Ice ice baby

 

When you sail to Alaska, you expect to see ice. Particularly when you ease your way into places called Glacier Bay. What you see above is the leading edge of a glacier that spans thousands and thousands of acres. 

I can't remember whether this was a protruding or a receding glacier. In either case, when it moves, inward or outward, large pieces of it fall off into the water. I was so taken by the mesmerizing blueness as well as the size that I couldn't focus on what the tour guide was saying. And sadly, the picture does it no justice because there is nothing to indicate scale.

However we were lucky enough to be there when it started calving, that is shedding off large chunks, many bigger than an a 1967 Buick Electra 225. It was amazing to see in person. But I had made the mistake of researching the phenomena before we went and was sure something like this would happen...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApbHyYbc7S0

It didn't, but a large chunk of the shorter tower (about 500 feet in height) did fall off, pleasing our gaggle of tourists to no end.

Alas, this was not the only stunning display of ice we witnessed in the 49th state. 

Our 8 day cruise included three ports: Juneau (source of many Jew Know jokes), Skagway and Ketchikan. In each bustling tourist trap, we saw something we never expected to see: Jewelry stores. Often lined up back to back to back.

I didn't snap any photos but fortunately the stock photographers who fill the Google library did. Take a look...

Zoom in tight and you'll see see the owners of Princess Jewelry share an adjoining wall with the owners of Regal Jewelry who are wedged on the other side by an unnamed jewelry shop that have cornered the market on soapstone. 

What bars are to Bourbon St., jewelry stores are to the port towns of southeast Alaska.

You may be curious as to the glut of schlocky jewelry shops that line these ice-battered streets. I know I was. Of even greater interest, the purveyors of these stores seemed to hail from India. What Hasids are to 47th street in NYC, guys named Deepak and Rahul are to Skagway, Ketchikan and Juneau. 

Jew know?

My inner journalist kicked in. I had to have an explanation. Turns out it wasn't very complicated.

As one enterprising jeweler explained to me, "People on cruises are having a great time. Gorging on food. Drinking boatloads of alcohol. They have money. And they want to spend it. Lots of it. We came here to oblige."

With that he smiled. "Want to see my soapstone?"