Mountain climbing on Lower Dewey Lake, Skagway, Alaska 2022/Carlos Pueblo

 Mountain climbing on Lower Dewey Lake, Skagway, Alaska 2022/Carlos Pueblo

We missed our first routine at Skagway, Alaska to climb on the Lower Dewey Lake due to our newly met Filipina nurse friend from San Diego, CA. She was not able to climb at all. We had to skip at our first back of the cruise. We did it on our second back of the cruise. We walked along the old railroad track to the entrance of the Lower Dewey Lake, the water resource of the small township.

It was more difficult for me to climb up this time due to my hurting left knee. I forgot to bring my knee braces to make some protection. At on point, I made a mistake to reach to a different path other than the regular one, I was trapped for a while and I asked one kind fellow mountain climber to allow me to get down by myself. It was too dangerous for him to come up and rescue me. I did manage to hold up tied a small branch and released myself from such crisis. Even though the climbing path is difficult yet it is manageable even for an old man. The young person can jump around without any difficulty. We turned right on the path as usual for the first half of the lake. it was a smooth with several view points of the small lake, the tap water source of the township came from the top of the mountain melting glacier. There is a rock angle for interested person to fish the lake trout. I did witness some with catches of small fishes and they all let them go back to the water. At the end of the lake edge, there is a path to go somewhere which I forget yet some one did mention it to me. We turned to the other side of the lake. There is an old gold mining trail track left on sight with a small plain of grass and spring flowers. A bar-b-cue stand was there for the mountain climbers with a clear sign ow fire watch. We kept on entering a more difficult route; however, it was improved by the township to make it better this time. I found my favorite spot to view the mountain glacier. I take many photos as usual. It is on a high mountain rock stick out of the path.

Finally, we came to the end of our hike. We followed the sign to get down to the city. It is a divided path for some interests to keep on going to the Upper Dewey Lake on the right side. I did it one time and turned back before finishing it. I was afraid that would take too much of my time. I am not quite sure if I can make it to the Upper Dewey Lake in my limited life time.

登山下杜威湖2022／莊峻華

 登山下杜威湖2022／莊峻華

下杜威湖座落於阿拉斯加州史凱格衛鎮郊山上，湖為小鎮水源地，湖水源為山峰融雪，我們自2012年郵輪旅行以來，抵達史鎮必登下杜威湖，這是一容易達成目標，這次拖到第二次抵達史鎮，始重登此湖，實在是將就一便於行之菲律賓籍女護士，因此第二次抵達，重遊此湖。

我們沿著小鐵路軌道，走進山徑，起初登高山徑崎嶇坎坷，左膝蓋開始不支，一處爬錯，一時下不來，只好小心翼翼，抓緊小樹枝，爬將下來，已經嚇出冷汗小便，鎮公所設立廁所仍在，我們例行右轉方向，就是要繞小清水湖一周，再下山到史鎮鬧街。

右行徑一直都是平坦無礙，其間有一處山岩可垂釣，湖內有小尾鱒魚，確實有年輕登山客，自行簡易背包裝備，前來享受風景，深山垂釣，釣上鱒魚多半釋放回湖，右徑盡端，有一山徑通他處，一次幾位熟悉登山客，由此前往，我已憶不得是否為上杜威湖？

我們有經驗的走過湖畔，鎮公所仍保留之舊運金礦砂小火車鐵軌，這是一平矌小湖畔草原，各色春花仍在，一處為遊客烤肉野炊處，明顯標誌小心煙火，此半方圓山徑有上下，但鎮公所有改善，不若當年困難，我找到一處山端岩塊，可供眺望山頂冰洲，這是絕境，我內心之仙境，我忘記攜帶小望遠鏡，但感謝幾位眼醫，妙手回春，給我白內障手術，重回20／20視力。

回到左右分徑處，回史鎮路標以示，下杜威湖遊結束，有一年獨行，我經次處邁向上杜威湖，半途而廢，我也不再野心，畢竟年邁矣。

My high blood pressure/Carlos Pueblo

 My high blood pressure/Carlos Pueblo

In addition to my chronicle diabetes, dental issues, and vision problems, I have my high blood pressure to deal with nowadays. Before previous cruise trip, my dental hygienist discovered my blood pressure was high 168/85, yet still performed the teeth cleaning regardless I only have a few left. At home, I concluded that were because that I had a gum infection, ate too much salted pickle white reddish, and a dying 20 years old cat at the moment. I needed to escape such environment immediately. I went to a 11 days cruise in the east Caribbean sea. I forgot every thing, no television, no internet, no i-phone calls and every day was eating  and resting.

My Dad had a high blood pressure and he was not aware, in such result he was suffered a stroke at age 65. It is very much difference for me now, I am under the Medicare and many physicians are monitoring my well being most of the time due to the requirement of the insurance company. I know the result of my high blood pressure is taking a medicine like my diabetes which I am taking five kinds a day and is very annoying. I am getting in age and must face the reality.

I ate light on the ship except two free dinners on fee restaurants which were provided by the cruise latitude reward otherwise I attempted to eat vegetarian dishes to get less cholesterol intake. I went to the golf cage to strike 81 golf balls to warm up myself, then I swam in the pool. During the land day, I marched on the port town till I was tired. I had had my regular exercises. I am not sure that I am doing alright or not. I shall see my internal medicine physician when my semi annual physical examination is due for my diabetes.

I know that my high blood pressure is age related. I shall avoid the stressful intake such as the internet watching programs like the news of Trump and Chinese invasion of Taiwan. I have quit watching television for some 30 years and now I am determined to go back to the basic and will not let the modern technology bothers me any more.

I go back to the library to check out two books to read. I shall return to my old habit of reading books. I shall go to travel more often to stay away loniless old life.

高血壓／莊峻華

 高血壓／莊峻華

臨行郵輪11日行，牙醫診所例行洗牙，護士發現我血壓高，168／85，但仍繼續洗牙，回家後十分懊惱，因為一牙發炎，牙落後，整個底層假牙需要重做，所以我又龜縮，假藉一日算一日，家裡愛貓年紀20，好像是臨終前夕，元兒與此貓甚親，準備開車過10號公路，到寵物店購買注射筒，注射水給愛貓，讓我痛斥一頓，我要愛美找獸醫，給愛貓安樂死，她說時間尚未到，於是我血壓繼續飆高。

球伴竇大夫贈我一小瓶高血壓藥劑，和切藥片剪刀，因我身材小於他，我一下又找不到我的內科醫生，飛機馬上就要起飛，於是我把血壓藥，阿斯匹靈藥，和退火用綠豆等都帶上船，真是十分狼狽。

終於等到房間就續，沖涼後倒頭就睡，為降低血壓，黎明號游泳池水溫宜圏泳，於是每日早餐後小憩一陣，八點高爾夫練球場和游泳池開放，我就揮81桿3號，流一些汗，然後下水圏泳些時，上岸後在旁三溫暖池，泡些分鐘，泳池若無人，我就再游幾圏，如此一段清晨運動，已甚理想，若船靠岸，我就行軍去也，一日內洗澡兩次，途中郵輪就免費洗一包衣服，很是方便。

郵輪上網路不便又昂貴，所以我的生活回復到1975年前在台灣的日子，我也不看電視，無網路也無網誌，就沒有川普之新聞干擾，三餐都在大飯店解決，而且有幾座都是免費，船費中包括，食畢拍屁股走路，非常安逸，當然血壓不高。

琳兒電訊來提醒手機在加勒比海，操作要錢，我找波多黎哥，電話交待愛美，轉告琳兒勿慮，我只電話愛美報平安，也不想家裡碎事，況且我平日無友，慎獨功夫了得，這些高科技，我都不曾學過，而且我做人清楚，若用到需費手機，我會賠她，琳兒幫我手機加入她名下，每月節省$50，非常感激。

平安返家後，我對這血壓第二高有對策，我要開始恢復看書，到圖書館借新書來看，加上我私人藏書，練習語言，簡單問候幾句，像日文，西班牙文，可以再精進，我已經不看電視節目多年，現在連望誌電腦網路都避免，只聽音樂可也，對降血壓有助益。

A brief tour of Tampa City, Florida/Carlos Pueblo

 A brief tour of Tampa City, Florida/Carlos Pueblo

The cruise liner arranged a brief tour of Tampa City, Florida on the way to the airport at the end of our Eastern Caribbean tour. Our guide, Dr. Reyes made two stops on our way, one was the University of Tampa main campus and the other one was an old home site owned by Cuban Government in a Cuban neighborhood at the old Tampa downtown.

He introduced the campus buildings, the old Tampa Hotel owned by Henry B. Plant some 100 years plus ago, and converted to a junior college some 93 years ago and then merged to the current day University with 10,000 plus enrollment offered 200 degree programs. I am most impressed with the campus landscape and four Moorish type buildings now a State Heritage site. I have been passing by on buses several time while I embark at Tampa Bay port for cruises. I always want to know more about those attractive and unique campus by the bay. Later on the second stop, he answered my question about Ted Roosevelt's adventure in Cuba. Tampa Hotel was the site of the invasion plan and those generals were invited by Plant to stay at the Hotel to draw the war plan. After the Spanish-American War, the U.S. took Cuba, Puerto Rico, Philippine, and many other Spanish colonies.

There are many Cuban American living in Tampa. Tampa is famous for her cigar factory. Our bus came out of campus and turned to the Bay to view a luxury residential area helped built by Plant. It was one of my dream to visit this site recommended by my old Taiwanese couple who drove by it some 40 plus years ago. The closed one for me was at Orlando on the east site with the Disney World. I never have had another opportunity to drive across the center Florida.

The second stop was a regular home site less than 1/4 acres in the Cuban American Area at Tampa. The old frame house was torn down to set up a memorial site with a statue on it. Across the site is an active cigar factory still. He explained some details history of the city and there were some beautiful chickens walking around the site and I took many shots on them. Chicken are protected in the city as well as the State and are very wonderful.

We went to the west Tampa to tour both the Yankee spring training field and the Tampa Buccaneer stadium. The Buc made to the Super Bowl once while the Yankee won the World Series frequently. 

I am reminded to go back to my books reading habit to enlarge my knowledge such as the Teddy Roosevelt's story in Tampa, etc. I am going back to the library next week.

郵輪車返天帕機場／莊峻華

 郵輪車返天帕機場／莊峻華

前日黎明號結束東加勒比海十一日行，在佛羅里達州母港天帕市靠岸，郵輪贈我一$50禮券，我使用在郵輪車返天帕機場用，此包括兩站和天帕灣豪華住宅區，十分有趣，容我描述如下。

首站是私立天帕大學本校園，在甘迺迪大道上，我搭巴士到碼頭，好幾次路過，這是一非常美麗之校園，已經成為歷史遺產區，原是天帕大飯店，有511房間出租，約91年前，改為私立初級學院，逐為完整大學，有學生萬餘位，93％學生有助學金，這座大學有數棟原大飯店大樓，西班牙摩爾式風格，摩爾人統治過西班牙600年，是回教徒。我們的導遊是位古巴裔美國人，名牌上鑲有哲學博士銜，非常博學知識，他很詳細介紹天帕市歷史，我非常感激。我查一下谷歌，這位天帕大飯店主人名曰，亨利普蘭特。

遊覽車出天帕大學校園，轉入天帕灣畔之豪華住宅區，40餘年前，有對客戶台灣長輩，開車經過，特別介紹，我最近一處到奧蘭多，不敢開過佛州腰帶高速公路，甚是遺憾，時年應是2007，現在已經年邁不能，這豪華區確實有特色，難怪我同街鄰居，隨夫婿工作搬來休市，夫婿因病過世，立即售屋，遷回天帕市。天帕市許多古巴裔美國人，導遊雷亞博士特別介紹古巴區，一塊住宅地，已夷為平地，立一名人塑像，草地上許多漂亮土雞漫遊，原來土雞受到佛州市府保護，在邁阿密市區亦然。雷亞博士詳細介紹這塊古巴政府仍有所有權之地，很是有趣，我終於想到讀過一段歷史，發問天帕市是否為小羅斯福進攻古巴之港？博士連忙補充這一段，小羅斯福這群人，是在當年天帕大飯店策劃進攻，此役美國獲得古巴，多明尼加，波多黎哥，菲律賓，關島等地。

我們也經過西天帕市的兩座職業球場，一座是紐約洋基職棒練習場，一座是天帕市職業足球海盜隊，洋基非常馳名，海盜隊也拿過超級杯一次冠軍。

回家後，我深覺應該恢復看書，有益身心健康。

Our march to the Last Chance Gold Mine, Juneau, Alaska 2022/Carlos Pueblo

 Our march to the Last Chance Gold Mine, Juneau, Alaska 2022/Carlos Pueblo

Our march to the Last Chance Gold Mine , Juneau, Alaska  is a routine to the city's visit. We walk to the city center following street signs on the way up to the hill. It is very beautiful especially in the spring, the snow cap on top of mountains and flowers on the grounds so colorful everywhere. We don't have this kind of luxury at home; therefore, we must pay to have Alaska cruise all the time.

I was still unable to find the Russian House owned by Olga. She must be retired. We were invited to the inside of a wooden Russian church, the first one in the territory yet very basic structured. On the next door, a Catholic Church is more up to date and functional. I took many pictures on the way up by the residential neighborhood with many charming spring flowers. It was very straight forward after we entered a speedy mountain highway on a river valley. 

I usually run into locals walking their pets. Most of them allow me to pet their lovely dogs. Some bigger ones have already enjoyed the worm weather and jumping into the creek. They don't mind the melting glacier from top mountains and the quick cascade stream at all.

A group of tourists whom I guessed were from cruise ships on the excursion program. They were doing some gold finding with a pan distributed by their guides. You could see how they checked on each other on their find. We walked on a small suspended bridge across the mountain cascade stream to the Last Chance Gold Mine Museum. I tried to see a lady in charge of the museum whom I met on last trip. We chatted about her visit of Taroco Gorge and went to a local election campaign rally. I like to inform her that girl is now the ambassador of Taiwan to the United States. Unfortunately, the museum was closed on that day.

I guided Amy to march back on the other side of the creek which was constructed in the past  10 years. Some portion of the path are on boards very pretty. At the end we can enter the city center easily. I located the Governor Mansion and took more pictures again. Amy passed on a phone call from my old college friend about the death of our classmate who was 74. Ronald helped me to gather some $1,000 plus deposit money to apply my F-1 visa in 1975. I have appreciated his effort ever since. He had a sudden stroke.