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!