Normally I can’t wait to get off in port, but by the time we hit Victoria, at 1 Friday afternoon I decided I needed a nap more than a visit to Victoria (it’s in the neighborhood and we’ve been there before.)  I thought I was just tired because of being awakened two nights in a row by emergency medial calls on the ship’s PA system.  After such a wakeup I have trouble getting back to sleep.  Fourteen months ago, those calls were about me.  So, we skipped Victoria.

The cruise ended in Vancouver.  The cab took us to the hotel, the wrong hotel.  There are two Pinnacle hotels, right across the street from each other.  One is a Marriott, and one is not.  We use Marriott points to stay in hotels, we have a lot of them. 

After taking our bags to the wrong check in desk the bellhop from Pinnacle #1 kindly took our bags, across the street, to Pinnacle #2 and we checked in.  He’s done this before.  I took a hot shower to de-clog my sinuses from what I thought were allergies, (It’s “greening” week Vancouver) and took a nap.  We skipped the visit to the Gastown district that we anticipated in one of my first posts about this cruise and dinner with a Vancouver friend.

The next day we got on a plane to Seattle and then the Milk Run to Sitka.  Going from concourse C to N every muscle ached and by the time I got on the plane I felt a total wreck and completely out of breath.

But the flight was beautiful.  The weather was good, and the plane flew low between Ketchikan to Sitka giving me stunning views of Prince of Wales Island and The Southern Baranof Wilderness.  The cruise ended as it began, with ariel photos from the Alaska Airlines “Milk Run” and a reminder of why we chose this place half a century ago.

Once I got home, I knew it was more than exhaustion.  I took the COVID test. 

POSITIVE.  I felt like a real jerk for flying.

Suzi was negative. (Fingers crossed she stays that way.)

So, I got a course of Paxlovid, am isolating at home, and trying to catch up on work for the radio station remotely. 

I have, perhaps, 3 more blog posts sketched out with thoughts about shorter cruises, cruises on a ship as large as the Koningsdam, and catching up with friends on the crew.  They have to wait.

Now, to bed.