2nd June

Very early start – up at 5.40, boiled up for tea and breakfast and Murray was on the road at 6.40. the usual 20 miles ahead to globe creek for tea and bagel – just realised what is weird; not the moose poo in the bushes, it’s the fact that we now have full-size birch & aspen, and an English style summer day with bird song, but no sign whatsoever of any agriculture. No fields for livestock or arable, no hedges; just wilderness. Countless miles of forest with the very occasional homestead – like a teaspoon of rice sprinkled over a tennis court.

Drove ahead to a gas station for coffee, fuel and smokes and then returned to the 21 mile point to fuel Murray. Murray arrived and ate and then I dashed in to Fairbanks…God, people, buildings, traffic! However, the people at the tourist info centre were very good and I used internet to figure out Murray’s chain tension probs and booked our hostel and found locations of bike shop and launderette.

Met Murray at Fred bloody Meyers and we went to hostel. He fell off the bike at 2mph due to chain jumping and has grazed arm and knee. I have super cheap t-shirt and shorts to change in to courtesy of Walmart (crikey… even the US has chavs!) and got a pair of Converse for Daisy.

Hostel is a set of permanent tents with wooden floors and beds (like M.A.S.H but beige) and common areas (showers, kitchen etc) are cabins. They are also erecting tepee for the summer. Murray and Rolf the owner have fallen out over hot water and mirrors (shaving just ain’t worth the hassle).I Wait for Murray to ablute and then off to the tourist info to use the internet facilities and just up the road to use the launderette. Jesus, I stank as I undressed for the shower.... I smell different – a little like the smell of freeze dried food, perhaps it is these "trans fats" that are used over here. Perhaps I am just changing the way I smell, perhaps it’s the DEET.

Launderettes are the same everywhere – stuffy, dull and mesmerising – still we have a full stock of clean clothes.

Back to the hostel to dump the car and then a beer in the Boatel bar and BBQ ribs with cornbread and coleslaw at Big Daddy’s. both venues had live music…. Both sorts; country and western – liked the guitarist's style at Big Daddy’s. Back to the hostel where everyone was still up and crashed out – proper bed, clean body and beer. Hooray.

the hostel in Fairbanks