重訪阿拉斯加凱其堪鎮/莊峻華

重訪阿拉斯加凱其堪鎮/莊峻華

凱其堪鎮在阿拉斯加州南端，就是直豎立鍋把之底端，船出加拿大

內海，重入美國領海領土之首站首港，原是北國淘金之處，之前曾

是俄羅斯毛革商人南下北加州，途經之點，這次我搭珠寶號，來回

此鎮兩次，駕輕就熟，一共五次經驗，仍覺有趣，下船目的在健行

，取得充足之一日運動。

這次旅行，正巧是春殘日，春花仍是遍地，我在船上看到幾大株粉

紅花株，我真希望看到北緯度櫻花，走上山坡住宅區，始發現粉紅

色花朵是石楠，也有白色，淡藍色，黃色，和紫色等，住宅區在山

腰間，居民勤於佈置庭院花園，剛過北國寒冬之一番寒澈骨，所以

這些春花，特別俏麗，石楠全球均甚普遍，西雅圖，溫哥華島之維

多莉亞，是省城，和巴黎市郊之，楓丹布露宮花園，都曾看過，但

我們休市，僅見杜鵑花，是石楠之分科，再往凱其堪溪走，可以經

過一小市公園，有許多遊客，為石楠花怒放所迷，最美處，則是沿

溪行，上溯到鮭魚繁殖場，這是山泉入溪處，有一花園，古巨樹參

天，石楠和橘黃花果成串曰，金鈴樹。繁殖場旁是一愛斯其摩人，

木雕柱博物館，每兩年，海中鮭魚返鄉，逆溪流上行產卵，凱其堪

號稱為鮭魚之都，市面上有許多鮭魚罐頭商店，而且提供品嚐樣本

。

 阿拉斯加州此部分，濱太平洋，雨水豐富，但天氣酷寒，不宜人居

，人煙稀少，所以環境清幽，剛才提到石楠，我再補述幾類，蒲公

英，莫忘我，州花也，我們德州州花，藍紫丁帽花，阿州稍大，還

有非常普遍之，培突妮亞花。

凱其堪溪是高山融雪，匯積成泉而成，我開始從老街商店北上，都

是百年簡陋狹窄木屋，走過一段木棧道，就走回公路人行道，一直

到繁殖場，該場平時不對外開放，但公園內有一乾淨之廁所。出公

園過馬路，就是凱其堪高初中，回程中，我在此球場，觀戰幾局高

校野球賽。

Visiting Cabo San Lucas, Mexico/Carlos Pueblo

Visiting Cabo San Lucas, Mexico/Carlos Pueblo

Cabo San Lucas is on the southern tip of Mexican Baha California, a

peninsula extended from the Southern California. Cabo means the

end of the land in Spanish. The port itself is one of the prettiest

worldwide. I marched inland to the center of the old town and came

back on the shopping area of the port. I received a tip how to wear

my cowboy hat properly, saw many pretty blooming saquaro cactus  

and some colorful birds in and out of the tees, adopted a pretty local

girl as my daughter, and watching sea lions maneuvering in the water

to catch foods.

The port is quite new or at least kept it very new started from the pier.

I marched along an inland highway side walk toward the old port center

and entered a casino for its toilet. An old man outside told me that I

put my hat wrong that I should switch a narrow side to the front otherwise

the street gangster might shoot me on the spot for upset him. I corrected it

immediately. It is a very attractive cowboy hat made in Mexico by a Houston

hat company that my daughter brings home.

I have seen saquaro cactus in Arizona when I passed by some 40 plus years

before. That was passing through cactus forest in the American West and was

definitely different from a close up look at Cabo. It is a spring time and cactus

is blooming with beautiful flowers some with red fruits. Several small birds are

in and out of the tree holes. A yacht tour sales explains to me about the tree,

flowers, and birds, etc. He used to live in Houston; therefore, we are very keen

to each other. On the other side nearby, I met a pretty young girl as an information

host for the city that I adopted her as my daughter. Her name is Karime Patricia

and I send her photos when I return home.

On the coast business area, there are all kinds of facilities for the tourist such as

Resort hotels, restaurants, jewelry stores, gift shops, etc. I can see yachts carried

tourists in and out of this number 2 largest yacht port in the world, just next to

Monaco in Europe. I saw some passengers from the cruise ship on some kinds of

excursion tour. On the pier near our cruise ship, many people were watching a big

sea lion harassing big birds on the water for their foods thrown out from fishing

boats and also rushing out to meet the returning fishing boats for their catches.

They, the sea lions, even jumped on to the board of the fishing ships and insisted

for some treat.  

船靠墨西哥卡波聖路卡斯港/莊峻華

船靠墨西哥卡波聖路卡斯港/莊峻華

卡波西班牙語意，陸地之盡端，卡波聖路卡斯，就是巴哈加利佛尼

亞半島最南端，有一座世界級之海港碼頭，非常新潁美觀，我在此

市城中學到如何戴我們德州牛仔帽，看到許多美麗之沙漠仙人掌高

株，美麗花朵和棲居之彩色小鳥，認收一位當地美麗姑娘為女，其

名卡莉玫派翠西雅，回程中，經過海港碼頭，觀看海獅追逐魚獲，

還有一艘豪華遊艇，有直升機，來自加州聖地牙哥，招待圍棋老師

一團20位午餐。

我是先從老街市中心參觀，行軍經過一些美麗社區，有的規模甚大

，已經開發到山麓，有位當地老者，英語流利，糾正我之戴帽方式

，他戲曰戴反牛仔帽，小心得罪當地人，開槍射我，我連忙更正，

原來帽沿稍窄處，需在帽前，寬者在後，果然不土。

薩娃落是美洲沙漠之仙人掌，株型可高達40餘呎，45年前，兩次

路過亞莉桑娜州，經過沙漠，遇此森林奇景，卡波人植此樹於店前

，時值春日，株花盛放，非常美麗，引來許多小鳥，和仙人掌花朵

相似，一樣之果實，印地安人食物也，我請教店員，此君待過休市

，非常親切，彼約波港為全球第二大遊艇中心，僅次於歐洲地中海

小國摩納哥，波港確是繁忙。我在附近一觀光站，認識一美麗少女

，名曰卡莉玫派翠西雅，我們請其同事，幫我們拍照，完成認收手

續，回家後寄相片給她。

我沿海岸商圈碼頭回郵輪，波港真不愧是觀光勝地，各類遊艇，携

客進出碼頭，遊艇有停靠碼頭，也有拋錨於海灣中，取水乾淨，可

供戲水游泳，圍棋老師一夥，必經由小船接駁。碼頭中另外一景，

吸引觀眾住足，就是一隻海獅，在水中與鳥群爭搶食物，回來魚船

正在清理魚獲，拋棄魚肚魚骨於水中，遠處有漁船返回，就見海獅

群，湧往直前，甚至躍上甲板。

Continue to discuss Taiwanese President Election 07/2019/Carlos Pueblo

Continue to discuss Taiwanese President Election 07/2019/Carlos Pueblo

The Election is on 01/20/2020 in Taiwan, a nation of 23 million populations,

11, 000 square miles island, and the 22^nd economic power nation in the

world. Currently, the incumbent Ing Wen Tsai is re-nominated by her

Democratic Progressive Party DPP and seeks for her second 4 year term,

while the opposition Chinese Nationalist Party KMT has nominate the Mayor

of Kaohsiung on the south to challenge her. I am waiting and hoping that

Mayor Wen Jer Ko of Taipei, the capital city of Taiwan, to enter the race

before September 1,2019. He is my favorite and the best qualified person

to lead the nation.

We have been under the Confucian Thought training all our life that we

respect and admire a person with a solid educational background. He was

from the University of Taiwan Medical School and became a medical Professor

at that Medical School with a distinguished resume of 30 years in medical

practice.  He is a workaholic all his life as an exemplary student, the best

surgeon, and the best mayor in the history of Taipei. His typical daily work

schedule is taking a city bus to the city hall to open a morning meeting at

7:30 am and a non-stop schedule until 10:30 pm. I don’t see any politician

In the world with such dedication and will. In four years of his first term, he

has made the administrative efficiency improvement from 66% to 77%. He

has improved the bureaucracy gradually and I believe that the Nation needs

him to face the challenge world.

He is a scholar, also a philosopher excels in both Chinese and Western Civilization.

He is also fond of Buddhism and Taoism, I mean local religion. He is visiting temples

around the nation to make his effort of campaign before his announcement to

enter the race. I believe that he tries to save money and keeps the pressure to the

other candidates. He would go to lecture the youth at colleges or meetings to introduce

his philosophy and governing. He can attract a long que of fans to take photos with hime

everywhere.

If he doesn’t make it in the Election, he can still have 3 more years in his 2^nd term as the

Mayor of Taipei, the 2^nd most powerful position in Taiwan. He still can do very much to

his constituency, of course, Taiwan will miss an ideal President.   

台灣總統選局近況07/2019/莊峻華

台灣總統選局近況07/2019/莊峻華

距離台灣總統選舉，僅剩半年，各方均已展開競選，連任之蔡英文總

統，挑戰之高雄市長，還有台北市長柯文哲，是未競已先選有動作，

我每天24小時，都期待看他之工作和選舉活動。

每天上午，他安排記者會曰，餵食鯊魚，容記者發問，而且是五花八

門，柯是學者出身，又勤讀古今書典，不但是醫生，也是科學家，哲

學家，暢銷作家，一位好市長，將來一定會是一位好總統，台灣有福

矣。

我也看過識田信長之故事，我想柯較像德川家康，雖然他尚無家康之

耐力，然時代背景不同，柯之參選台灣總統，所面臨之挑戰，卻是相

仿。我先說他之未競已選，他在上午開完清晨例會後，出來面對記者

，回答問題，然後按照市府幕僚，安排行程，據說參加柯粉俱樂部，

可以知道他之行程，這是非常親民，問他甚麼？他都清楚，尤其是市

政，週末他就全國考察民意，城市交流，看看那舉香敬拜神明，就知

道從小培養有成，他有佛家包容，講話無遮攔，是嫉惡如仇，要看所

到之處，萬人空巷，而且他也可以隨時演講，學校和社會。

主張台灣獨立，不是某人某派之專利，比起過去，現在主張台灣獨立

者，香港獨立者，西藏獨立者，新疆獨立者，內蒙古獨立者等是越來

越普遍，過去我形容孫文之，中風病狂相識也，看待旁觀之國人，柯

市長，絕對能保護台灣，台灣之制度，政治環境，已不容許中國之吞

併。

台灣小國也，我以為仍是中華民國之殖民地，李登輝總統，開放總統

，邁向獨立一大步，若讓柯當台灣總統，我不期待他喊台獨，李扁英

在任內或前，都不願喊台獨，情有可諒，台灣總統，絕對不能讓中國

人重奪，選市長柯文哲。

In a hot summer day/Carlos Pueblo

In a hot summer day/Carlos Pueblo

What do I do in a hot summer day in Houston, Texas? I must tell you that I always

hide inside the air conditioning house except a morning walk and a Saturday

morning tennis. Other than those outdoor activities, I have had plenty of Youtube

viewing and naps throughout of a day.

I walk and visit my pet dog friends in the morning and most of the time Amy is with

me except some days that she has engagement. Recently, a black color lab Samantha

joins my lists of favorite. She would answer my whistle and insists wait on me till I

come forward. She would like to join her walk which I must change my route routine.

She would sit and wait for me to say hallo to some other dogs inside the gate or come

to meet those others passing by. One day we met 4 red hawks down to an intersection

on Stoneford street. Two smaller birds were playing with a small squirrel up and down

while two bigger birds, obviously their parents were standing on two roof tops. Sam’s

lady owner told me they were at a hunt training. I find that friendship between pet dogs

friends in the neighbor and myself is very enjoyable.

I have been invited to play tennis at a neighbor’s club and their Captain would send me

the e-mail on Sunday for the coming Saturday. Since our own Captain moved to a

retirement facility and the Hurricane Harvey, we can barely maintain our Tuesday night

tennis. I need to have two days of tennis in a week to fill my needs of exercises. I must

constantly monitor my physical condition to see if I still can play tennis. I know the need

to exercises and also am aware of plenty rest afterward.

My tennis body Roger tells me that the invention of the air conditioning makes Houston

to become a big city and I notice that is also true to the American South. People can be

more tolerate to the heatwave of long summer. It makes Houston more comfortable in

the hot summer.

溽暑清晨/莊峻華

溽暑清晨/莊峻華

休士頓夏天真熱，週前網球局，朋友曰因為發明冷氣，始有休市

之成長，從一油井小鎮，成為美國第四大城市，夏日仍是炙熱無

比，只不過我已退休，一整日活動，僅於溽暑清晨，散步於社區

，幾乎是僅有活動，還有兩早晚網球局，其餘則是躲在室內，受

室內冷氣保護。

我有許多愛犬知己，社區鄰居，大多蓄養愛犬，也是早晚散步，

忙碌主人，偶令愛犬室外活動，愛犬亦喜交遊，常在車道鐵柵內

，觀看路人，我常心有旁思，抑或與愛美論事，忘記問後，柵內

愛犬，必也吠叫提醒，我有多隻愛犬知己，可以識別我之口哨，

老遠就停步等候，有的是加速前進，主人立悉熟人，最近認識一

愛犬曰，索曼莎，與我有緣，堅持隨行與我，於是我就更改散步

方向，經過柵內愛犬區，她就靜坐草皮，觀看我與他犬打招乎，

女主人也十分好奇，有時候遇見其他愛犬路過，她甚至露出嫉妒

吠叫，令人噴笑，我覺得這是老年生活之享受，每日清晨，我都

可以遇見十隻愛犬知己。

兩週前，我與索曼莎行走，路過一小街口，其女主人停下，觀看

一隻雕鷹與小松鼠嬉玩，樹上有另外三隻雕鷹，她認為是幼雕在

訓練狩獵，我們觀看些時，一直到四雕散去，有車過鄰居告知，

高樹頂有鳥巢，我一直未曾發現，後來我路過該交叉口，一直等

候再見，這四隻美麗之雕鷹，我不見明顯之鷹嘴，但是雕鷹無異

，今晨我又在同處發現兩隻，正與幾隻小松鼠戲玩，我不相信他

們在獵取食物，我在舊社區，看過小雕抓小班鳩當食物。

另外一溽暑清晨活動，則是週六網球局，去年開始，我已開始在

衛斯切斯特俱樂部打網球，週二夜，則在老俱樂部，網球運動已

經稍微吃力，但我希望能繼續活動，保持心臟活力。

Visiting three Universities in Birmingham, England/Carlos Pueblo

Visiting three Universities in Birmingham, England/Carlos Pueblo

One morning I was marching along the city canal and found a nice bank with

pretty garden and buildings. It is the campus of Ashton University, a complete

university with all kinds of colleges including the engineering, medical school,

and law school, etc. Upon entering the campus, I saw a sign of Birmingham

City University on the other end and a conservatory, Mathew Boulton Campus

of the Birmingham Metropolitan College. If I may, I can categorize the City

University is popular, Aston is selective, University of Birmingham is prestige,

while Mathew Boulton is specialized. I visited the UB last year and was very

impressed. The campus is outside of Birmingham city limit.

I have always admired the university in my life. Almost all nations pay attention

to their high education and the university produces leaders of their society. Almost

every place where I visit, I always put an effort to visit the university campus. I

have very much regret that I have not utilized my opportunity to study while at

school. Ashton campus is not as large as UB; however, it is very pretty and organized.

The medical school is not as big as I imagine; however, there is a brain center and

Dental school and pharmacy school, etc. The engineering academy is right by the canal.

After visiting the new student center, I walked toward the BCU. Last year, I met a

pretty Chinese young lady, Yang Ming of Cheng Chou city, Henan, on a train from

Oxford to Birmingham. I believed that she returned to BCU for graduation commencement

of her M.S. degree. I adopted her as my daughter. There are some Chinese students

studying at that campus.

A reception lady at Ashton student center introduced me about these three universities;

therefore, I had some ideas of the Ashton Triangle. It is on a higher ground and I can

see Birmingham downtown. I walked back to the canal through an old ruined area with

some brick buildings which the city intended to re-innovated. After just one exit, I got on

to streets of old quarter of the city to the New Street Interchange. The old quarter is like

some of the old town Houston with many Eastern European eateries.

Of course, I dropped by the Bull Ring Market for my supply.

參觀英國伯明罕市內三大學/莊峻華

參觀英國伯明罕市內三大學/莊峻華

一日行軍伯明罕市區運河，經過一環境幽雅河岸，有幾棟新潁建築

，原來是一座美麗之大學校園，阿許頓大學，因陰雨綿綿，打開折

傘，發現已折損，於是我入學生中心詢問，此大學校舍緊鄰，但也

有許多綠地校園，有工學院，有醫學院，有法學院等，十分規模，

旁鄰伯明罕市立大學，也甚具規模，另外有人介紹一音樂學院，伯

明罕市區學院，專門栽培音樂專才，這已接近鬧區，整個三校園，

都在伯明罕市之阿許頓三角洲區。

在一美麗校舍間花園旁，有一新學生中心，我和中心招待女士，談

起此校，這是公立大學，非常完整之好大學，她說城外之伯明罕大

學，則是全球排名，我喜歡參觀大學，也非常羨慕好大學，也甚心

儀好科系，畢業後找到好工作，去年我曾專程搭火車，參觀伯大，

確是雄偉壯觀，當地人甚引以為傲。

去年旅行英國，在火車上遇見中國河南愛女楊茗，她剛從鄭州回伯

明罕市大，領取碩士學位，此大學與阿許頓比鄰，我特別逛到該校

，也甚具規模，此校有些中國學生，課後就在校園內聚集，我從校

園按路標，走回運河，經過一兩棟古屋廢墟，大約正待改裝。這邁

瑟伯敦學院，就在市大另端，是一音樂學院，歐洲和美國，有此專

門栽培音樂專才學校。

進入運河，準備回新街火車站，然後到公牛圈市場購物，出運河後

，仍需走上一段街路，都是古老市區，顯然是有兩百餘年歷史，市

面餐廳，許多東歐口味。

Visiting Mazatlan, Mexico/Carlos Pueblo

Visiting Mazatlan, Mexico/Carlos Pueblo

Another two nights and one day sail from Acapulco, Mexico to Mazatlan,

Mexico on the Pacific Coast. We passed another famous resort city of

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, a city which was selected as one of my tennis

body as his retirement home. Another nice memory was that I did have

an opportunity to visit that city in 1981 as a guest of my late district manager

for a life sale promotion and fell to go due to a limit from Mexican Authority

of my Taiwan Passport and other reason. These three cities are very popular

in the U.S. and as a matter of fact that there are good size of American

Immigrant retirees communities. After the disembark, I marched to a residential

area near the port, the Old Mazatlan, and back to the other direct toward the

coast business area.

The city is very nice and lovely like our Houston Hispanic Area Heights and Montrose

and better than the Ship Channel Area. Single dwelling houses are located on a

very organized square subdivision. Some of the luxury dwelling with concrete wall

as a fence with broken bottle on the top to prevent vandalism that is very similar

to the old Taiwan scenery. The local provides English speaking guide on the street

corner to help to direct the tourists. I walked toward the old downtown quarter

passing through a Catholic Church and blooming mango trees along the way. Many

passengers selected the same interest to tour the old town to see a festival like

activity, artists show on the street and the music and dancers performing on the

Square, of course, there were many shopping stands outside the regular stores.

I marched towards opposite direction toward another part of the bay. I was released

when I found a portable toilet. some seafood restaurants were open for business

one with life band inside. There was a small restaurant with a staff to clean the oyster

for the menu and I watched the process. It was for raw eating oyster and I shied away

due to the cost. I saw a second one closed the port and walked away as well. I was

very impressed the street and subdivision kept very neat even with roaming chicken

sometimes disturbed by the community dogs.

I was asked by my daughters on board about my venture outside when I returned.

I thought that they were available to go outside for a visit yet there was a limit for

the staff that only one third of them were allowed. One third on duty and another

one third on call in case. Actually, it is more comfortable in the ship than outside

according to my routine.  

船靠墨西哥瑪莎特蘭港/莊峻華

船靠墨西哥瑪莎特蘭港/莊峻華

瑪莎特蘭市，也在太平洋海岸，從阿卡波可港，一日兩夜航程，郵輪

經過另一箸名城市，巴拉塔港，三港都是觀光城市，有些退休美國人

，在此群居，連碼頭附近社區街頭，都有熱心美國人，提供問路服務

，我一下船，就為碼頭附近住宅區迷住，墨國美麗城市，就像我們德

州城市老社區一般，住區格式特別，有水泥圍牆，牆上砌有破碎玻璃

防盜，這又和古台灣鄉下富宅相似，較普通民宅，小街上有許多雞群

遊蕩，偶有街犬到來騷擾，引得雞飛狗跳。庭院上之芒果株，尚有開

花者，也有青實累累，顯然地居北端，尚未溽暑之故也。

我隨著步行乘客，走向老街中心，老街有一廣場，四周圍都是商店和

餐廳，類似西歐城市氣氛，有青年創藝活動，也有樂團演唱跳舞，很

是熱鬧，我繼續逛街，不知不覺又逛回原街，走向另一方向，我甚有

把握可以回到郵輪碼頭，十餘年西語自修，發揮功用，問到一活動廁

所，我就更無壓力逛街，我很仔細觀察兩海鮮餐廳之牡蠣菜單，因門

口有人在手工處理去殼，菜單上是食生蠔，而且也不便宜，剛好午餐

尚未開張，於是我就打道回船。

瑪莎特蘭也有美麗海灘，但需參加陸地團，我不是十分熱衷，而且也

不願花錢，我寧可省下此費用，留得下次旅行資本。

每次靠港日，船上愛女喜問下船否？都去何處？於是我介紹我之逛街

原理，多少年養成之習慣，滿足我之好奇心，旅行真令我增廣見聞，

很多事都想開矣。

Passing through the Georgia Straight, Canada/Carlos Pueblo

Passing through the Georgia Straight, Canada/Carlos Pueblo

The Jewel daily schedule pointed out Seymour Narrows, British Columbia

on the second day for its scenery. There is a 5 kilometers Discovery Passage

in British Columbia called  Seymour Narrows known for strong tidal current,

about 15 knots and about 750 meters wide. The Alaska cruise route is sailing

between the Vancouver Island and the Pacific Ranch of the Continent and I call

it the inland sea, south from Seattle or Olympia and north to the Alaska border.

I was not aware of the significance until after 5 Alaska Cruises. This journey

reminds me very much of my riding experience of trains yet it is much more

comfortable with exceptional beauty of the scene.

I stand on many location of the ship, at the rear of the Garden Café and the

observation ground on the top 13^th deck. I can sit on the atrium side or inside

the vacant big restaurant to view the passing through mountains on both sides.

It is better than Japanese Shinkansen and of course much better than any of my

previous transportation train experience. It was in early spring and there were

snow cap on some of the taller mountains in the area.

It was very nice to see some of my adopted daughters on board again in Jewel

while the cruise line transferred them from Dawn. I quickly asked my four dining

companions for the 2 weeks. Because of my platinum plus status, I can invite a

guest for my dinner free of charge under a certain amount. This time I invite

Jenny, Mary Ann, Gingle, and Stephanie who are all from the Dawn. In addition to

these four free dinners at paid restaurants, I also have two dine with officer dinners

at a restaurant with free of wine. This time, I have Alvina, the atrium guest service

manager and also my high ranking adopted daughter as our company. We also join

by our fellow platinum plus passengers on the table. Another two drinking parties

are for the repeated customers with silver and above.

There was a story of lost luggage on board to my old friends from Colorado. During

a transfer plane somewhere, their luggage were lost. The Jewel loaned them some

cloths and assigned Jenny to help them to recover the luggage. Michael received an

old mechanic uniform and Rebecca had some civilian cloths and of course, some of

the daily use items from the Trade Wind  Store. It was an error from the airline and

was nothing to do with the Jewel; however, the cruise did extend their service to

the customers on their best. Finally, the luggage were recovered at Juneau, the State

Capital on the 4^th day.