The summer days in Alaska are unforgettable. At 58 degrees north latitude, eighteen hours of daylight bring about a wondrous natural spectacle. First, two hours before the sun officially rises, the night gradually lightens, forming a dawn-like "white night." And when the sun does rise, it does not ascend directly overhead like it does in the tropical Central America.
It will rise from the south, like a slanted eye, gazing from the south to the north. Even at noon, it leaves a long shadow stretching directly northward on everyone who looks up at it. It's as though a tangible gaze extends from the highlands of Central America, crossing twelve thousand li of ocean, until it merges with the majestic and dazzling Whale Island snow mountain, covering the endless far northern sea!
"Praise be to you! Your gaze envelops my body and soul... may the Chief Divine bless us!"
