Alaska, Anchorage

I have finally sorted through my photos from the trip to Alaska.

So, lets get started with the first three days in Anchorage before my expedition with NOLS.

I left Sweden very early morning on July 7 and had a eight hour stop over in Frankfurt. Boring! Then with a Condor flight direct to Anchorage. I sat besides an Italian gentleman who didn't speak any English. More boring so I slept, read a book and watched a movie.

After 10 hours flight I arrived in the afternoon in Anchorage (without my luggage, more about that later) and was picked up by Krista from the Alaska House of Jade bed&breakfast. Krista and her husband Zack are the new owners of the B&B. At House of Jade I met the old owners Dee and Yves whom I met last time in Alaska and became good friends with. That was a very pleasant meeting! Nice to meet friends on the other side of the planet!

I was a bit restless and only mentally tired so I took a long walk in the nice surroundings. Anchorage is a very "green" city with a lot of green areas and walkways. You could often meet moose and bear in the city. I didn't this time though.

After the walk I joined Dee and Yves for a nice dinner at an Indian restaurant.

The next day I had to try to track my missing suitcase. After a telephone call to Condor I had no more clue where it was. They could not track my luggage despite me having the sticker I got in Gothenburg at the check-in. They were not very helpful. I explained that all my paddel gear was in that suitcase and I very much needed it for the NOLS expedition. No sympathy from them! Lucky I planned for this scenario by having a few days in Anchorage first.

Then I got a lift from Zack downtown to buy some underwear and toiletries needed. As I was walking on the streets downtown a Swedish guy stopped me. He had been on the same plane and recognized my Fjällräven shirt. Nice to have a new friend to spend the day with. Thanks for the company Marcus! We went to REI which is a great chain of stores for outdoors gear.

I spent the following day mostly on the airport trying to find my luggage. And in the late afternoon with some help from a mother and son working at the airport I finally got my suitcase! What a relief! 

That evening I was rather tired and despite being invited for dinner with some of my future course mates I went to sleep early.

And then the next day my NOLS expedition started.
More posts from my Alaska trip:
Anchorage
Day 1 and 2
Day 3 to 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9 and 10

Me at Gothenburg airport

My luggage. The yellow and black strap was good
for identifying my suitcase

Downtown Anchorage. Notice the beautiful mountains in the background. 

Zack & Krista

The best B&B in Anchorage. Alaska House of Jade.

Good friends Yves & Dee

As close to heaven as you can get in a city! REI

A nice track in central Anchorage. I expected to see a moose any second.

Next post!

Waiting ......

Now it's only a few days more until I'm going to Alaska. My vacation has started, I have done all the purchases that needed to be done and my bag is more or less completely packet. The weather is not the very best now into July, but we are in Sweden so it's to be expected.

Checking the weather for Anchorage, Alaska I find it's about the same as here or a bit better!

Temperatures about 21° C to 25° C. Not bad!

While I'm now waiting to start my trip I took a short evening trip in Vänersborg after a I had been piloting a ship. I just did 12 km in a fast tempo, mostly to get out and then to do some training. It felt nice to exercise and as always nice to go kayaking. The only thing the bay of Vänersborg is rather boring but I had a nice time anyway.

Writing this I now have only one more day at home before going to Alaska. :) :) :)

Setting out from "Friluftsfrämjandets" jetty.

The lighthouse "Grönviks udde" is not big.
Notice the thin gap in the middle creating the white (safe) sector.

Meeting the small passenger vessel "Strömkarlen"

Getting dark.