Glaciers, elk and a great big salmon!

Yvonne Surtees is a former school teacher and her recent presentation to Probus Club members, based on a trip she enjoyed to Alaska before lockdown, was polished and interesting.

In Alaska, she had the good fortune to stay with two families who - in her own words - “spoilt her rotten”. She used the phrase a few times because, she said, Alaskan hospitality had been exceptional.

On a map of Alaska, Yvonne pointed to where she had been and other major features. These included Alaska’s highest mountain, Denali, previously known as Mount Kinley, and Juneau the capital on the inside passage only accessible by water or air - and some glaciers she had walked on. One slide showed a glacier running right down to the sea, an unusual sight in these times of global warming. There were some beautiful shots taken from the air of the prolific snowbound mountains plus the many lakes. She saw these when her hosts treated her to a flight on a float plane - one of the highlights of her trip.

Yvonne explained the symbols on Alaska’s flag: eight gold stars, representing the North Star and the Big DIpper constellation, on a dark blue background representing the sky. There were slides of elk, totem poles from indigenous groups and a huge salmon on a plate, to remind you of the abundance of this fish.

On a map, Yvonne pointed out the Bering straits which separate Russia from Alaska: in the country’s history, some Russians came to live there - mostly on the Aleutian Islands.

Yvonne’s presentation was more than just a travelogue: she highlighted parallels with SA such as that there is an abundance of wildlife, indigenous people with many languages and problems of poverty and health.