Day 1

Well the adventure today began at the airport - thank you to those who came to see us off :) We probably could have done without the tears but the security check and Meg's security pat down put a stop to those tears pretty damn quickly. Customs was not an issue really - Meg's got another pat down - very funny but anyway the flight was cool - we scored really good seats in Premium Economy. You know those cool lounges with their own tv's and heaps more leg room. Therefore we lounged and watched at least 4 movies and some tv Big Bang Theory - you'd be proud Mandel!! And of course no sleep because we weren't tired!!!! So when we got to the next flight from LA to Seattle when we were exhausted we had the not so seats! Oh and we didn't get to sit next to one another for that one or the next I might add. But I got to sit next to some lovely young ladies who were heading home for Xmas from college and they thought I was a real laugh because I was soooo excited!

We arrive - OH MY GOD IT"S COLD! A balmy -18 degrees Celsius without the windchill factor. First thing we see from the cab is a truck that had slid on the ice and jack knifed itself - guess whose NOT driving in Alaska - that would make two of us - yeah for cabbies! Speaking of which the lovely cab man gave us directions to a dubious grocery store that thankfully our landlord advised us not to go to but to take the very pleasant walk in the balmy weather for 2 and half km up the highway on foot with the wind chill factor. "If the bloody shop is not round the next corner we're taking a taxi back to the unit!" says Megs and then low and behold an all you can eat Chinese restaurant????  Do we or don't we eat? Elona decides that a short cut through icy carparks is the best option at this stage and the giggles that negotiation of environmental hazards lead us to an Italian restaurant!!!  Sorrentos in Anchorage was a bustling hive of activity and at 8pm there was a small wait to see if there was a table available.  Luckily there was and the thaw from the deep freeze outside began with hot soup, followed by Angel hair pasta for Elona and a wonderful veal followed by a hot chocolate each.  After asking the fabulous waitress what the etiquette was for gratuities, we paid the bill.  We still had an hour to find the long sort after grocery store to buy supplies for the next day.  Tea, Coffee, Breakfast stuffs etc, lunch already taken care of with the boxed left overs of dinner - the meal sizes are huge.  Elona lead the way through another dodgy shortcut path way and over another 2 blocks we found the much sought after Fred's.

Immediately on entering the store Elona was distracted by the tinsel and lights of Christmas.  We now have our own Christmas Trees complete with decorations and stockings.  Food you may ask, yes we bought some of that as well, though after boiling the kettle for a cup of tea we have since realised we forgot to buy sugar.  The weather had not really warmed up since our last foray into the wilds of downtown Anchorage, so we walked the two blocks back to Sorrentos and asked the wonderful staff there to call us a taxi, and so it was by taxi we arrived safely home again.

Current Items Missing in Action
  1. My Sunglasses (Megs)
  2. Elona's travel pillow with various paraphernalia in the case.

I am sure this list will grow as the trip progresses. Check out photos on the page titled "Day 1"
Catch ya after some much needed sleep.