Valdez to Tok to Burwash Landing 26th to 28th/07/2010

We had an extra day in Valdez hoping that the Top of the World Highway to Dawson City would open , and that it would stop raining and we could see the views in Valdez . But no to both , so we had a day doing BA in the rain at Valdez .

So on to Tok approx 560kms and it rained and was cold for most of the way , but the road was great with no greasy corners and bugger all traffic . When we arrived in Tok the weather was clear and quite warm , Tok is just a half way to nowhere town . We had a couple of beers and only a couple because the guys there were smoking like trains and that was it , a couple and we were out of there . We were all smoked out

Tok to Burwash Landing (approx380kms) the road was pretty rough going , but it was a beautiful day clear and no wind (just perfect) , the border into Canada was no problem and we never even had to get stamped out of Alaska . We had planned on going on to Haines Junction but when we got to Burwash Landing we found out that we had lost an Hour , so all of a sudden it was 3.30 not 2.30 and also Roger Dixon had recommended that we stay here (so here we are ) .The Lodge is by a big lake very picturest , quite old and has heaps of character , in the lounge there is head of a Moose (bloody Huge one ) a Bear and heaps of other stuff .

We haven't seen any Bears yet , only a few Moose and Chipmunks , but time is on our side . The bike is running well and the brake problem has not accured again so all is well with the bike .

There is a funny story I forgot to Tell you when we were in Fairbanks

We decided to have Pizza for dinner and there was this Pizza place just outside the Supermarket . We go in and there are pretty pictures of pizzas all over the walls , so I go up and say I will have a What ever it was (maybe meat lovers or the like ) . Ruth and I are salivating waiting for this beautiful Pizza and I see the guy making it up and then he goes and puts it in a box uncooked and brings it over . Well i look at him and say "Hey you have forgotten to cook it" . He look at me as if I'm from another planet and say "What" so i repeat myself and he looks at me and goes over to the boss and points back at me . Then the boss comes over and asks if there is a problem and i say "He forgot to cook my Pizza, that"s no bloody good to me " . The boss say "Well this is a Take and Bake" Then I'm looking at her like shes is from another planet and she say "you have to take it home and cook it , its a Take and Bake" , I say you are joking right you have no ovens at all , she says" no sir" . We don't have these back in NZ so I explain that and the boss gives us our money back .

They must have thought that we were from some other planet .

The Photos

1. Iceburgs at the bottom of Valdez Glacier

2. Coffee time in the rain on the road to Tok

3.4. Not far from Tok

5. Salmon in a river trying to get up stream ,there were 10s 1000s of them

6. On the road to Burwash Landing

and the last the Lodge at Burwash Landing

Tomorrow we are off to Haines which is back in Alaska (approx 350kms) and then to Skagway and we are thinking that we may back track back up to Dawson from the other direction , the only problem is it will be a 1000km turn around , but we will never come back this way so we are keen to go .