauty and mystery to the delightful city beneath its snow-capped peak.
Dinner on board the Statendam with the Hubbard Glacier in view.
The 200 Canadians on board Statendam were especially proud when we completed our 18-day journey and sailed into Vancouver harbour with its memorable waterfront and magnificent mountain vistas. Most were veteran cruisers but commented that this Pacific Ring of Fire cruise was very special. Our geology lecturer aboard the ship, retired university professor John Splettstoesser, probably said it best. "There are volcanoes and high mountains elsewhere in the world," he told us, "but a cruise like this combines spectacular scenery with a huge variety of geologic activity. From my perspective, this is about as good as it gets."
-- Canwest News Service
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