Judith and Robert RAYMOND 's Travel log

From here it was only a 20minute ride to the next claims road. We stayed on the corner there for the night and then on the 18June Jim and Beth came and picked us up and took us around the mine. What an operation, very good. They are putting back the land the way they found it as they go. The first one we have seen doing this. The trumble was huge.  We looked around for a couple of hours then they took us back to the RV and we set off for Chicken.  Well we were looking forward to Chicken. We were told or saw it on the internet that you can hire a sluce and 4wd bike and go up the river and prospect. Well it’s not quite like that. Yes you can hire a sluce but they take you up there and bring you back. So you can’t stay as long or short as you like.  Once I saw the gold they were getting and how much you would have to find even to get anything you could see we decided to give this a miss. I did find 6 pieces yesterday but they are so hard to see. So we walked around the big town of 3places and got talking to a nice lady who has Claims for sale. She was selling gold so we had a look and a talk for about 1hour then got on our way again. We had lunch at the café. They are mad on burgers and chips over here.  I had a bacon and egg roll and small potato chips, Robert had a burger and chips. They were served in a gold pan. Really quite neat. We stayed at a national park camp in amongst the shade of trees which made it darker and easier to sleep. We had a great night sleep, didn’t wake until 9.30. We watched a DVD again. 

19^th June.  Well another glorious day. What should we do today?  I know go and have a fly around a mountain and the glaciers. So went for flight over the mountains and glaciers and mud volcanoes. After fighting off the mosquitoes, you have heard that there are NO SINGLE mosquitoes up here they are ALL MARRIED and have kids by the dozen.

 Its true. They are everywhere. You can’t sit outside, or even go for a walk without getting bitten at least a dozen times in two minutes.  Still in the aircraft we were safe for a while.  The flight was magic but I still can’t be in a small aircraft for more than ½ hour before I start getting swarmish.  This trip was a hour, and I was taking the photos. I survived but didn’t come right for two days. Still the sights we saw were stunning. To see the glaciers from the air in something. I know I have seen them in the S I but here there are some much of them it’s great.  Everything over here is big.  The cars, pickups they drive, RV’s the people, and you can understand it when you see what they eat.  Most of them are very friendly.  

20^th June.   Stayed by a nice lake last night, plenty to watch, boats going in and out, people fishing, only catching little fish.  Had a bit of a slow morning then set off to see the Musk ox (a huge sheep crossed with goat with a little bull put in. (sent this to Sheryl up to here) It was Ok. Learnt a little about the animal, it has much softer fleece than sheep. So the fleece once woven is lighter and warmer than wool. The challenge came again back in the heavy traffic and 3 and 4 lane traffic.  We found a RV camp about 2 miles out of Anchorage. It is on the main road but it is only one way, and the traffic here isn’t that bad. It does quieten down after about 7pm.  We will stay here for 3 days. The day was warm but not hot and a little overcast.  We are going to have dinner with Jackie and Tony Oney on Monday night prior to us taking the RV back.

21^st June.  We just heard from Sharleen and she tells us that Jim Barnes, Susan’s dad is not well and might not make it.  Our thoughts are with them all.  I have booked our plane tickets from Anchorage to Vancouver on the 25^th June and a hotel in Vancouver until we leave on the 28^th June to come home.

This internet is doing my head in.  NZ is far more advanced than over here.  It is so slow and drops in and out all the time.  My phone has shit itself. It won’t charge so I guess the battery or charger is gone. Well finally finished booking etc then we caught a taxi to the city.  The city is celebrating the longest day of the year. It was yesterday but they are celebrating it today being Saturday.  The streets are closed and there are bands, kids sand pits, bouncing castles etc.  They’re having races for the adults, like top town we used to have. It was fun to watch.  Stayed for about 5 hours then I walked home and Robert went to the museum.