Back Blip - Bear

Anchorage is a strange place. I get what Michelle Shocked was singing about...

Anyway, after much amusement taking photos of ourselves up Ship Creek, we headed to the amazing Alaska Wildlife Conservation Centre. Here they take a fairly relaxed view to you sticking your lens through a somewhat flimsy fence and photographing their rescue bears. We hoped that this was our only bear encounter of the trip, having read too many Bill Bryson books.

Later, I had somehow been talked into booking a flight on a seaplane. We took off from Lake Hood and flew into the mountains surrounding Anchorage - I was well equipped with camera and Go Pro but very soon began to feel very sick and very hot. John turned around to see me the colour of Kermit the Frog, and stripping my numerous layers of clothes off. His amusement subsided when he started to feel the same. I somehow made it to the landing on the lake, but John and I had to spend the rest of the evening lying down in the hotel room - poor Sarah had to have tomato soup from Room Service for her dinner, despite having been promised something much nicer. Vows have been made to NEVER, ever travel on a small plane again.  Alaska has six times more pilots per capita than any other US state - they must all have strong stomachs is all I can say.