Disclaimer:
This blog is coming to you from my iPad , spelling, grammar and punctuation are not a priority..... If its something ridiculous blame Apple auto correct!
Photo's will come when they do.... My eye fi card has decided it doesn't want to work anymore so transferring pics to iPad not really an option now.
I don't remember what order I do things in, if its continuity you are after, forget it!
End disclaimer :)
this is my second attempt at this post... I was nearly finished the first attempt, went to save it and damn thing shut down and I lost it all. I will try my best to recall all I had written but the way my brain works is that once I have documented something the information just leaks out of my ears and vanishes for ever.
i can't believe these are my last few hours in Alaska. It's gone really fast and I am so sad to be leaving. My first 2 days were spent just walking around familiarising myself with the city and sorting out my body clock. Average temp was 1 degree and it was mostly overcast..... Perfect for me :) I met a lady in the street who tells that it's already feeling like spring and I see people wandering about in tshirts. I haven't felt cold at all but I can tell you it's not bloody tshirt weather.
the food is an experience all to itself, so far I have sampled the Alaskan salmon and cod, very yummy. Crab omelet, not so yummy! My new addiction is a root beer floater, on its own root beer tastes like medicine but stick a great lump of ice cream in it and it tastes like medicine with icecream in it... But the flavour grows on you :)
i just missed the biggest event on the Alaskan calendar by a week, the Iditarod - the last great race on earth! It's a dog mushing race that goes for 1049 miles,crazy if you ask me but what do I know. as part of the celebrations they have the running of the reindeer in the streets, like running of the bulls but not. one of the teams is headed up by, Dallas Seavey last years winner who at the time of writing was sitting in 8th place with his dad Mitch in 2nd. It was with the Dallas Seavey tour that I went dog mushing on Saturday . I left anchorage with 6 others and our guide from salmonberry tours in the morning and we took a drive to eagle river to bein our adventure. Try first treat was to cook s'mores , if you love sugar , lots of sugar then this is for you. You cook a marshmallow over a fire put it in between some graham crackers with some chocolate and eat it like a sandwich. We had ours with Reece's peanut butter cups, one bite was plenty for gave made my teeth hurt it was so sweet. Next treat was dog sledding... I watched as they harnessed the dogs and wondered how the hell these small skinny dogs would be able to drag me around the snow, as it was then explained to us that these were Alaskan huskies which is apparently the polite term for mutt. The Siberian husky and the Alaskan malamute ae used for carting freight, they aren't good for racing as they are too big, it's like comparing the weight lifter to the marathon runner. We are 2 to a sled and off we go (they don't say mush, and when asked they laughed and said they don't know anyone who does either"
it was brilliant, the scenery was amazing and the funniest thing was when the dogs poop, they are trained to do it on the run, it was only funny for a few seconds though as the smell rose up after we ran over it.
I was so relaxed and enjoying the view until our musher very kindly reminded me that we were sledding on a frozen river.
I don't know how long we went for but it seemed to go so fast and next thing we were rounding the corner and back to the meet place. Treat number 3 was snow shoeing..... Picture the big tennis rackets on your feet then forget that image. Snow shoes have come along way over the years. Sleek design with really sharp pointy bits on the bottom. At first it was so funny trying to walk in them, I kept standing on my own shoes and nearly face planting but then without even realising it you settle into a rhythm walking along laughing and talking to the guide and the rest of the group. Then with the sound of a big crunch underfoot you remember you are on a frozen river. I shit myself as we watch the guide get down on his knees and dig the snow out from the river and puncha big hole in the ice....... Phew it was just a thin top layer, underneath there is a great big thickness of ice covering the water underneath. Still I had images of my demise firmly implanted in the brain!
ok they are calling my plane to board, guess I will have to fill you in on the rest later
-S-
