Summer in Alaska
Posted on | May 8, 2004 | 72 Comments
It is the return of the prodigal son of the seasons – the summer. This much awaited season at latitude 61 is all set to outshine our days and nights. The birch tree skeletons outside my window have been washed by a shimmering green hue lately, light is stealthily outrunning the night – today the sunset was at 10:30 pm, tomorrow in all probability it’ll snatch five more minutes off the night.
When I was young, surrounded by coconut trees, in a land of perpetual summer, I had wondered why the people in the English novels I read, looked forward to summer so enthusiastically? After all, it was the one season which really tested my love for my native land. Did I really want to live in a simmering tropical paradise(simmering only in summer) for the rest of my life, amidst the mosquitoes, the sticky humidity, parched river beds and shriveling shrubs? But then the monsoons came, it was like falling in love all over again (ok.. only if you didn’t travel in public buses where drenched-to-the bones people jostled with soggy umbrellas for space). Well, that’s another story altogether.
I have found that I am one of those few people who look forward to the days of midnight sun. We are gradually getting there, we have 17 hour days now, it’ll steadily progress till it reaches 20-21 hours of sunlight here in Anchorage. Even the 3-4 hours of darkness we get during early June to mid-July period is not completely dark. The so-called night time has a hint of sun, smeared across the horizon, kind of like twilight. Spring and fall are rather short-lived here, usually a couple or more weeks on each side of summer, which will pass off before you have time to notice.
The best thing about summer in Alaska is, you seem to possess enormous reserves of energy. I think it has to do with the sun. At 11pm at night its like 4pm and you feel like you have the energy left to butcher the whole evening ahead! The amount of energy and the life bursting at seams, give you the impression that if you watch carefully you might really see the leaves grow, buds sprout up and flowers bloom. Nature is in ultimate frenzy during the four months of summer as if to make-up for the time lost during the long winter. For the next four months, the roads and highways of Alaska will be packed bumper to bumper by cars, RVs, tourist buses and Harleys, plastered wall to wall with tourists from all over and crammed with cruise-ships elbowing for berths at its crowded ports. Viva la summer!
Whatever the length of this visit, the traveler in me is thankful to that unknown force that brought me to this beautiful land.
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72 Responses to “Summer in Alaska”
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May 9th, 2004 @ 10:24 AM
Looking forward to read you. Btw are my comments sleep-inducing(or is my laziness epidemic spreading thru’ my replies?), because you always call it a day and rush off to sleep at the end of all your replies….hehee heee hi hihi
May 9th, 2004 @ 10:32 AM
Haha – not much scope for getting lazier 🙂
The answer lies in the time difference – such exchanges usually happen when it’s night, and it occurs to me that there’s ‘life’ away from the office 😉 (don’t have an internet connection at home).
May 9th, 2004 @ 10:32 AM
Haha – not much scope for getting lazier 🙂
The answer lies in the time difference – such exchanges usually happen when it’s night, and it occurs to me that there’s ‘life’ away from the office 😉 (don’t have an internet connection at home).
May 9th, 2004 @ 10:32 AM
Haha – not much scope for getting lazier 🙂
The answer lies in the time difference – such exchanges usually happen when it’s night, and it occurs to me that there’s ‘life’ away from the office 😉 (don’t have an internet connection at home).
May 9th, 2004 @ 9:19 PM
Yes, Ma’am! 🙂
May 9th, 2004 @ 9:19 PM
Yes, Ma’am! 🙂
May 9th, 2004 @ 9:19 PM
Yes, Ma’am! 🙂
May 10th, 2004 @ 5:29 AM
Lovely write-up, DD.. Saw one of those travel tourism ads about Alaska.. thought it was lovely. Must make a trip to your part of the world!!!
May 10th, 2004 @ 5:29 AM
Lovely write-up, DD.. Saw one of those travel tourism ads about Alaska.. thought it was lovely. Must make a trip to your part of the world!!!
May 10th, 2004 @ 5:29 AM
Lovely write-up, DD.. Saw one of those travel tourism ads about Alaska.. thought it was lovely. Must make a trip to your part of the world!!!
May 10th, 2004 @ 10:14 AM
Thanks Locks. Let me know when you are planning to 😉
May 10th, 2004 @ 10:14 AM
Thanks Locks. Let me know when you are planning to 😉
May 10th, 2004 @ 10:14 AM
Thanks Locks. Let me know when you are planning to 😉
May 10th, 2004 @ 10:16 AM
Yes, Yes, Yes.. will do so.
May 10th, 2004 @ 10:16 AM
Yes, Yes, Yes.. will do so.
May 10th, 2004 @ 10:16 AM
Yes, Yes, Yes.. will do so.
May 10th, 2004 @ 6:13 PM
Hey DD, just confirms that we should be visiting. If you are going to be there next summer, we will probably visit. Long days and beautiful glaciers. Can’t wait.
Do you recommend any particular time of year?
May 10th, 2004 @ 6:13 PM
Hey DD, just confirms that we should be visiting. If you are going to be there next summer, we will probably visit. Long days and beautiful glaciers. Can’t wait.
Do you recommend any particular time of year?
May 10th, 2004 @ 6:13 PM
Hey DD, just confirms that we should be visiting. If you are going to be there next summer, we will probably visit. Long days and beautiful glaciers. Can’t wait.
Do you recommend any particular time of year?
May 11th, 2004 @ 9:43 AM
Yeah you should be. Summer is the best time unless you are into snow sports. Have no idea about next summer, but long as both our journals are ‘active’, you can always drop me a line.
May 11th, 2004 @ 9:43 AM
Yeah you should be. Summer is the best time unless you are into snow sports. Have no idea about next summer, but long as both our journals are ‘active’, you can always drop me a line.
May 11th, 2004 @ 9:43 AM
Yeah you should be. Summer is the best time unless you are into snow sports. Have no idea about next summer, but long as both our journals are ‘active’, you can always drop me a line.