Headed Home.....

So where does the journey end? Our journey, my journey?

I flew from Anchorage in Alaska and landed in London then spent a great weekend with a best friend and a beautiful step daughter. I then headed across to Cornwall and stayed with another great friend, his wife and their little lady, Willow. I learned about babies. Interesting little creatures. I cycled, trekked and watched Elbow perform live at the Eden Project. It was moving and magical.

I then headed northward to Banbury, Oxfordshire, the old home of Amanda and I. I photographed Clive's brothers wedding (Karl, a great friend of mine) and for the long weekend of wedding celebrations shared the family home of their parents. Truly lovely people.

After the brief Banbury interlude Clive and Abs dropped me off along the M4 as they headed south to Cornwall. Carl & Kate-Anne picked me up in the mysteriosu motorway junction exchange, and I was now headed toward Machen (near Cardiff). Here I spent time with two of our best friends, mountain biking, running (twice for me, almost every day for them) and working - including a group effort to create a new garden at the back of their house, help launch and develop a new protein bar and build a photographic website for yours truly (www.mbimagery.co.uk) . It was great. 

GROUND FORCE!

MY NEW WEBSITE LOGO
THANKS TO CARL & RHYS FOR ALL THEIR HELP

Then after two weeks I headed back across to Banbury to house/dog sit for Steve and Kesh. Kesha was the main draw for Amanda wanting us to move to Banbury in 2006. Steve was an immediate great friend and link to even more friends. I house sat for a week and half, cleaning up after their old incontinent greyhound.... Ergh....and caring for their plants. I ran a stall selling my Nepalese organic hemp bags, wallets, hats and dresses at Cropredy's Fairport Convention for three days, I fished on the local river, ran a trail Amanda and I trained on for the Coast 2 Coast in September 2011, and cycled about the place. I caught up with neighbours and good friends.

Today I boarded the train to Liverpool to catch the ferry back to the Isle of Man.

I chatted to an Indian couple (British couple of Indian heritage) from Wolverhampton on the train, they'd been to Cancun in Mexico and spent five days in New York.

As I walked from Lime Street Railway Station through the main street in Liverpool I met a beggar. I was lugging my backpack, front pack and wheeling my bag of Nepalese wares. I started to rummage for change and ended up giving him a fiver. He asked for more. I had a fiver in cash left and that was for me. I fancied refreshment.

I headed to All Bar One, the bar Amanda and I always sat in whilst on our way to the Isle of Man ferry. I had three hours to spare. I clumsily battered my way through the doors of the fine establishment spotting a corner table to my right. I stacked my bags and headed toward the bar. A guy sat at a table with his wife stopped me and asked if I would mind closing the door I'd just left open. The breeze was cool. I said of course not.

'Where have come from' he asked, quickly adding, 'Where have you been?'

He asked me to pull up a chair, then ordered me a pint of Peroni. What a lovely fellow I thought to myself, then confirmed verbally to him.

We made our introductions at 5pm and by 7.50pm he'd bought me four pints of Peroni and some starter dishes for us to nibble on. Alan and Kate were a kind, lovely, generous couple. We shared and laughed. Due to their kindness and generosity I wheeled my Nepalese 'bag of bags' over and asked Kate to chose one. She opted for a Messenger Bag, I asked if Alan would like one too? He said he was more than happy with the one Kate had. He then attempted to force money upon me... Maybe it's my vagrant, hobo appearance, but I refused, and we wrestled over the cash. He refused to back down, so I approached the bar and bought drinks with the £20.00 he'd stuffed in my pocket, then threw the change in to Kate's large handbag – never to be found again! Ha ha! I later found another £20.00 in my pocket.  At one point Alan was whizzing through pictures of his kids on his iPhone, sharing everything with me... But then he really did share everything as a fine picture of Kate posing topless flashed in to view!  Ha ha!  
'Sorry mate!' he said.
'Don't apologise to me Alan, no man would need an apology for that shot!  Ha ha!  Maybe Kate needs an apology though!  Ha ha!'
The twenty quid note I found will be spent on providing Alan and Kate a lovely print from the picture I took of them in the bar. Alan was generous to a fault. I'd experienced this in Alaska, but here in the UK, it seemed a little strange. Strange but beautiful. Alan and Kate wouldn't see me walking to the Albert Dock and asked me to share their cab. I knew I'd left it a little late... and things would be tight. Little did I know how tight!

Kate.
With her top on!

Alan... a Gift from the Gods!
Thank you Alan & Kate.

As the taxi pulled up I paid with the money Alan had given me. I loaded my bags up, front, back and hands, then Alan saw his opportunity to stuff the cash back in my pocket. It was like a crazy game of 'who can lose the twenty quid note'.

I approached two Steampacket girls and asked where I could get my tickets.

'It's too late, they've stopped checking in. You need to be here 15 minutes ago.' One of the ladies said.

I looked at the Liver bird buildings in the background. The clock showed 8.12pm. Bugger! The sailing was set to depart at 8.30pm. Wow, time had really zipped by.

I began to plead.

'You can run down the tunnel, but I doubt they'll let you on.'

I ran.

'My train was late!!' I yelled as I pushed my way through the doors....

The staff looked wide eyed and confused. They all stared at one another.

'Please don't leave me behind!'. .

'Name?'

'You'll have to take all your bags with you. Follow the man through.'

As I boarded, I heard the skipper come over the tanoy. 'All passengers are now aboard and we are ready to depart.'

Wow that was close!

I met an old school friend and we chatted about everything for an hour. A real joy!

Now I sit and type. I share my last day of 7 months on the road with you all.....

In an hour I'll be back in my bed on the Isle of Man....

The day after tomorrow Amanda will be gone one whole year.... It doesn't feel that long....

Our journey was something special. If Amanda was able to watch over and guide me she did. If she wasn't able serendipity, universal energy and wondrous people guided my way.

Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for caring.

Thank you everyone for joining me on my travels through my words and pictures.

Until next time x

Anchorage to the UK.... The End of Our Journey....

Lucy's friend Beth offered me a ride to Anchorage airport I grabbed at her kind offer saving me over an hour on having to get there by bus.

Condor airlines although flashy good looking aeroplanes only offered one film and one half hour sitcom for free. If Ryanair were running an international airline it would be this one! Access to other films with ear phones cost an additional $15.00. I'd half wished they'd charged for the food to also deter me from scoffing down some soggy pasta dish for lunch and a white bread roll with plasticy cheese for breakfast. As one of the stewardesses pushed her trolley by loaded with a 'secret' stash of croissants, I asked 'Who are they for?' I with a cheeky smile. 'Business class passengers.' she said, quickly grabbing one in the metal tongs and placing it on my tray. Nice touch! Her kindness certainly made the breakfast far more enjoyable.

We landed the following day in Frankfurt ahead of the time we departed Anchorage by 3 hours. Time travel at it's best. I needed to find a bus to take me to Frankfurt Hahn Airport two hours away. Whilst waiting an additional two hours for said transport I spotted a young girl (19 years old-ish) crying as she waited at the stand. No one bothered to speak to her so I approached and asked if she was okay and if there was anything I could do to help.... It turned out she may miss her adjoining flight due to the infrequency of buses.... I consoled her for a while explaining no amount of tears or worry would alter the situation. I suggested she to call the airline. She did. There was a later flight which she was able to change on to. Tears all done.

I arrived at Franfurt Hahn with seven hours to spare before my Ryanair flight.

A few hours later a real thirst got hold of me. Whilst I sat there wishing I had something to drink a lady walked over and spoke to me in German.... 'English, English.' I said.

'Oh sorry, I've just bought this big bottle of apple juice and my flight has been called. It's unopened but I can't take it with me, would you like it?' She said.

How very kind of her to support this homeless looking airport hobo!

I thanked her kindly then gulped down the sweet, cool juice.

At 8pm I decided to check in for my 9.35pm flight.

I was told to bring my backpack to oversized baggage, due to the tripod, camping chair and roll mat wedged in under the frame. I delivered to a chap who didn't seem overly interested in my luggage asking me leave it on the plastic chair. I did so thinking to myself I wonder will that bag make the aircraft?

At 10.45pm as I stood by the empty conveyor belt in Stanstead airport it was clear my bag hadn't made the flight..... Inconvenient, but not a big issue. I reported the situation and headed for my bus in to 'The Big Smoke' to find my friend Stuart who was kindly agreed to meet me in London town at the ungodly hours of midnight gone.

The next day Ryanair said they could have the bag to me on Tuesday, but I was leaving London on Monday. I was also unsure how many days I would be in Cornwall. This was an issue. I told them to send it to the Isle of Man knowing anything I needed could be forwarded by my folks.

I had a great Saturday night with Stu where we put the world to rights and showed more tearful emotions than either of us had expected. And on Sunday I even managed to meet up with our daughter Robyn who has a placement in London for the next couple of months. Myself, Stu, Robyn and a few of his pals watched the World Cup final in one of London's Sports Bars. It was great to be able to treat Rob to a night out, I haven't seen her in almost 6 months and although we've chatted plenty via Facebook and a couple of times via Skype I've missed talking to her in the natural form.

I grabbed the Megabus on Monday at 11.30am towards Plymouth. Megabus Gold, which cost only £10.00 from London to Plymouth a five hour journey, provided me with comfortable tables, chairs and free wifi! Nice! I worked until 3pm then rested for the remainder of the journey. At Plymouth I flapped my way around until I reached the train station. I was headed for Redruth to meet Clive another great friend. Clive, Abi and their beautiful little blue eyed daughter Willow would host me in Porthtowan for a few nights. The following evening was the Elbow gig at The Eden Project. I couldn't wait. Clive and his friend Jason would join me.

Peregrine swoops along cliff....

On Tuesday morning I walked the headland path from Porthtowan to St Agnes, a 10 mile round journey. The weather was absolutely stunning, and hot! On reaching St Agnes I enjoyed a Rattler, a local Cornish Cider, and what a fine cider it is! So much so I enjoyed another for my main course.

Porthtowan Beach and Headland.

St Agnes.... Quaint.

Cider in the Sun

Had Amanda still been here with us she would certainly have purchased the Elbow tickets as a surprise.... and even though they were far from her

McCarthy, Independence Day and Anchorage.

I well and truly landed on my feet yet again, and this time I landed on a Kashmir rug.

Here I was expecting to be camping and cooking oats each morning and munching on spinach leaves and peanut butter during the day.....  but instead I woke to a cooked breakfast from Mike and then Julie making sandwiches for us all.  

It was the 4^th July and there was a parade to attend.

Peter and I cycled on ahead bumping our way down the hill towards McCarthy. The sky was blue and the views were stunning. As we arrived the parade was just getting started. Stars & stripes, cowboy outfits, folks dressed as salmon along with many other costumes and vehicles crawled through the tiny community of McCarthy under the blazing sun.

Patriotic...

The temperature was over 80 degrees which is hot for Alaskan standards. Water was being sprayed and sweets were being scattered by the parade goers.

Gay Pride?
No, Independence Day

After the parade games ensued.

The slow bike ride, the egg toss and the pie eating contest being my personal favourites.

As Peter and I watched the slow bike ride race we picked out our winners.

I was watching a young guy in a off white t shirt. He seemed to be

Arriving in McCarthy

It had been a tough days cycling.

Ten and a half hours with a two and a half thousand foot climb around midday to be exact. I was fairly bushed!

Top of Thompson Pass

Thompson Pass and the Glacier

Roadside Waterfall.

I'd reached where I wanted to get to and had slept fairly well.

At 6.30am the following morning I smeared myself in mosquito repellent and packed down my frost covered canvas. It was July 3^rd!!

My morning began with a steep climb which warmed my bones. An hour later I was turning on to the Chitna Road towards

The Ferry to Whittier then Valdez....

I love travelling on the Alaskan Ferries. So much of the time there are small tree smothered islands on view. There also seems to be a steady supply of puffins, gulls and jaegers to watch. I stand at the front of the viewing lounge, fix my eyes on the sea and wait.

Having sat back down to do some writing glancing through the front window from time to time I thought I spotted something large in the distance. I huge fin maybe? Then again.... Oh wow, had I spotted some distant orcas (killer whales)... I ran out on to deck. The 10 or so people in the large viewing

A little story....

It was my final evening at Celtic Mist B&B on Kodiak. Rowland had offered to drive me the 11 miles to the ferry dock. I suggested I take him for a beer before hand. We headed to a bar 3 minutes cycle from the ferry.

We enjoyed a couple of bottles of dark Alaskan stout as Rowland regaled more stories whilst introducing me to a few of the locals. Two real characters were Ginger & Stan who are in the process of setting up a sustainable ecological village on the North East of Kodiak. It sounds awesome...

We knocked back our beers, it was already 9.40pm then Rowland took me over to the ferry on his way home.

'Where do I pick up my ticket' I asked the Jerri, the lady in the orange reflexive jacket.

'Oh, you need to head back to the visitors centre in town.' she said screwing her face up apologetically.

As she quickly gave me directions I realised it was almost next to the bar we'd just been drinking in. It was 9.45pm and the ferry was set to depart at 10.45pm The guy standing alongside Jerri assured me I had plenty of time.... I joked with her about not allowing the ferry to leave without me, and left my back pack in the hold.

I cycled back to the Visitors Centre picked up my ticket and decided with it only being 9.55pm that there was plenty of time for another swift beer. My favourite stout was on offer for $2.00, it would be rude not to indulge myself especially as I'd been so restrained over recent months on my consumption of alcohol. After buying Rowland and myself a couple of beers plus the one I'd just ordered I had eight dollars remaining for my 19 hour ferry ride. I'd decided the day before I may shoot for a cleansing two day fast, and what better place to do it than on the ferry. I got chatting with Geoff (or Jeff) the barman and asked him about the beers. As I swigged my cold dark ale I asked did they do a taster tray? They did. 'How much is it?' I enquired.

'Fifteen dollars Geoff replied.'

'Ah well, no worries.'

Then Dylan (or Dylin) the young front of house manager asked if I'd like a tray of 9 tasters (which amounted to two and a half pints of delicious beer), asking if I'd score them on their special 'score sheet. I only have eight dollars until I reach Valdez (19 hours to Whittier, one night camping, then the ferry at 2pm the next day arriving in Valdez at 6pm). I told him I was doing a two day fast. 

Booze Hound.

He said the taster tray would be on him if I'd rate them for him. Wow! Of course I'll rate them. It was already 10.15pm. I had 25 minutes before I had to be at the ferry. Dylan and I chatted for the full half hour. He was already deep, wise and worldly at the tender age of 21. He shared that he'd love to travel, and one day intends to. He was born on Kodiak. I believe Dylan will travel. As I enjoyed and rated the fine ales I shared with him the story behind my travels. This has been

A Fortnight on Kodiak.

Having been left stranded on the beautiful Alaskan island of Kodiak, after choosing to miss my ferry (hoping there would be another in 2 or 3 days) things worked out rather well.

When Rowland headed out to work (almost 77 years of age, but an absolute workaholic) at the machine shop I'd take on the house keeping duties.

My usefulness became apparent to Rowland who made as much use of the helpful yeti residing beneath his roof. I took to

Kodiak Island

It was 10pm. It was hammering down and I had an 8 mile cycle to the Ferry Terminal. I was donning warm clothes with full waterproof attire over the top and a large yellow plastic refuse sack draped over my backpack. I wondered would the rain every stop. Then it did.

The ride to the good ship Kennicott was far more enjoyable with rain water only splashing up from the road, as opposed to hammering down and in to my face.

The ferry was set to leave port at 2am. My hopeful intention was to get aboard early, crash in my little cabin and get a little shut eye rising early to see the Barren Islands.... and that's exactly what happened.

I woke at 5.30am just in the nick of time to see these beautiful land masses. The sun had just rose. I could have done with a lot

Homer - Week II

Another week has slipped by in Homer.

I've been writing and writing and writing.... With a little fishing session thrown in for good measure.

Add caption

I won't prattle on about the fishing, most folks couldn't give a hoot.

The locals like to 'snag' or 'snatch' the king salmon by allowing the river current to sweep the fishing line across their mouths. Once they feel this resistance the rod is snatched in to the air, pulling the hook in to the outside of the salmon's mouth.

I'm more sporting than that, nor am I trying to fill my freezer with protein.

I'd rather catch them fare and square. I used a little lure fishing set up. A 7ft rod and little fixed spool reel loaded with 10lb test line and a large spinner. Everyone thought I was insane. The locals were loaded up with long heavy rods and reels loaded with 30lb monofilament.

Whilst the 'snaggers' caught plenty, I managed to land one of the fish of the day. Almost 25lb! This king salmon took me over 10 minutes of

Homer.... and some how the Isle of Man TT....

Living on the outskirts of Homer is lovely experience. Homer is true fishing town. I'd be very surprised indeed if any marriages take place between the beginning of June and the end of September! Homer consists of town which tapers off to a natural spit of land 4.5 miles in length. The spit houses, restaurants, cafes, bars and the main fishing harbour and marina.

Catie has been a wonderful host allowing me to make full use of the facilities, including the hot tub on the decking overlooking the mountains across Kachemak Bay. Most evenings I cook for myself, Catie and Garrett (a young commercial fisherman who is currently working 12 hour days to get a boat ready for the 8^th June). Catie is getting ready to head off to her daughter's graduation and then off to meet her husband Tom, fishing from Pilot Point from the 15^th June until some time in August.

Since being here I've been salmon fishing with Silver Fin Guide's Gary Sinnhuber on the Ninilchik river. There are many rules and regulations here which almost put me off sport fishing. The rivers are

Valdez to Whittier to Homer Y'all

That night I stood by the campfire until 11.30pm.  They guys had gone to bed.  I watched the water.
A dark shape took form, swirling and gliding through the low light.  A huge sea otter bobbed along on his back, rolling and spiralling, alternating from front to back.... My first sea otter.  A nice way to end a lovely day with Bryan, his sister and Gary.

The Breakwater

I woke at 5.30am and began packing down camp and reloading the bike.
The ferry terminal was only a three minute cycle away.
The first rain I'd experienced in over four weeks of being in Alaska fell during the night.  

Various folks chatted to me as I boarded the ferry, interested to find out where I was headed and where I'd been.  I spotted the large Winnebago that had been parked just over from my tent at the Bear Paw RV park.  Maybe a potential ride through the Whittier  tunnel.
I bumped in to Lee & Mary-Anne in the canteen area.  We got chatting and

The Denali Highway.... The Quietest of all Highways....

There is a bicycle under that lot!

It was 3pm on Thursday afternoon.  The road was rough.... rougher than I could have imagined in fact. Stones varied from one inch to four inches, I graded them on their sharpness.... Some I feared were as sharp as my saddle!

My first down hill on the freshly grated surface sent my bike in to a very unhealthy speed wobble.... I yelled, 'No No Noooooo Nooooooo!' as I felt the handle bars and frame swerving beneath my body..... This could be a disastrous start. My front wheel decided to take it's own course towards a ditch full of large, jagged stones over a three foot steep slope at the edge of the road. I applied my rear brake as gently as possible.  The swerving and wobbling intensified. Where had I packed the first aid kit I wondered as the edge of the road got closer and closer. A millisecond later the swerving and wobbling slowed, my heart beat reciprocated. I brought the bike to a gentle halt and breathed a deep satisfying sigh of relief.  First lesson learned. No speed whatsoever. Riding with this much weight over the back wheel was like riding a two wheeled tank.... This set pay to any idea of timescales as the slow up hills were no longer being levelled out by fast free wheeling decents. Ah well not to worry, I'm uninjured and I'm wiser.

The road improved... Honest this was an improvement!

I encountered a hill.... A hill long and steep enough to break any cyclist.  Matters were made worse by the slippery rough cut surface and the 60lb of equipment on the back.  After sweating for 10 minutes I succumbed to failure and dismounted.  As soon as my weight was removed the bike wheelied in to the air.  Getting it back on to two wheels took great effort.  Walking the bike turned out to be tougher than riding, the pedal constantly hitting my leg, as I wrestled to keep the front wheel in contact with the gravel.  I named this ascent 'Bitch Hill'.

Four hours later after some grueling riding I arrived at a little unopened campsite. I set up my tent, unpacked some food and made a hot chocolate. I had a feeling it was going to get cold. I put all my clothes on and slipped in to

Kayaking Nenana and Beginning the Denali Highway to Valdez.....

I packed all my belongings including my pictures of Amanda along with the purchases for the road trip which lay ahead.  These were essentials such as a Goretex jacket, cycling gloves, camp stove, fuel bottle and fuel, pot for cooking, mosquito head net, puncture repair kits, spare inner tube 'hand me down' underlayer and t-shirt from Sam, Value Village thermals and padded biking shorts ($70.00 in the sports store, $6.00 like new second hand!), lots of food and a bike lock.  

I was sad to be leaving the Hiltenbrand crew.... But I'll return to see them again.

John and I packed up the car for our drive to the Denali Highway.  That evening we had a canoe session planned.  The logistics of these trips takes a bit of working out.

We needed to drive 10 miles out on to the Denali Highway, an old rarely used stretch of hard and sharp gravel track. From here we would launch the canoe and head a total of 6 hours down stream. Now you can probably already see the problem. How do we get back to the car? We had decided one of us would hitch back to the beginning of the Denali Highway and hope that someone else would be going along it as 'one of us' walked the 10 miles out to the John's 2 year old Toyota Prius V. We both knew it would be unlikely that we would encounter many vehicles... If any!

Shallow rooted trees....

 As we unloaded the canoe and all the gear, a four wheel drive truck towing a trailer with two all terrain vehicles on the back approached from the other way... Heading out on to the main highway. John flagged them down. It was two

The Cycle Begins.... and the Cycling Begins....

Recently I've found myself comfortable procrastinating about my place here in Alaska and my position in life.  Since our trip to Denali I've achieved very little.  I've written, I've taken photographs of a cabin inside and out for a new friend, and last night I was invited to the cabin of a guy and gal I met in the REI store where John works in Fairbanks!  How lovely.

REI Store

We sat around a campfire eating Jake's delightful moose burgers washing them back with fine Alaskan beer.  Lily one of the girls kindly gave me with an UnderArmour (top brand underlayer) top which she'd picked up at the student free-cycle event during the week.  She was afraid I'd be getting cold on the road and then the low temperatures I may encounter camping at night.  How very sweet.  The people of Fairbanks have been incredibly welcoming.  It's very easy to feel at home here, especially when you're sharing the house of a loving family like the Hiltenbrands.

I've been a little lackadaisical, lacking motivation.... sloth like....I've lost myself in sorting out plans and logistics for the ride, and found myself getting totally bogged down, but this morning things fell in to place.  John got up ready for action.  He has a few days off.  We re-jigged my new cycle route (which may include hitching depending on timescales) to take me through the true wilderness of Alaska rather than the main highways.

Today I've been busy buying the final bits and pieces for the journey.  Important things.... like food.
John was talking to one guy in a store who I over heard saying, 'Well you know what's in my freezer John?  A dog!  My boy's pooch died, and they wanted $200 to cremate it.  I said we'd put her in the freezer until the ground thawed then we'd bury her.'  Sad, amusing and sweet all at once.

Tomorrow John and I head for another river adventure.  We'll kayak a few hours downstream, set up camp for the night, then head a few more miles down river on Thursday.  When we finish we have a 30 mile jaunt back to the car.... Hopefully we'll manage to hitch a ride.... Hopefully this part runs smoothly.
Once we're all sorted I jump on my fully loaded bike (the one Sam Chamberlain so kindly lent me for my tour of Alaska) which will be carrying almost 57lbs of gear, including food.... It'll be a tough ride.

Sam the bicycle man.... Thank you so much.

The road is rough gravel.  There are bears.  And the air will be cool.  The Denali Highway is 125 miles in length.... If I get lucky I'll complete it over 3 days, including two nights of camping near rivers for water.  Exciting!
Once I reach Paxton, then Glenallen if I'm making good time, I'll continue cycling two more days down to Valdez where I'll pick up a 5 hour ferry to Whittier.  From Whitter I either have a 3 to 4 day cycle to Homer with an arrival deadline of 30th May for a guided fishing day or two.  An exchange of services where I'll write and article based on my experience of Alaskan salmon fishing.  If the days are closing in on my ride to Homer I'll hitch, as it's only a three and half hour drive from Whittier where the ferry drops me.
After a couple of weeks exploring and fishing the Homer region I jump aboard a ferry on 14th June at 2am, arriving on the island of Kodiak 9 hours later.  I'll spend 36 hours here before the ferry departs again to Whittier, a 19 hour journey.

Five hours in Whittier then I'm back to Valdez where I'll climb and climb all the way to McCarthy, and old copper mining town out in the sticks.  A few days there, then back to Valdez to grab a ferry..... and from there maybe back to Homer for another fishing gig, or over to Anchorage to process my images and writing before returning to the UK......

First part of cycle from Denali Highway to Valdez.

I'm looking forward to this part of the journey.  Hitting the road again.  Just me and the Alaskan air.
My gear isn't perfect, but when is life perfect?  I'll adapt where I need to adapt.  Things will happen that need to happen.  Everything will work out.  

Denali National Park

I'd been writing and planning my cycling adventure over the past few days....
Wondering if I'd bitten off more than I really wanted to chew.  Then John said, 'Hell Mark I have four days off, lets go camping, cycling and trekking in Denali National Park & Preserve.'  Great idea I thought.
I helped with packing the car as much as John's OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) would allow.  He has his ways, habitual, well planned and honed over many centuries of mini expeditions.  He's good!  He likes to check, double check and triple check.  It's a wise process few of us bother with.  But when you're heading in to the wilderness, and I'm not talking heading up Snaefell or up around Injubrek (for the Isle of Man folks), I'm talking no access to drinking water or food for 3 days.... There is quite and inventory required for such trips and John's garage has the lot.... and more!

With Monday afternoon and evening lost to packing we rolled in to Tuesday with a big early breakfast and a myriad of 'Did you pack the....', 'Did you remember the....'.  I assured John everything laid out on the garage floor by his own fair hands had indeed been packed.  He reminded me that he liked to make physical contact with every item for the final checks.  I understood this, but also wanted to help as much as I could.  The pangs of forgetful anxiety eventually diminished as the road miles increased from Fairbanks.

Mount Mckinlay in Denali Park
From Denali Park Website.

Two hours later I was sat in front of the park ranger's mini DVD player watching the compulsory 'Safety in the Park' documentary.... It informed how to camp with bears in vicinity.  What to do if you encounter a Grizzly or Black Bear at close quarters etc etc.  It stated that there had been no bear related fatalities in the park since it was classed as protected park land almost 100 years ago.
Afterwards the park ranger coyly told us that all the information wasn't completely up to date.  A tourist was mauled to death by a Grizzly during 2012.  I was so excited at the possibility of encountering such a huge mammal in the wild.

We drove 26 miles in to the preserve unloaded our kit, loaded up the panniers, clipped everything on to our bikes and proceeded to cycle the 20 miles to Polychrome, John's wilderness camping spot.  On the cycle in John told me I could ride on ahead.  I did.  When I stopped and John caught up he told me about a bear and cub he'd watched at distance for a few minutes.... Damn.... Missed out.

On the way in to the park

On arrival we set up our tent then set up our cooking spot over 100 metres away from the camp.  If a bear comes to investigate the fine camp food aromas he won't rip the tent apart searching for tasty morsels... those tasty morsels could also include me or John.  There's a little more meat on John.  It's also well aged.... though that may mean it's tougher!  Ha ha!  Sorry John.

Our Camp...

After John prepared delightful food, I took the bear container (a small black hard plastic barrel with screw lock top) 100 metres from the camp and our

10 Days in Alaska....

John, Kathy and Sam have been wonderful.

Amanda and I were so lucky to bump in to them on our travels through Laos. The only thing that would have made this visit to Alaska even better would have been Amanda's presence.

Kathy relaxing on a freshly reclaimed rocking chair.

The Peace Sign....

The Back Garden

John & Kathy's Home....

John and Kathy's spacious and beautiful Alaskan home has been my home for the past 10 days and having a base has been wonderful. The 'Peace' sign which hangs on the side of the house during the Summer was made by John.  During the Winter it is fully illuminated and hangs out over and above the road.  People are always asking John do you

How to get to Fairbanks Alaska?

I needed to find a way of getting from Vancouver Canada to Fairbanks Alaska without breaking the bank. I'd considered hitch hiking. This can be a hit and miss (and some would suggest risky) method, especially with the quietness of the northern roads plus the cold temperatures I may have to encounter.... A ferry would cost over $300 and a flight was out of the question. I looked in to Drive-away deals where vehicle logistic companies and car hire firms allow you to drive their cars cross country to deliver them in to different states, but none were going my way. Jenn mentioned 'Craig s List'. Craig s list is a website used predominantly on the west coast of Canada and the US. It has everything from classified listings to car pools, ride shares, dating and lots more. I checked out the ride share category and found a few folks heading North.   I fired out a few email enquiries then got on with my day.

Couchsurfing at Jenn's was great. She had two lovely boys, Dylan a real character who was almost 5 and Liam who was 8ish and autistic. On day two Jenn's child minder called in sick. Jenn was going to have to take the day off work. I offered up my services. I baby sat for Dylan from 11.30am, then picked Liam up from school at 3pm. Jenn was home for 5pm. The boys were well behaved and pretty much amused themselves for the time they were with me. I was content with being able to offer something back in return for Jenn's kindness and generosity. She'd even given up her bedroom for me, and was sleeping with the boys, babysitting was the least I could do. To help out as much as I could I also cooked on two of the evenings I stayed. I do love a home environment, and being back in a kitchen was a real treat for me.

Day three Jenn suggested I add a 'Ride Request' on Craig s List stating that I was looking for a ride from Vancouver to Fairbanks. This journey is over 2,100 miles.... It's a long way.... If you drove without stopping it would be 43 hours of solid driving. It's the equivalent of driving from John O'Groats at the tip of Scotland to Land's End in Penzance and back again, then heading back down south 500 miles to Leeds!!!

I posted my request, stating that I would be more than happy to share the driving duties and then took one of Jenn's old bicycles down in to Vancouver and headed off to explore Stanley Park.

The weather was stunning. The cherry blossoms flashed pink in the corners of my eyes as the old undersized mountain bike crunched and clanked down hill from 12^th Avenue towards down town Vancouver. I stopped on Cambie Bridge to drink in the views of Vancouver city. I woman walking by smiled and said, 'Beautiful isn't it?' Simple things like this made me feel content. The bright blue sky reflected off the water, whilst the tall

Pokhara, Nepal to Kathmandu and Back West.....

With the Annapurna Circuit completed in 10 days I was caught with 9 days before my flight from Kathmandu on the 21^st April. Rather than heading to Kathmandu. I decided to remain in the far more tranquil tourist filled town of Pokhara.

Having finished the trek and arrived at Snow Leopard guesthouse, where I'd left my backpack and unnecessary items for trekking I was welcomed with a no rooms available sign, so I grabbed my pack and began searching. It wasn't long before I was settled in to a lovely room at the Mount Annapurna Inn guesthouse five minutes walk from Pokhara Lakeside.

Agreeing to stay put for 6 nights I was a afforded a fine room at a rate of 500 Nepalese Rupees (£3.35) per night. With an attached bathroom, piping hot water and WiFi it was just what I was looking for. There was also a nice balcony area, and open roof top to practice yoga and meditation. This suited me just fine. The family that run the M.A.I. were very lovely, which is always a bonus.

I bumped in to friends I'd met on the trek, and a lovely Italian guy who I'd met over breakfast a little over a month ago in Varanasi, India. The day I bumped in to Barbi he invited me to dinner with his friends, it was a nice couple of hours. 'Meet us at the Methaba Turkish restaurant at 7.30pm.' It was a bit of hike from where I lived, but I managed to get there for spot on 7.30pm, By 8pm no one had appeared. I ordered some food, then asked was there another Methaba on this road. Apparently there was, about 200 yards further down the road. This was a 'branch' of the main place. What were the chances. I wandered to Methaba main to meet the guys. I was sat by a lovely lady who who lived in Hawaii on The Big Island. We got chatting, then as always on to Amanda. She was quiet, and listened empathetically. She then went on to tell me she was waiting for results of a second opinion on a lump she'd found in her right breast. This lady is 42 years of age, the same as Amanda when she passed away. We kept in touch. She has since found out the lump was cancerous, and has chosen to have a full mastectomy with reconstruction. I asked what she intended to do. She told me, 'I'll just carry on enjoying life, doing what I'm doing.' She has chosen not to have chemotherapy or radiation.

Good luck in all you do 'J', live life fully and fearlessly like you have been.

A couple of younger guys joined us later on. One lovely (gay) fella and his pal Cameron. As it turned out Cameron happened to be from Fairbanks Alaska, exactly where I'm headed. We chatted and chuckled briefly, but it was time for me to head off, I was tired and wanted to be alone. As I left, I overheard the nice gay guy say to Jade, 'I like that man' followed by some other nice comments, followed immediately by Cameron saying 'I don't like him, not at all. He's competition for the ladies.' I afforded myself I little chuckle! He was unaware of my story.

I shouted back, 'I can still hear you all.', they laughed.

Nepali New Year's Eve, 14^th April was spent with a couple of girls I'd met on the trek. We dined with a few others, had a couple of beers, then headed to watch a live band. Nice night.

Whilst having breakfast the following morning at 'Kiss Kush', (my every morning breakfast haunt in Pokhara), a celebration of colour began in the street. People were flinging brightly coloured powders over one another. Minutes later, the road, the cafe, the menus, the tables, the food were all caked in the lightest covering of pink dust..... Kiss Kush on the corner by Cafe Concerto, well known for it's great pizzas serves a fantastic, hearty and delicious breakfast for 220 rupees (150 nrps to the £1). It was known as the 'Heavy Set Breakfast'. It included spicy fried potatoes, onions and tomatoes, with a sliced wholemeal baguette served with butter and jam. A tea of choice (ginger and lemon) followed by a large bowl of fruit, muesli and curd (I traded my two eggs for a larger bowl of the muesli each morning). With this breakfast I need not eat until evening.

New Year's Day Celebration outside Kiss Kush.

Another breakfast morning, whilst checking emails and sipping ginger tea, I spotted Dr Doug, my Australian friend from the Annapurna Circuit. I chased him down to say hello. Doug asked if I'd managed to get to the pass on Amanda's birthday, he was genuinely pleased for me, and even more pleased that I hadn't died achieving my goal. He went on to kindly offer me a ride to Kathmandu in travel party's private mini van on Friday. He knew I was headed back in a few days. I grabbed the opportunity, which meant I'd be leaving Pokhara a day earlier than planned.

I'd spotted a couple of shops selling beautiful organic hemp products. Rucksacks, handbags, small bags, wallets, guitar cases, dresses, trousers and hats.... I wondered if they would sell in the UK. All the organic hemp items I was looking to purchase were made by a