DAY TWO

Back to the airport to pick up our hire car, after our disposable hotel breakfast. (Every hotel here has self service breakfast with disposable cups, plates and cutlery which you then throw away. Weird. The only good thing about them is the bagels and cream cheese, although, I have to say, the DIY waffle griller is always a temptation.) They also all have very large stuffed bears or musk ox in their reception areas, which is also weird.

Spent a beautifully clear day driving around Anchorage’s iced roads picking up kit here there and everywhere. Mountains floating pink and blue at the end of every street, close enough to touch. Golden light slanting from the horizon gives everything a shimmering silver lining.


Spent $3000 of my company’s bucks on cold weather gear and spare kit. Including –
gorilla face mask,
hat w/ ear flaps,
whistle,
2 pairs glove inners,
1 pair down outer gloves,
1 pair down mitts,
2 thermal tops,
one thermal bottoms,
1 fleece bottoms,
one fleece top,
one snood (neck wind break),
v cool ginormous down parka w/ coyote fur ruff, (Canada Goose – the best)
down sallopets, (Canada Goose)
-100 degree baffin boots,
1 x 60 x packs of hand warmers,
4 cases lipsyll,
2 x hunting leg pouch,
one large camel waterskin,
two head torches,
large cool box,
leatherman knife,
100 x aa batteries,
and 1 enormous duffel bag to put it all in.

High on retail heaven for the rest of the day.

Also had my first fresh halibut burger – YUM – and stared at pretty Alaskan waitresses.

Went to Platinum Jacks and met the head chef there who had keys to the pool table, played lots of pool.