Tale from the State of Alaska

Addapted by Darmansjah  Godjali from : Agung Adiprasetyo 

This is imagined when I heard the word "Alaska". Very cool country covered with thick ice, is located in the northernmost part of the earth. No one because about half of Alaska's permafrost is closed for half a year and also the average temperature below 0 degrees celsius. The sun was almost in hiding for several days in winter. Conversely, in the summer, the sun shines about 20 hours a day. May to September is summer. The temperature gradually increased, from about 13 degrees Celsius until it reaches the peak of 21 degrees Celsius in late July.

If we belong to hunters shopping mall or a fan club when I went traveling, maybe we would be disappointed not to find a big mall in the region. Alaska is the place to find a different nature than the tropics. Snow, 

icebergs, and the Alaskan tundra is the main menu. Most of the forest and mountain region is an area of ​​nature reserves. Therefore, tourists who visit Alaska would get a view of nature, will also see wildlife, like bears, salmon, bald eagles, reindeer, as well as marine animals, such as sea lions and whales.

Alaska is the state of the United States to-49 a relatively large one with the plains of the American continent. Alaska's land area of 1.5 million square kilometers added 117,000 sq km water. With an area of ​​it, Alaska became the largest state in the United States. Alaska Area covers an area one-fifth of the entire United States. Population of 627,000 inhabitants, approximately 69 percent white, 20 percent Indian, Eskimo, and Aleut. The rest are immigrants from Asia, Africa, and other tribes from the Pacific islands.

Alaska's history begins from fur trading, logging, salmon, gold mining, and oil. Every nation immigrants who brought the story to explore this area and separate development for Alaska. Juneau is located about 965 miles from Anchorage and 1448 miles from Seattle became the capital city since 1900. Although Juneau is the capital of the State of Alaska, Anchorage is the largest city and is the main gate entrance to Alaska.

Gold hunters flocked into Alaska around 1880. Gold mines can be found near the coast to go inland, such as Fairbanks and the Yukon area located in central Alaska. However, many mines are now abandoned because it was not economical. Former gold mine and the path train which is now a bustling tourist center. Alaska is also producer of crude oil. Alyeska Pipeline operates the Trans Alaska oil pipeline Pipeline System. The company is owned by a consortium of 5 companies, BP (Alaska) Inc., ExxonMobile Pipeline Company, Conoco Phillips Transportation Alaska, Unocal Pipeline Company and Koch Alaska Pipeline Company LLC.

Once the extent of Alaska so the crude oil that flowed with the speed of 4 miles per hour from the Prudhoe Bay took nine days to reach the port of Valdez Marine Terminal along the 800 miles. In the harbor was frozen for 365 days had been waiting for 16 000 tankers. Pipeline across the three mountains, the Brooks, Alaska, and Chugach. More than 14 million barrels of crude oil flowed through the Trans Alaska Pipeline System since 1977. Some 17 percent of U.S. oil needs are produced from here.

Land and sea

 orca

Travel in Alaska will be more interesting if we combine land tours and marine tourism (cruise). Land tour packages are made five days, using a glass-roofed bus and train so that we freely enjoy the natural scenery along the journey. City passed from Fairbanks and Denali in Anchorage in the central region toward the South. Add memorable trip because we stayed in a wooden house. All lodging and transportation will be organizations that we choose a cruise ship. Overland tour is to see the gold mine and enjoy the natural scenery, including the highest mountain in Alaska, Mount McKinley.

Some cities in Alaska accessible only by sea. In addition to aircraft, marine transportation is quite dominant, so that sea travel is also completing tours in Alaska. There are many cruise ships sail with fixed routes to go home from Anchorage to Vancouver, Canada, or Seattle, Washington State, USA. This cruise ship capable of carrying 2000 to 3,000 passengers. Sailing time is about seven days. There are many activities that can be done during the cruise, like swimming, sports, fitness, and watch a cabaret or a movie.

In addition, there are aerobics lessons, computer courses, painting for children, exhibitions of paintings, spa, salon, and shop at several stores. The restaurant was open for 24 hours. We can eat whatever and whenever as much as is included in the package shipping costs.

In winter, ice formed glaciers drift. Glaciers that are named after the inventor had a variety of forms. College Fjord, for example, melt like ice cream, while the Hubbard Glacier spired. If lucky, we could see icebergs are landslides, fallen into the sea causing a rumble and stunning scenery. The ice blocks will be carried by ocean currents up to several kilometers before it melts completely.

the Hubbard Glacier

Outside the impeachment of glacier panorama, the ship will stop in the city of Skagway, Juneau, and Ketchikan. Passengers can be dropped from ships for an additional tour. Interesting experience was to see whales in their natural habitat in the high seas. You can imagine the black creature jumping out at Metromini of water. After that, a group of sea birds will swoop down pecking at small fish that flutters around a collection of whales that jump it. Operators must ensure that we meet with the pope entourage. Humpback whales and orca (killer whales), which looks more like a dolphin, can be found in this area.

 Juneau

Alaska is also synonymous with salmon, both natural and cultured. Ketchikan, a town in Alaska, known as the salmon capital of the world. Migrating salmon jump from lower to higher parts of the river to spawn. Along the way, brown bear standing intercept and catch salmon. Black and brown bears compete with humans hunting salmon when breeding season arrives, so also not strange stuff when suddenly we were riding the bus must stop because there is a bear crossing the road.

In short, if there are a thousand places to visit before we are called upon the Almighty, Alaska is probably one of the places worth visiting.