Hello Hello.

Well we are back. So far Alaska has been sweet. We went to Anchorage for the first few days and that was pretty awesome. We spent the first day chillin and getting comfortable. Turns out our camp selection was a little ghetto. Seems it was a permenent residence for the less-than-desirables. We had people living in trailers with creative foundations (old trucks with flat tires), people paying mortages on camp sites, and a bum camp in the bushes with residents that you could time your watch against for when they (literally) stumbled past your site, in to the forest. But is was pretty quiet (except for this one little dog that sounded like a recording yapping EVERY 3 seconds)

On the second day we explored the city and had a pretty sweet time. We went to Anchorages climbing gym and had a session with some of the locals. The session was awesome. climbed to failure and afterwards went out for pizza and beer with Matt Lowber and his girlfriend, Taylor. Matt is a local and has a website for bouldering in Alaska. http://www.akbouldering.com/ Anyways we had a wicked time with them. Probably the beer was probably some of the best I've ever had and the pizza was likewise. Sam had an apple beer that tasted close to Hunters apple cider in South Africa. Those who've had Hunters, know.

Since then we've come to Denali national Park and it is stunning. We went for a hike yesterday, deciding to just start walking in to the bush and see where we end up. We ended up on top of a big ass mountain, called Fang Peak. It was high and perfect. On the hike up the ground was more lush than I've ever seen any hill side. Each step had an eight inch give due to the moss and made for exhausting hiking. I taught Sam a call my Dad used shout when hiking in the woods, it was "NO BEAR" meaning that you were saying to the bear "no thanks". Well that was a mistake as Sam is a little spooked (terrified) of running into bears and took up the mantra "no bear... please no bear" ... all... the... way... up. It was actually pretty cute. And after 8 hours, we arrived back at the truck and sat on the road and ate a bag of chips and guacamole (the hike was the first sun we've seen in over a week, so we were pretty ecstatic.

Here's Sammy

ha ha - I think Lukes favorite part was when I would bellow "Luke!!" because he would be slightly off beat with his response of "NO BEAR!" - that and when I basically STOMPED my way to the car for the last 150 feet because I was angry that Cobs insisted on hiking between Luke and I in our line making me take up the end ... "I could've been eaten by a Bear - it's very likely you know ..." - which is why I insisted on timely responses to our mantra of ...'no bear ...'

We made it!

So we finally made it to Anchorage, AK last night. Sweet Jeebus, it is a long drive. When we left, looking at a map I swear the thought went through my head "well that's not too far. We could do that in a couple days!" Well, 5 days and three thousand kilometres later we have arrived.

Not that I am complaining, I think the last few days of driving have been absolutely beautiful. The mountain ranges and lakes and glaciers and wildlife have been some of the most beautiful views I have ever seen. I think the running wildlife total is: 7 black bears, 4 moose (one baby, and another that was literally 10 feet from us in camp last night, before we noticed it. It took cobalt choking on his dinner for us to notice the 7 foot tall, wobbly kneed, roman nosed beast beside us.) One bobcat (which I was pretty stoked about), and 4 bald eagles. Not too bad!

The bugs haven't been that bad! Believe it or not they haven't really bothered us too much. Ironically enough, a couple nights ago I was saying to Sam that she probably didn't have to put bug spray on the dog, because dog's don't really get bitten too much and even when they do, it's not that big of a deal. And, well of course, the next morning cobalt was running around in the forest and came out with a giant (GIANT) swollen eye lid. It looked like he was talkin when he shoulda been listenin. It was almost swollen shut! So I've decided to keep my mouth shut.

Here's Sam.

Hiya! I can't believe we're in Alaska!! doesn't feel too much different except when I look at a map and see how far off we are. It's cold here - way colder than I anticipated ... given the no pants thing ... hmpf - at least it made luke smile i think ...

Luke did most of the driving - the roads weren't as rough as i thought they would be which we were grateful for! Luke was amazing - putting in 10 hour days himself and then me being psyched on my 2.4 hour contributions- ha ha!

So we are all for nature preservation and saving the planet and all but I think Luke met his match a couple days ago when we pulled into beautiful Meziadin Lake, BC and thought we'd have a campfire. At Meziadin Lake we don't use logs for our campfires (we were told) ... we use Biofuel ... (sawdust pucks are the best way to describe them ...) and after lighting them, smoking them, chopping them, asking them, coaxing them and full on swearing at them ... the damn pucks refused to ignite - it was like trying to convince a brick to sustain a crackling fire ... less than inspiring -

I suppose we should go now - we are sitting at a starbucks where I think that Cobs has become a novelty to the locals as so far I think he as been fed 11 doggie biscuits and as of just two minutes ago a piece of reindeer sausage ... lucky dog! technically its good because Cobs has been on a hunger strike since Prince George - we can't decide if its because he misses Enz or because he is taking a stand against ghetto holiday-ing. Either way - he's been a gem - got his teeth cleaned this morning (ghetto style of course) on a crash pad with MY TOOTHBRUSH (note to self - hit a drugstore ...) while keeping one eye out for moose. Props to Cobs tho - almost 5 days in the the car and better tempered than Luke and I put together ... we love him!!

Love Love ...

Anchorage Bound

Day 1

We started the drive yesterday morning, bright and early. Left the house at 6 am and the dog seemed pretty reluctant to get up and needed a little coaxing. Finally got the dog in the car and realized Sam was still in bed!

We drove Calgary to Jasper and then on to Prince George(with some amazing views, crazy beautiful moutains and rivers and lakes.) Prince George, which seems full on unusually nice people, kind of smells like a fart (think it's the pulp mill east of town.) On the drive we saw 5 bears! FIVE!! and one moose and zero deer! Would have thought it would have been the other way around.

Anyways not much else to report, except that Cobalt seems to be on a hunger strike. We're thinking it's because he misses the Kitty.

SUPRISE!!!

well for those that dont know, WE'RE BACK!!  thats right.  we arrived on thursday evening after a long flight.  from Bangkok at 2am to Seoul for 10 hours... oh man while we were there we saw this sign "Free Korean Crafts"  the word that stood out for us was FREE!  that along with 10 hours to burn in an airport, we figured what the hell!  turns out that they set you up to make these tiny desks, about the size of  a tea cup.  with wood, glue and paint and little gold stars that i think were supposed to be handles on the desk drawers.  well in the middle they asked if this videographer could film us working, we figure 'what the hey we let about 100 people in india take our picture.'   Well it wasn't the type of camera shooting you'd get at home, sam described it as Crazy Asian TV Shows filming,  where they hold the camera about 3 inches from your face and angle it to the side and then move it away and then back into your face (again 2 or 3 inches)  all while rolling the camera back and forth from one side to the other, almost like Sea Sick TV.   Well when we finished the videographer woman asked the english speaking host of the event to ask us to say some things of camera, things like "one word to describe your feelings about the activity and what we thought of it all"... all while waving the mini desk at the camera in an equally sea sick motion.  That done, i guess your feelings and thoughts weren't hip enough so they started asking us to repeat them, she asked me "say, i think this is a very interesting way experience korean culture in a short time while in the seoul airport" (or something like that i still cant get it right without sam)  well i couldn't get out the first 5 word without blankly staring at the camera (till 2 inches from my face)  sam got it right away and kept saying it for me, but they really wanted the skinny white guy to get it right (well not white anymore i was turning a lovely shade deep red)  after 6 or 7 botched attempts they reluctantly filmed sam and her memory brilliance for the line. then came the korean, i was a little better at that "say, durga durga durga" (or something i cant remember now)  and wave the desk in the air.  then they got us to do a long quote she claimed it to be "i love korea" but while shouting it, seriously shouting it, in a quiet airport at at 9 in the freaking morning after a flight with no sleep, and no coffee yet, she wanted us to "make a heart" thats when you, hold one arm over our head so together we make a heart shape, all while the camera is doing the sea sick thing and im getting redder my the second.    so if anyone has korean access television the program will air on the 15th of this month.   

wel after all that i was a hop skip and a jump back to the states for a quick sprint session to catch another flight and then we were back in canada.  after surprising  my family we went to sam's house and surprised them all for sams grand ma's 90th birthday.  it was pretty cool.  no one had a clue and everyone was floored.  some of the best most authentic smiles ive ever seen. very cool.  lots of tears and screams and a little spilled wine one walls in the basement.  

we'd like to thank everyone for following the blog and hope you've found it interesting and a little entertaining.  this wont be the end, just as we keep telling each other this isn't the end of travelling, its just the end of this trip.  we miss it already, it took sam one day at home to decide that she wishes we were getting on a plane again right away.  we'd really like to think everyone we've met along the way, and thank them big time for they're hospitality,  elveria and terry and the kids, we miss you guys and especially rainbows and ponies, and look forward to your next visit to calgary.  Joan, Rochester, and Juroska we miss you guys so much and thank you a million times over for your help and guidance, im sure we'd still be stuck in a mumbai train some where, wedged and unable to escape.  All the lovely people at the ashram in durban, you are still in our thoughts frequently and you can expect another visit someday (hopefully sooner rather than later)  and to everyone else thanks a lot.  the trip wouldn't have been the same with out you. 

much love

hello hello! so were in chang mai and its hot. wow is it hot. i think about 40. but at night it cools off nicely... and we splurged for an AC room and are quite comfy. the city hasnt changed much since i was here last and thats great. chang mai is awesome. people are great and almost in slow motion and the food finger lickin. we took a cooking course yesterday so were ready to make our own... when we can eat next... We ate like 7 meals each yesterday! and all between 10am and 2pm. ugh. i was stuffed. but it was good stuffed.

so we actually climbed! TWICE!! once in the gym here and once out side. it was great to be back on the wall. only we are sore, crazy sore. like from 3 days ago i still have trouble holdign the throttle on our bike. and to make matters worse, on the way out to the climbing crag, at the very end we had to drive up this steep hill that was all loose gravel... cutting to the point our bike went over and sam burned her calve on the exhaust pipe, so now with the sore muscles and she has a big ugly burn mark on her leg and gravel size bruises all over her legs and but. good thing she wont be in a bikini for a little while! but the climbing was great, and we both are stoked to get back on it again.

well anyways thats all for now. were going to a snake farm today, sams been talking about it every since we heard of it, so it should be sweet. oh! if any of you get a chance, the movie crank 2 is freaking sweet. now we may be television deprived but we thought it was the best movie weve been in months... only movie weve seen in month... but still, non stop action and senseless nudity is always worth a gander.

take care

LUKE

hello everyone. how are things? well were finally at a cheap email place so this will be better and less rushed. down on the beach its so pricey, you'd get into a panic trying to get the writting done fast, but its like like an eighth the price here so thats better.

well after a long long trip from the beach were up in chang mai. pretty sweet. our trip here consisted of 13 hours on a bus that rocked like it had hydrolics! serious, began to think we had some mexican gangsters driving, the way it would bounce. sounds fun but on an over night its not super condusive to sleeping... well not for me, sam on the other hand gets all hopped up on gravol and no matter how hard her head bounces on my knee, shes still out cold! and to make matters worse these drivers were freaking nuts. the entire NIGHT ride, they didnt turn on their head lights once! not once. on high ways and everyting. and when ever other tourists went and complained they would scream and shout in thai at them till the tourist ran away! seriously! i think they were drunk! well then we got dropped off in bangkok at 5am and we hung out till 5pm to catch a train to chang mai. that was pretty nice. compaired to the last trains we were on, this was delux! no maimed beggers trying to touch your legs, no clown walking up and down the aisles screaming in a high pitched voice "CHAI!!! CHAI WALLA CHAIIIIII" the iiiii on the end was drawn out till he was out of breath, no matter what the hour (he was selling tea) no constant fear that we'd get jacked or robbed at any time. it was great. i slept like a baby. sam didnt take any gravol so she didnt sleep to well. but ya. two long days and were all good. went to the sunday night market last night and that was cool. its huge! and today i think were going to rent a scooter and cruise around town. when i was here last i stayed for like 5 weeks, so its pretty cool being back in this town.

anyways. hope your all great. im putting more pix up on flickr, sorry for such a delay. its been hard tryign to get them on. take care everyone.


http://flickr.com/photos/31168733@N02/

much love to everyone

hello everyone. this will have to be super short cause email on the beach is 4 times more expensive than elsewhere so ill write short. we are on railay beach and its great. the sun is hot, water is warm and the cliffs are high and steep. beautiful. but we are NOT going to climb! haha. (for those that dont know railay is preemo climbing) a couuple reasons. first, we have no gear and rental is silly. (i think we have moral quams against renting climbing stuff) second, deep water soloing is pricy to rent a boat for the day, and third, i accidentally kicked a step and got a big gnarly flapper on the tip of my toe. so all and all, we are just going to chill and snorkel. oh and we found this slack line out over the water between two islands that you have to swim to and ive been trying that. holy crap i havent gotten my ass kicked on a line ever that bad. like everytime i land head first in the surf, then you have to swim back to the island and climb up the ropes and barnicalsto try again. after 8 attempts you're just exhausted! while ive been landing head first and floundering in the water, sam has been focusing on the sun and relaxing on the beach. wow its paying off. shes like 14 shades darker on the Sam Dark Scale! (trust me is alot) while shes getting browner our buddy joel from joshs work seems to be getting redder. man i feel sorry for the guy. 5th day in thailand and hes had to spend the last 2 in the house cause of the burn. shitty.

anyways things are great. thinking about heading south to koh phi phi and chrecking things out down there but well see. love you everyone. take care.

LUKE