sitka, Alaska

Sitka: Journey through a once Russian Alaska


3 Guys Church
Placard promotes the sale of tlingit native ecological crafts.
M/V Malaspina
Passengers from one of the Alaska Marine Highway System boats shortly after they left Sitka.
Bears in sight
Notice of recent bear sightings at the entrance to the Sitka National Historical Park main trail
Totem Head 2
Detail of one of the many tlingit totems spread throughout the Sitka National Historical Park.
St. Michaels Cathedral
The front of Saint Michaels Cathedral, wooden and with its eight-armed Orthodox cross
Camouflaged Totem
Tlingit totem concealed among the broad trunks of the coniferous forest around Sitka
Sunset on Sitka
Long late sunset illuminates the vast coniferous forest in a canal in the vicinity of Sitka
Shadow Rail
Forest trail in the Sitka National Historical Park, often visited by bears that warrant serious warnings and extra care from visitors.
capped head
Detail of the top of one of the totems of the Tlingit tribe spread throughout the Sitka National Historical Park.
the ranger
Jimmy Craig, the tlingit ranger serving the Sitka National Historical Park.
Tlingits
Historical photograph photograph of a group of Tlingit Indians, the fierce tribe that made life difficult for Russian settlers
Cathedral Tower
Saint Michaels Cathedral Tower, one of the most important symbols of Russian heritage in Sitka and all of Alaska.
Carved Totem
Tlingit totem lost among the conifers of Sitka National Historical Park.
Quaker dresses
The dresses handcrafted by Jillian, a Sitka Quaker resident who despised technology.
In 1867, Tsar Alexander II had to sell Russian Alaska to the United States. In the small town of Sitka, we find the Russian legacy but also the Tlingit natives who fought them.

As we reach the heart of downtown Sitka, an Orthodox priest converses with the faithful at the entrance to the Cathedral of Saint Michaels, the seat of the Bishop of Kamchatka, the Kuril Islands and the Aleutian archipelago.

His black cassock and gray beards make complete sense in the vicinity of the blue and white church crowned by several golden eight-armed crosses.

For those who have not learned about the history, they can do less in one of the territories of the nation that was for so long the arch-rival of homeland of the tsars.

St Michaels Cathedral, Sitka, Alaska Travel Once Russia

The front of Saint Michaels Cathedral, wooden and with its eight-armed Orthodox cross

Other references to Russian America appear before us when we least expect it. In nearby Marine Street, appears the grave of Princess Maksoutoff - the wife of the last governor. The princess lies in a sort of VIP extension of the vast and chilling Russian cemetery, which the sodden moss and other vegetation continue to take hold.

Right next door, there is a replica of the stockade that the former settlers erected to protect themselves from frequent attacks by the natives.

The Tlingit, the Native Soul of Sitka and the Bears that Inhabit It

When the Russians arrived, the Tlingit ethnic group owned and mistressed the region. It quickly spread terror among the invaders. The Tlingit threat forced them to form an opportunistic alliance with their Aleutian rivals. Only then, together, the Russians managed to defeat the natives at the Battle of Sitka and erect the Novoarkangelsk outpost.

Jimmy Craig knows the story in detail. It prides itself on the fierce resistance of its ancestors.

Alaska Marine Highway, Sitka, Travel Alaska Once Russia

Jimmy Craig, the tlingit ranger serving the Sitka National Historical Park.

We found him in a ranger's uniform at the entrance to the Sitka National Historical Park where he detects the aroma of campfire smoke on our clothes and can't resist commenting: “You guys smell our best perfume: firewood cologne! That's a lot of points gained from considering any Tlingit.”

Be welcome. Have fun in the park but pay attention. In recent days they have been sighted bears. Speak out loud to each other. If you come across one, above all, don't turn your back!"

Sitka, Alaska Travel Once From Russia

Notice of recent bear sightings at the entrance to the Sitka National Historical Park main trail

We follow the advice to the letter. We enter the dark forest. We had fun feeding dialogues as futile as they were noisy.

We stopped just to admire each of the 18 totems Tlingits mysterious and colorful and to read the explanatory bulletins arranged along the tracks.

Totem, Sitka, Alaska Travel Once Russia

Tlingit totem concealed among the broad trunks of the coniferous forest around Sitka

Os bears they also created problems for the Russian pioneers.

Alaska. The Vast Russian Colony That Just Sold Out

The Russians ventured into Alaska almost a hundred years before the British. They were motivated by the abundance of skins, an asset, at the time, very valuable, which they could obtain there in greater quantity than on the other side of the Bering Strait.

After his subjects had nearly extinguished the target animals of the Aleutian Islands and Kodiak, the colony's first governor, Alexander Andreyevich Baranov, moved the capital to the south.

He built Sitka with the unbridled ambition of establishing a fur empire that would stretch from Bristol Bay to northern California.

The project ran into the advance of the British. It didn't even make it halfway. Still, the Russians dominated Alaska until 1867. That same year, they closed one of the worst deals in its history.

At the time, various domestic disputes and conflicts with native tribes, the high expenses for the maintenance of the colony, which were added to those resulting from the Napoleonic wars, depleted the finances of Saint Petersburg.

As a last resort, the Russians sought to sell the territory to the United States. The Americans ended up agreeing to the price of 7.2 million dollars, less than the two cents per acre that the Republican Party called “the madness of Seward” (the Lincoln Secretary of State who signed the deal) that would turn out to be surprisingly profitable.

Alaska's Gold That Attracted New Settlers From Everywhere

Thirteen years later, prospectors Richard Harris and Joseph Juneau, who came to give the name to the Alaska's current capital, discovered gold in the Gastineau Canal. The lode they found, together with others, quickly netted over 150 million dollars.

Part of the sellers' heritage and way of life also passed into the hands of buyers. No other village in Southeast Alaska has inherited as much as sitka. Today, Sitka has 9 inhabitants. It is the only village in Southeast Alaska that challenges the Pacific Ocean.

Unsurprisingly, ethnically and culturally, Sitka has become the real Russian salad. A historical patchwork that continued to intrigue us.

Tlingits, Sitka, Alaska Travel Once Russia

Historical photograph photograph of a group of Tlingit Indians, the fierce tribe that made life difficult for Russian settlers

We spent part of the night around a second fire, in the home of a young couple Quakers who offered to welcome us. We weren't the only ones.

A Bonfire Night, with Quakers, S'mores and an Alaskan Musician

Caleb had just arrived from far away Fairbanks (northern Alaskan town) and was also a guest. “Did you bring wine? How wonderful!" he exclaims when he detects the bottle in our shopping bags for dinner.

Seth and Jillian, the eccentric hosts, aren't so enthusiastic. “Well, alcohol goes against our principles but we're not going to impose anything on you. Drink but behave well below! know what they are s'mores?” still ask us. We're really looking forward to doing a night of s'mores. But let's settle around the fire. They already see what it is.”

Just in case, rather, they show us where we were supposed to sleep. In that same small room, we have fun watching dozens of folk costumes hanging that seem to us to be suitable for a long Carnival.

Quaker Dresses, Sitka, Alaska Travel Once From Russia

The dresses handcrafted by Jillian, a Sitka Quaker resident who despised technology.

Jillian notices our fascination: “Like it? I'm the one who sews them by hand. We, Quakers we are not big fans of technology, as you may have noticed”.

The Then Emerging Phenomenon of the Portugal group. the man

We went out to the backyard and into the cold night of that coastal Alaska. Caleb had already helped himself to the wine.

As he basked in the flames, he remembered something that intrigued him. “You know the Portugal. The man ? They are an alternative band from Portland already quite famous here in the north of the States. I even bet they will become famous in Europe too. (ndA: that's more or less what happened and they came to play the Portugal). Why do they have this name? Well, I would love to explain to you, but the truth is, I don't know. "

To compensate, he asked us about Portugal. He assured us that it would be one of his priority trips to the Old World.

Meanwhile, Jillian gives us branches caught around there and opens up hostilities s'morescas. Make a mini marshmallow sandwich between crackers. Place it at the end of your branch and toast it over the fire. Us and Caleb imitated her and Seth. Shy, this one laughed at everything a little while protecting himself from the dense smoke that made us choke.

The flames and smoke soon subside.

Jillian took the opportunity to confess: “Oh, how good this is feeling.”. We're still pretty wet from the morning's adventure. We went to mine gold for the river. We never thought it would get so tired. On top of that, we found no sign of him. Not even dust."

Confusions on Sitka's Russian Past and Present

At that time, a parallel strikes our minds and exposes them to the fire: “Have you noticed that if the Russians had found the first gold here in these parts, we could have been speaking Russian here and drinking vodka accompanied with pickled cucumbers ?”

Sitka, Alaska Travel Once From Russia

Saint Michaels Cathedral Tower, one of the most important symbols of Russian heritage in Sitka and all of Alaska.

To which Seth counters. “It's true, guys. But I'm not sure if that doesn't happen now and then around here. It could be more visible, but this city still has a lot of Russian.

They were unlucky with the cruises schedule, but almost every time one docks here, there is a show of traditional Russian dances.”

Channel in Sitka, Alaska Travel Once Russia

Long late sunset illuminates the vast coniferous forest in a canal in the vicinity of Sitka

The next cruise didn't arrive until after too long.

Two days later, we boarded the M/V Malaspina and we continued to explore Alaska by the route of its long Marine Highway.

Key West, USA

The Tropical Wild West of the USA

We've come to the end of the Overseas Highway and the ultimate stronghold of propagandism Florida Keys. The continental United States here they surrender to a dazzling turquoise emerald marine vastness. And to a southern reverie fueled by a kind of Caribbean spell.
Ketchikan, Alaska

Here begins Alaska

The reality goes unnoticed in most of the world, but there are two Alaskas. In urban terms, the state is inaugurated in the south of its hidden frying pan handle, a strip of land separated from the contiguous USA along the west coast of Canada. Ketchikan, is the southernmost of Alaskan cities, its Rain Capital and the Salmon Capital of the World.
tombstone, USA

Tombstone: the City Too Hard to Die

Silver veins discovered at the end of the XNUMXth century made Tombstone a prosperous and conflictive mining center on the frontier of the United States to Mexico. Lawrence Kasdan, Kurt Russell, Kevin Costner and other Hollywood directors and actors made famous the Earp brothers and the bloodthirsty duel of “OK Corral”. The Tombstone, which, over time, has claimed so many lives, is about to last.
Anchorage to Homer, USA

Journey to the End of the Alaskan Road

If Anchorage became the great city of the 49th US state, Homer, 350km away, is its most famous dead end. Veterans of these parts consider this strange tongue of land sacred ground. They also venerate the fact that, from there, they cannot continue anywhere.
Mount Denali, Alaska

The Sacred Ceiling of North America

The Athabascan Indians called him Denali, or the Great, and they revered his haughtiness. This stunning mountain has aroused the greed of climbers and a long succession of record-breaking climbs.
Juneau, Alaska

The Little Capital of Greater Alaska

From June to August, Juneau disappears behind cruise ships that dock at its dockside. Even so, it is in this small capital that the fate of the 49th American state is decided.
Valdez, Alaska

On the Black Gold Route

In 1989, the Exxon Valdez oil tanker caused a massive environmental disaster. The vessel stopped plying the seas, but the victim city that gave it its name continues on the path of crude oil from the Arctic Ocean.
Skagway, Alaska

A Klondike's Gold Fever Variant

The last great American gold rush is long over. These days, hundreds of cruise ships each summer pour thousands of well-heeled visitors into the shop-lined streets of Skagway.
Seward, Alaska

The Longest 4th of July

The independence of the United States is celebrated, in Seward, Alaska, in a modest way. Even so, the 4th of July and its celebration seem to have no end.
Seward, Alaska

The Alaskan Dog Mushing Summer

It's almost 30 degrees and the glaciers are melting. In Alaska, entrepreneurs have little time to get rich. Until the end of August, dog mushing cannot stop.
Talkeetna, Alaska

Talkeetna's Alaska-Style Life

Once a mere mining outpost, Talkeetna rejuvenated in 1950 to serve Mt. McKinley climbers. The town is by far the most alternative and most captivating town between Anchorage and Fairbanks.
Prince William Sound, Alaska

Journey through a Glacial Alaska

Nestled against the Chugach Mountains, Prince William Sound is home to some of Alaska's stunning scenery. Neither powerful earthquakes nor a devastating oil spill affected its natural splendor.
PN Katmai, Alaska

In the Footsteps of the Grizzly Man

Timothy Treadwell spent summers on end with the bears of Katmai. Traveling through Alaska, we followed some of its trails, but unlike the species' crazy protector, we never went too far.
Homer a Whittier, Alaska

In Search of the Stealth Whittier

We leave Homer in search of Whittier, a refuge built in World War II and housing two hundred or so people, almost all in a single building.
Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau, Alaska

The Glacier Behind Juneau

The Tlingit natives named this one of more than 140 glaciers on the Juneau Icefield. Best known for Mendenhall, over the past three centuries, global warming has seen its distance to Alaska's diminutive capital increase by more than four kilometers.
Believers greet each other in the Bukhara region.
City
Bukhara, Uzbequistan

Among the Minarets of Old Turkestan

Situated on the ancient Silk Road, Bukhara has developed for at least two thousand years as an essential commercial, cultural and religious hub in Central Asia. It was Buddhist and then Muslim. It was part of the great Arab empire and that of Genghis Khan, the Turko-Mongol kingdoms and the Soviet Union, until it settled in the still young and peculiar Uzbekistan.
Skipper of one of the bangkas at Raymen Beach Resort during a break from sailing
Beach
Islands Guimaras  e  Ave Maria, Philippines

Towards Ave Maria Island, in a Philippines full of Grace

Discovering the Western Visayas archipelago, we set aside a day to travel from Iloilo along the northwest coast of Guimaras. The beach tour along one of the Philippines’ countless pristine coastlines ends on the stunning Ave Maria Island.
Amboseli National Park, Mount Kilimanjaro, Normatior Hill
safari
Amboseli National Park, Kenya

A Gift from the Kilimanjaro

The first European to venture into these Masai haunts was stunned by what he found. And even today, large herds of elephants and other herbivores roam the pastures irrigated by the snow of Africa's biggest mountain.
Faithful light candles, Milarepa Grotto temple, Annapurna Circuit, Nepal
Annapurna (circuit)
Annapurna Circuit: 9th Manang to Milarepa Cave, Nepal

A Walk between Acclimatization and Pilgrimage

In full Annapurna Circuit, we finally arrived in Manang (3519m). we still need acclimatize to the higher stretches that followed, we inaugurated an equally spiritual journey to a Nepalese cave of Milarepa (4000m), the refuge of a siddha (sage) and Buddhist saint.
Itamaraty Palace Staircase, Brasilia, Utopia, Brazil
Architecture & Design
Brasilia, Brazil

Brasília: from Utopia to the Capital and Political Arena of Brazil

Since the days of the Marquis of Pombal, there has been talk of transferring the capital to the interior. Today, the chimera city continues to look surreal but dictates the rules of Brazilian development.
Totems, Botko Village, Malekula, Vanuatu
Aventura
Malekula, Vanuatu

Meat and Bone Cannibalism

Until the early XNUMXth century, man-eaters still feasted on the Vanuatu archipelago. In the village of Botko we find out why European settlers were so afraid of the island of Malekula.
Ceremonies and Festivities
Look-alikes, Actors and Extras

Make-believe stars

They are the protagonists of events or are street entrepreneurs. They embody unavoidable characters, represent social classes or epochs. Even miles from Hollywood, without them, the world would be more dull.
Singapore Asian Capital Food, Basmati Bismi
Cities
Singapore

The Asian Food Capital

There were 4 ethnic groups in Singapore, each with its own culinary tradition. Added to this was the influence of thousands of immigrants and expatriates on an island with half the area of ​​London. It was the nation with the greatest gastronomic diversity in the Orient.
Cocoa, Chocolate, Sao Tome Principe, Agua Izé farm
Lunch time
São Tomé and Principe

Cocoa Roças, Corallo and the Chocolate Factory

At the beginning of the century. In the XNUMXth century, São Tomé and Príncipe generated more cocoa than any other territory. Thanks to the dedication of some entrepreneurs, production survives and the two islands taste like the best chocolate.
Saphire Cabin, Purikura, Tokyo, Japan
Culture
Tokyo, Japan

Japanese Style Passaport-Type Photography

In the late 80s, two Japanese multinationals already saw conventional photo booths as museum pieces. They turned them into revolutionary machines and Japan surrendered to the Purikura phenomenon.
Bungee jumping, Queenstown, New Zealand
Sport
Queenstown, New Zealand

Queenstown, the Queen of Extreme Sports

In the century. XVIII, the Kiwi government proclaimed a mining village on the South Island "fit for a queen".Today's extreme scenery and activities reinforce the majestic status of ever-challenging Queenstown.
Train Fianarantsoa to Manakara, Malagasy TGV, locomotive
Traveling
Fianarantsoa-Manakara, Madagascar

On board the Malagasy TGV

We depart Fianarantsoa at 7a.m. It wasn't until 3am the following morning that we completed the 170km to Manakara. The natives call this almost secular train Train Great Vibrations. During the long journey, we felt, very strongly, those of the heart of Madagascar.
capillary helmet
Ethnic
Viti levu, Fiji

Cannibalism and Hair, Fiji Islands' Old Pastimes

For 2500 years, anthropophagy has been part of everyday life in Fiji. In more recent centuries, the practice has been adorned by a fascinating hair cult. Luckily, only vestiges of the latest fashion remain.
sunlight photography, sun, lights
Got2Globe Photo Portfolio
Natural Light (Part 2)

One Sun, So Many Lights

Most travel photos are taken in sunlight. Sunlight and weather form a capricious interaction. Learn how to predict, detect and use at its best.
Santo Domingo, Colonial City, Dominican Republic, Diego Colombo
History
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

The Longest Colonial Elder in the Americas

Santo Domingo is the longest-inhabited colony in the New World. Founded in 1498 by Bartholomew Colombo, the capital of the Dominican Republic preserves intact a true treasure of historical resilience.
Graciosa, Azores, Monte da Ajuda
Islands
Graciosa, Azores

Her Grace the Graciosa

Finally, we will disembark in Graciosa, our ninth island in the Azores. Even if less dramatic and verdant than its neighbors, Graciosa preserves an Atlantic charm that is its own. Those who have the privilege of living it, take from this island of the central group an esteem that remains forever.
Horses under a snow, Iceland Never Ending Snow Island Fire
Winter White
Husavik a Myvatn, Iceland

Endless Snow on the Island of Fire

When, in mid-May, Iceland already enjoys some sun warmth but the cold and snow persist, the inhabitants give in to an intriguing summer anxiety.
shadow vs light
Literature
Kyoto, Japan

The Kyoto Temple Reborn from the Ashes

The Golden Pavilion has been spared destruction several times throughout history, including that of US-dropped bombs, but it did not withstand the mental disturbance of Hayashi Yoken. When we admired him, he looked like never before.
Magnificent Atlantic Days
Nature
Morro de São Paulo, Brazil

A Divine Seaside of Bahia

Three decades ago, it was just a remote and humble fishing village. Until some post-hippie communities revealed the Morro's retreat to the world and promoted it to a kind of bathing sanctuary.
Mother Armenia Statue, Yerevan, Armenia
Autumn
Yerevan, Armenia

A Capital between East and West

Heiress of the Soviet civilization, aligned with the great Russia, Armenia allows itself to be seduced by the most democratic and sophisticated ways of Western Europe. In recent times, the two worlds have collided in the streets of your capital. From popular and political dispute, Yerevan will dictate the new course of the nation.
Dunes of Bazaruto Island, Mozambique
Natural Parks
Bazaruto, Mozambique

The Inverted Mirage of Mozambique

Just 30km off the East African coast, an unlikely but imposing erg rises out of the translucent sea. Bazaruto it houses landscapes and people who have lived apart for a long time. Whoever lands on this lush, sandy island soon finds himself in a storm of awe.
Boat on the Yellow River, Gansu, China
UNESCO World Heritage
Bingling Yes, China

The Canyon of a Thousand Buddhas

For more than a millennium and at least seven dynasties, Chinese devotees have extolled their religious belief with the legacy of sculpture in a remote strait of the Yellow River. If you disembark in the Canyon of Thousand Buddhas, you may not find all the sculptures, but you will find a stunning Buddhist shrine.
aggie gray, Samoa, South Pacific, Marlon Brando Fale
Characters
Apia, Western Samoa

The Host of the South Pacific

She sold burguês to GI's in World War II and opened a hotel that hosted Marlon Brando and Gary Cooper. Aggie Gray passed away in 2. Her legacy lives on in the South Pacific.
The Dominican Republic Balnear de Barahona, Balneario Los Patos
Beaches
Barahona, Dominican Republic

The Bathing Dominican Republic of Barahona

Saturday after Saturday, the southwest corner of the Dominican Republic goes into decompression mode. Little by little, its seductive beaches and lagoons welcome a tide of euphoric people who indulge in a peculiar rumbear amphibian.
Christmas scene, Shillong, Meghalaya, India
Religion
Shillong, India

A Christmas Selfiestan at an India Christian Stronghold

December arrives. With a largely Christian population, the state of Meghalaya synchronizes its Nativity with that of the West and clashes with the overcrowded Hindu and Muslim subcontinent. Shillong, the capital, shines with faith, happiness, jingle bells and bright lighting. To dazzle Indian holidaymakers from other parts and creeds.
Chepe Express, Chihuahua Al Pacifico Railway
On Rails
Creel to Los Mochis, Mexico

The Barrancas del Cobre & the CHEPE Iron Horse

The Sierra Madre Occidental's relief turned the dream into a construction nightmare that lasted six decades. In 1961, at last, the prodigious Chihuahua al Pacifico Railroad was opened. Its 643km cross some of the most dramatic scenery in Mexico.
Busy intersection of Tokyo, Japan
Society
Tokyo, Japan

The Endless Night of the Rising Sun Capital

Say that Tokyo do not sleep is an understatement. In one of the largest and most sophisticated cities on the face of the Earth, twilight marks only the renewal of the frenetic daily life. And there are millions of souls that either find no place in the sun, or make more sense in the “dark” and obscure turns that follow.
Fruit sellers, Swarm, Mozambique
Daily life
Enxame Mozambique

Mozambican Fashion Service Area

It is repeated at almost all stops in towns of Mozambique worthy of appearing on maps. The machimbombo (bus) stops and is surrounded by a crowd of eager "businessmen". The products offered can be universal such as water or biscuits or typical of the area. In this region, a few kilometers from Nampula, fruit sales suceeded, in each and every case, quite intense.
Serengeti, Great Savannah Migration, Tanzania, wildebeest on river
Wildlife
Serengeti NP, Tanzania

The Great Migration of the Endless Savanna

In these prairies that the Masai people say syringet (run forever), millions of wildebeests and other herbivores chase the rains. For predators, their arrival and that of the monsoon are the same salvation.
Passengers, scenic flights-Southern Alps, New Zealand
Scenic Flights
Aoraki / Mount Cook, New Zealand

The Aeronautical Conquest of the Southern Alps

In 1955, pilot Harry Wigley created a system for taking off and landing on asphalt or snow. Since then, his company has unveiled, from the air, some of the greatest scenery in Oceania.