DUE SOUTH: Greetings From Alaska

Well we've finally arrived, 20 odd hours after leaving Heathrow we touched down in Anchorage.
The flight was tedious as you would expect, with a stopover in Houston for 3 hours which allowed us to dispense with the process of entering the US before we got to Alaska. We used the visa waiver programme instead of applying for a B2 tourist visa so we know we've only got 90 days to get through the States.

This was taken at Mat's place just before we left for the airport, and right around the same time we told him we had sorted the will and should anything happen to us he and Rich get everything! which will enable him to buy shoes.

First views of Alaska - what's with all that white stuff?

By the time we got to Anchorage airport we were just about dead on our feet, but that didn't stop us taking the obligatory touristy pics!

That's one mean looking creature! (and the that polar bear looks fierce too!)

The next day we had to get back to the airport to get BOB out of customs, originally it was going to take seven days for the bike to arrive but the freight company managed to get it on an earlier flight this meant we would have transport in Anchorage straight away. The process of getting BOB through customs was fairly painless thanks to Keith from Lyndon International who handle things for James Cargo here in Anchorage, the whole process took around an hour.....First

They dump the crate in the parking lot.....

Then you find some tools.......

A few skinned knuckles later........

Welcome to Anchorage BOB

It goes faster without the palette

Ready to roll!

After we left the FedEx depot we took a ride downtown to see Barb at Alaska Leather and pick up a couple of their world famous sheepskin buttpads and generally hang around the shop looking like hardened tourists! We also spent an obscene amount of money after Sue found some riding gear which fitted (at last). http://www.alaskaleatheronline.com/

We had arranged over the internet to meet up with Tony and Andy from the UK who were flying out on Thursday, and on Friday some of the local riders were going to take us for a ride out and a beer.

As we had a couple of days to kill we decided to have a run down to Homer at the bottom of the Kenai peninsular. superb roads with no traffic, just lots of moose, these creatures are HUGE in fact no, they're bloody huge! as big as a cow but with another cow stood on it's back and so unpredictable. I couldn't work out why on stretches of open road there were great long skid marks everywhere, apparently the moose have no concept of road safety, and suddenly decide they want the vegetation on the other side of the road!.

You will get back on the bike!

Stunning scenery (you will get bored of stunning scenery)

The view overlooking Homer spit

Yeah, stand in front of another signpost........listen it's our trip and we'll stand wherever we want.

We had a drive along the spit which is as far south as you can go, it also gave us a chance to post a dollar bill in the Salty Dawg.

In the old days fishermen used to leave a dollar bill pinned to the wall and on the note the name of their mates who were still out fishing so if they came in without a good catch at least they could get a beer. So if your ever here, look up Graham and Sue (UK) gands2up and have a beer on us. Oh by the way its on the right as you walk in!!!

Homer's fishing fleet needed a lick of paint.

We stopped the night in a 1930s prefab motel with original furniture, but breathtaking views across Ketchemac bay. Ate in a local seafood restaurant and hit the sack.

An especially fine clam chowder.

10:45 at night

We headed back to Anchorage the next day calling in at Seward (nothing to see here,move along please!) On the way back we saw our first black bear, it decided to trot across the highway about 100 yards in front of us. It's a wierd feeling travelling in a country where you're not top of the food chain! I bet when we passed him he could smell the fear! well smell something... I had plenty of time to stop but by the time i got my camera out he'd disappeared into the brush.

Put a tick in the Ispy book of wild carnivores.....