Amended European Itinerary/Carlos Pueblo

Amended European Itinerary/Carlos Pueblo

Just an hour ago, I got a help from a travel agency to book a cruise trip

Barcelona, Spain to Port Canaveral, Florida to finalize my last leg of my

second trip to Europe this year. Originally, I attempted to book a cruise

which I took in April this year; however, the ship has been fully booked

for its cheapest cabin and I have been wondering if I should take a flight

back to Houston yet I do have two flights booked in advance from Tampa,

Florida to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and then to Houston, Texas. Luckily I

received a flight cancellation on Tampa leg by the airline and received a

refund without penalty; therefore, I can work on those two week time

from Barcelona to Fort Lauderdale.

One choice is keeping on staying in Spain and Portugal for two weeks and

flight back to Miami then to FLL to catch on that flight back to Houston. I

felt very awkward for taking an additional flight in order to reach home and

furthermore, I do not have enough time to prepare the transportation in

Spain and Portugal this time. I have no idea how much additional cost to me

to complete this European trip. Another choice is my plan B to wait for the last

minute for me to purchase another cruise from Barcelona to Port Canaveral,

Florida then taking a bus to Fort Lauderdale to catch on my original plan with

one day difference which is easier to manage. I got it done with a help from

two well learned agents from the travel agency and the cruise company. I make

it up for the solo penalty yet they allow me to apply two pre-deposits to the

costs. American company is very good at business indeed.

I feel so good that it is my third cruise in a year and I have spent all within my

limit. I’ll be on my way the day after tomorrow and I am ready and the luggage

is packed.

更正旅行計劃/莊峻華

更正旅行計劃/莊峻華

再過12天，我又要出發旅行，其中最後一段，郵輪旅行，因中意

郵輪爆滿，購不到船票，只好更正旅行計劃，留住西班牙和葡萄牙

兩週，然後搭機回佛羅里達州，繼續原計劃，停留三日後回家。

西班牙和葡萄牙兩週，也可以拜訪幾座城市，像格林那達摩爾宮，

拉雷多市，唐吉訶德之故鄉，經山喜貝喜安市，進入葡萄牙，然

後搭機回美，城市旅行，可增廣見聞。

前次郵輪旅行作文，終於告一段落，現在開始研究，歐洲停留城市，

投奔旅店路線，到達後再漸漸認識環境，回家後再作回憶研究。年老

後旅行遊記，變成生活大宗，回家後就是休息，規劃下次旅行，日復

一日，年復一年。

我規劃之旅行，有幾項原則，經濟實惠，有意義之旅行，這次計劃之

旅行，去年基本價格是$329美元，今年高達$809美元，然後售空，顯

然許多人，注意到其廉價，中間停靠五海港城市，假如有伴同住一室，

相當合算。同時同公所，另一艘船，現價是$499美元，單位旅客，加

起總價約一千三百美元，十三日中間停靠兩港，我又預先訂下不同海港

，機票，租車，和旅店等，所以不經濟，如我留在西班牙和葡萄牙兩週

，價錢相當，因為我有哩數機票，這是實惠處。

我注意到另一組，郵輪旅行，就是三月初，最後一分鐘船票，從阿根廷

布宜諾斯艾利斯港出發，兩週繞過南美南端兩週，今年基本報價$399美

元，然後在智利聖地牙哥附近一海港，沿南北美洲北上，到加州舊金山，

一共二十日，報價是$799美元，當然需要加上稅和小費，我覺得這是合

乎我旅行原則，希望我能如願以償。

另外，有一夏威夷郵輪旅行，一週最後一分鐘，$899雙行單價，雖然稍

貴，但夏威夷物價高昂，跨島來回機票，要價$150，船經四島，所以合

算，因艾美喜歡夏威夷，所以我有規劃，然後搭機經東京回美。

Visiting Queen Elizabeth Park Rose Garden, Vancouver, CA/Carlos Pueblo

Visiting Queen Elizabeth Park Rose Garden, Vancouver, CA/Carlos Pueblo

We had stayed two nights at Vancouver, CA for the back to back Alaska Cruise

in June, 2016. I must write something about our visit again to the rose garden

of the Queen Elizabeth Park. I have attempted several times to visit this rose

garden ever since our last visit in the early 90’s. I saw the park station on our

way to the harbor and determined to visit it on our way back. Previously, I had

missed the Park when I tried and ended up to another famous Stanley Park and

no rose garden was found. We ran into a young student from Taipei and she was

very surprised for such a long time yet I still missed the old rose garden and she

recommended next time coming earlier for the cherry blossom in Vancouver. I

am also a cherry blossom nut. We must take a transferring bus to the Park from

the subway station. She was very nice to give up a tip to pass a busy street to

a next bus stop right to descent to the subway steps to avoid the traffic light

across that busy intersection.

I found that small picnic area with a small brook of mountain spring. Our young

Kids were playing with the freezing stream water while I was busy to eat the

Imported Lee-chi fruit from China, I was not allowed to carry such items across

the U.S. border. Finally, we found the lovely rose garden in my memory. I love

roses as well as peonies, dahlias, and Japanese cherry blossom etc. I have visited

beautiful roses gardens all over the world, just name a few for your reference,

Queen Mary’s roses garden at the Regent’s Park in London; the city roses garden

In front of Malaga, Spain;  the city roses garden of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and

Some for profit commercial roses gardens. Most of the times, I visit free public

Flowers gardens. I love flowers because they are renewable in the spring every

year, now at my senior age, I compare flowers with the appearance of lady, young

or old, from charming to elegantly and gracefully.

I also am impressed with the mild weather, cleanliness and beautiful scenery of

the city of Vancouver, Canada. I’ll come back next year a little bit earlier to catch

on the first cruise to Alaska and also enjoy the cherry blossom of the city.

再訪加拿大溫哥華伊莉莎白公園/莊峻華

再訪加拿大溫哥華伊莉莎白公園/莊峻華

阿拉斯加郵輪旅行中，我在溫哥華下機候機兩夜，其中一日，我們

再訪伊莉莎白公園，參觀心目中之玫瑰花園，我真是闊別30年，巴

士站候車，一位台灣小姐聞之作舌，30年她尚未出生矣。她很仔細

指點我們坐過馬路再下車，就在地下鐵入口，彼曰稍早，溫哥華櫻

花甚美，確實我欣賞過溫哥華櫻花相片，我現在已經是櫻花迷，到

處追櫻行，也是玫瑰花迷，也是牡丹花迷，也在尋覓大理花，更是

欣賞美麗小姐，我覺得小姐，就像花朵一般美麗。

幾乎所有城市家庭，都設法種植玫瑰花，伊莉莎白公園，留給我最

深刻印象，就是玫瑰花園，幾次我來溫哥華，都想到此玫瑰花園，但

有時弄錯為史丹利公園，所以找不到回億中之花園，這次在地下鐵

路線途中一站，就是伊莉莎白公園，我們真是非去不可。玫瑰花園內

，許多台灣遊客拍攝相片，尤其是漂亮之小姐女士們，真是愛花本性。

我們在家，也種植玫瑰花，但氣候土壤等，均不若這些出名玫瑰花園

，我講一些我參觀過之玫瑰花園，讓大家參考。喬治亞州哥倫布市附

近之卡拉衛花園，這是剛來美國，加州俊文兄府，攜帶出遊。休士頓

之赫門公園，這是小規模，婚前我照艾美許多特寫。丹佛市一公園內，

博物館旁，有湖畔可以眺望伊凡山峰。加拿大維多利亞之布克哈花園，

此為大規模者，我巧遇大理花季，有次郵輪旅行，停靠維多利亞港，

錯過因緣，但港口大飯店，有一美麗之玫瑰花園。倫敦之瑪莉女皇玫

瑰花園這是在攝政王公園內，規模龐大。西班牙南端馬拉卡市府旁，

玫瑰花園，阿根廷布宜諾斯艾利斯市，市立玫瑰花園，真是不勝枚舉。

伊莉莎白公園內之，玫瑰花園，一直種植到旁邊之，高爾夫球場，都

是空曠綠地，加上氣候溫和，有足夠之寒冷冬季，雨水充足，當然需

要時常澆水，所以一般市政府，壓力稍低，我們社區家庭，需要控制

用水量，因為自來水費，包括地下水道和污水處理費，玫瑰花要美麗，

成本需要。加州之玫瑰花，特別大號，特別美麗，剛才遺漏。

Visiting Sitka, Alaska/Carlos Pueblo

Visiting Sitka, Alaska/Carlos Pueblo

Sitka is also located in an island of the inner sea of Alaska panhandle called

Inner Passage and within certain miles of Juneau radius. It was the old capital

of Russian America. The state capital has been moved to Juneau since Alaska

becoming one of the states. There is not enough docks at the harbor; therefore

, the cruise uses it safety vessels to transfer passengers to the dock and back.

At the designated dock, there are buses to move the passengers again to the

downtown shopping center. We didn’t wait for the bus, instead we followed

the crowds to march several blocks away. There is beautiful garden in front of

a huge building, an hotel actually, with roses, peonies, and forget me not, the

state flower etc. in various combination of colors. There were two other visitors

like me shooting pictures of flowers everywhere in the garden.

It was early in the morning, the visitors were waking up the entire city, merchants

were preparing to open their business. It is all there, St. Michael Cathedral, at a

corner of streets intersection. Amy bought a copy of picture in a lovely gallery

where many art work provided by  local artists. We passed by a Pacific College

campus with a small size garden in the front with colorful flowers which was very

nice to visit during the spring time. We followed the stream of tourists toward an

unknown destination passing by a closed college, Sheldon Jackson College, and

visited its museum with plenty Alaskan collection. On the way, I passed by a church

front yard full of puppy shape flowers which I doubted them as the opium and

nobody could name it.

We reached to the Sitka National Historical Park. Again, we followed to the crowds

Inside the trail to view the forest with many duplicate Alaska Totem Poles. We

passed by a site of the battle ground where native Alaska aboriginal resisted the

Russian invasion. The Indian River is not far away through the boundary and has

been the center of the old Alaskan life. We exit to a highway and across the highway

to the Alaska Raptor Center, a refugee of the big shining black birds.

We took a wrong shuttle bus to a station for Holland America Cruise and a nice young

driver took us right back to the dock area. She and her husband are college students

working her during summer season. She wants to be a teacher of elementary school

while her husband wants to be a coach at a high school after graduation.

I mentioned that there was a bonus of $100 for the change of route on the way back,

actually it was a delay of wheel replacement on the way out of Glacier Bay. I

misunderstood the non-refundable on board credit and lost it and at the end after a

protest, I got it back to use it within a year period with another bonus for Amy. The

cruise company is very good at the business that I have been hooked ever since my

first cruise with this company.

阿拉斯加史奇塔市行/莊峻華

阿拉斯加史奇塔市行/莊峻華

史奇塔市，也在州府珠屋諾市附近，都是阿拉斯加州內海，曾是俄羅斯

統治時代之首都，非常美麗之城市，我們郵輪因故改道，是故有幸拜訪

，史奇塔港，並無深水碼頭，所以郵輪停泊港外，郵輪取下救生艇接駁

，非常有秩序和規劃，上岸後，市府有專車，免費接送整天。我們下車

後，就隨眾走向城中，其時就是隔街。有一大飯店前院，是一美麗花園

，有玫瑰花，牡丹花，和莫望我等，一位東方老人，和我一樣，為花美

著迷，一直拍攝不停。我們走向鬧街，都是商店，也看到俄羅斯聖教堂，

有一太平洋學院，門口花美，附近就有藝廊，艾美購下一仿品留念。

我們跟著遊客，走向史奇塔國家歴史紀念公園，此路經過一美麗學院，

謝爾頓傑克遜學院，已經關閉，圖書館改成博物館，開放參觀，此學院

曾經是四年大學，城市如此規模，甚難生存。到達國家歷史公園後，開

始散步。此公園原名為印地安公園，或圖騰柱公園，有印地安河穿過，

也收藏許多圖騰柱仿製品，阿拉斯加入曾在此處，抵抗俄羅斯入侵者失

敗，俄羅斯主教宿舍，就在公園內。

我們走過馬路，來到一阿拉斯加黑烏鴨中心，這種黑鳥，顏色真是黑亮，

比一般烏鴉大，而且美麗，和老鷹爭食，此中心專們拯救受傷之黑烏鴉。

走回碼頭，搭錯便車，來到荷蘭美國郵輪碼頭，原來史奇塔有停靠碼頭，

女司機專程送我們回鬧區碼頭，她和先生，都是來自北達科他州大學生，

準備當中學體育教練，和小學老師，暑假來阿拉斯加打工。

上文提到船長，贈送$100購物紅利，實在是郵輪操作輪盤故障，在海灣

冰洲回程中，修理時長，但其實也未耽誤行程，美國公司善於生意。

Visiting Icy Strait and Hoonah, Alaska/Carlos Pueblo

Visiting Icy Strait and Hoonah, Alaska/Carlos Pueblo

 On our way back, the ship ran into low bacteria issue with its waste treatment

plant; therefore, the itinerary changed to skip Habbard Glacier and Skagway

stops and converted to Sitka, for us it was a good news because that was a new

city to visit. Before Sitka, we visited the Icy Strait and nearby aboriginal village

of Hoonah. Icy Straight is located within 30 miles of Juneau in the Inside Passage

which actually is an inner sea of the Alaska coast part of the Pacific Ocean. It is

very safe and smooth sailing with a tremendous scenery, snow cap mountains,

huge glaciers, and precious wild animals etc.

The cruise dock is built recently for business from a private company for the

benefit of both parties including the Hoonah residents. The old cannery was

converted to a small museum and stores. A small shopping has been built with

streets of wood decks. I saw a handsome bald eagle standing on the top of a

tall tree and every was watching, later I guessed that I saw her and her nest at

Hoonah village. We walked down to every possible area, shopping center, drinks

and restaurants, theatre for aboriginal shows, and a walk on the beach toward a

lovely woods. After that, we decided to march toward Hoonah as a matter of fact

that many passengers selected marching.

The inner sea, Icy Strait, is very beautiful and peaceful like a huge lake. Occasionally

we saw ferry sailing toward Juneau I assumed otherwise only a group of kayak rowing

, an excursion provided by the Cruise. That bald eagle was flying above the sea circling

around her territory to the visitors. We began to see residential dwellings when we were

approaching to the village. Some houses kept very nice with spring flowers facing to the

sea that I was wondering how cold it would be during the severe winter weather. Some

old fishing vessels were docked on the beach for repairmen. Alaska is still very productive

in fishery. I was still very frugal about spending extra money when I resisted the crab pot

with steaming red crabs inside with a sign of cold beer provided $20 per order beer extra.

Basically Indian nations are poor because their living condition and environment. I can see

the appearance of the back row houses from the main highway. That eagle’s nest is right

across the highway from a visiting center. I could not resist people’s pointing at the nest

and that eagle who was still welcoming us. There is a shed of boat building with the

carpenter at work. Our new acquaintance group from Munich, Germany were walking back

with us and even accompanied us to walk again at the Icy Strait woods.

阿拉斯加極冷海峽和胡娜鄉行/莊峻華

阿拉斯加極冷海峽和胡娜鄉行/莊峻華

郵輪旅行回程，船因污水處理廠細菌含量低，所以改道，放棄哈博特

冰洲和史凱格鎮，換成極冷海峽和胡娜鄉為首站，俄羅斯統治時代，

俄羅斯美洲首都，史奇塔市為次，然後恢復反向行程到加拿大溫哥華。

我猜測是否需要到安可路治市，補充生物細菌，可能僅此市，有生物

處理廠設備，但改道兩處都在鍋把阿州，就是珠屋諾港方圓30哩處，

船長亦云否，所以仍然費解，但是改道對走回程者，卻是行終紅利，尤

其史奇塔市，真是一顆珍珠。

極冷海峽，在一海島上，原有一魚罐頭廠，幾次荒廢易主，最近改裝成

博物館，並同意商家興建碼頭，讓郵輪停靠，創造就業機會，我們一下

船，就跟著發現一隻白頭禿鷹，棲止樹稍，碼頭區許多商家，原住民也

來捧場跳舞，原住民甚像台灣原住民，面容和服飾色彩。我們隨眾，沿

海岸行軍，直達遠處胡娜鄉，這是一支阿拉斯加民族，人口約一千人，

美國憲法很有趣，嚴格說來，這是一印地安人國家，自治之行政區，不

屬傳統之州市政府，也因如此，村落實貧瘠，生活困難，像樣房屋，大

蓋均為內政部職員，或是學校教職員。有一遊覽中心，有職員駐守，非

常親切老練有誠意，她辦公室附近，有一老鷹巢窩，約是剛才那隻，經

極冷海峽小內海，飛回老街村落，這是他統轄領域，一般講法，老鷹出

雙入對。

沿途公路設備新闢，村落也有一些小店，有大紅蟳一整鍋，熱氣騰騰，

也出售冰冷啤酒，也有臨時小帳篷，販賣健身食品，都是應景而來，原

住民村落，在街道背面，環境大不相同，我旅行美國西部許多次，參觀

過無數印地安人國家，設區環境，真是參差不齊。走回碼頭，小內海上，

已經有許多愛斯基摩人小皮船，這是郵輪安排旅行節目之一，有些年輕

旅客參加，我那位小同鄉夫婦均報名。

我們再回碼頭逛逛，又回道海灘散步，又走一趟海灘小樹林，然後回船。

我在想此地居民，約是捕魚為業，沿海邊上，有幾艘舊式機動魚船，約

是整修中，居民住宅，也有注重美觀者，一般說來，算是貧窮美國村落。