Hello hello hello. Ok I know some of you have been waiting to see pictures. I'll try to satisfy those inquisitive eyes now. Its very hard to do a proper blog post because the place where I live has no internet access and the only way for me to do it is to blog at work, which is not very easy, as you can imagine.

So here goes! I'll try to make it have less words and more pictures. Life here is such that you spend your time talking to people, drinking beer around campfires, working or playing, so that doesn't leave much time for computers...

Anchorage

Outside Ted Stevens International Airport

Picture taken from outside Spenard Hostel, which my boss also owns

Denali Mountain Morning Hostel

View from outside my camper

Those cabins you see on the right are part of the hostel. Campfires, smores and beer by the creek!

Carlo Creek was initally dry and frozen

My humble abode, affectionately called "the Palace". I can hear the pitter patter of raindrops right above my head when it rains.

Horse Riding

Dave, Steve and I went horse riding on my first day off. Everyone said you'd be sore after the first time but luckily an Israeli girl who has 5 years of horse-riding experience taught me the right posture beforehand so I didn't suffer any ill effects at all. Horse riding works the back and legs muscles!

Dave the sweetheart and Steve the crazy pirate

Me and Dave

Beautiful horse, not the one I rode :(

Actual pictures of me on the horse will have to come later because they're on Steve's camera.

Fairbanks trip

As I might have mentioned earlier, I went to Fairbanks, a city 2 hours drive north, on my second and third off-days with an English guy, Ed, and a German guy, Sandor. Going somewhere with two ang mohs, hot springs, no less, might sound risky, but a Japanese girl that had been travelling with them for a while told me they were really good people so I was more reassured. It was fun!

First stop was lunch at a Chinese restaurant that was run by some Hongkongers who had migrated to Alaska. Spoke to them in Cantonese, it was really nice. Food wasn't that good actually, but they were very hospitable. Free tea, chinese cookies, hot chocolate, Coke refills etc.

Very cute baby at the Chinese restaurant. He's called Caleb, and his older brother is called Aidan. Love that name...

Chena Hot Springs

Sandor, or as we call him, Mr Ritter, met his German friend who joined us for the hot springs. I didn't have a swimsuit so they gave me 15 mins to buy one at the store. Best! Some more I couldn't fit into the adult sizes (too big) so I was shuttling about the adult, junior and kids departments. -_-" Sorry, no swimsuit pictures though English guy really looked cute in them. He wore the England shorts and momentarily looked like Michael Owen :p

Mr Ritter and Ed

Ed, Leo (the other German) and me

Leo being himself = a daft bugger who chases skirts and alcohol

Here's the pug from the hostel we stayed at. I think its cute but Ed thought it was just ugly.

Next stop was Pioneer Park, termed by Lonely Planet as "Fairbanks' guilty pleasure". Basically a really crappy place that would only amuse kids 5 and under. See bored faces for proof.

Looks promising!

...but its not.

University of Alaska, Fairbanks Museum of the North

This was the next stop. Just a modern-looking museum. I don't mind museums but am not the kind to read everything in detail.

Cool-looking art called Raven: In the Pink by James Schoppert

Ed, Mr Ritter and me with real stuffed bear. Imagine facing that thing in real life. Not fun.

Dedicated to Lynn Koh!

Denny's

Dinner was here and Ed stuffed his face. Not a pretty sight to watch. He called it the Denny's principle. PS. this Denny's is the Northernmost Denny's in the world.

Breakfast for dinner. Denny's serves breakfast all day long. It was good.

Stuffed Ed and me

Random shots

From road, just outside hostel

Baked blueberry muffins

Cute kid, forgot name

Second Fairbanks trip

Went to Fairbanks with Steve, Peiya and Ed again. Basically did nothing much, let Steve visit the bank, we went to Chena River and at Peiya's insistence we went to Pioneer Park. Never thought I'd set foot in that place again. I was wrong... haha.