Tues 6th May 2003, Fairbanks to Chena Hot Springs

I was up early but not by choice, the walls and ceiling are so thin you can hear everything going on, so when others were up, I was up!

I’d packed last night so all that was left was to eat and get on the road.  Went back to the Co-Op Diner for breakfast again where I was remembered and welcomed – that’s so nice!  Then went for another walk round before checking out.  I managed to get safely out of Fairbanks, only taking two wrong turns.  In the UK, main roads have signs showing the road name or number periodically, and signs to leave it are shown to the side with names of the places and appropriate direction signs.  Not here, once you are on a road it's name disappears leaving you to wonder if you've made the right turn.  When you see a name blazoned across the highway it doesn't mean that's the road you're on, it's the one intersecting it ... I think!  Hence my confusion.  Being driver and navigator both can be rather hair-raising.

It was a lovely drive up to Chena Hot Springs.  All along the road are low-growing green, fern-like ground-cover with red/yellow/orange stalks rising from it; further back are bare deciduous trees providing a grey smokey backdrop from which the tall black plumes of evergreens seems to be billowing out the top.  All these brackish colours are reflected wherever ice has turned to water giving way to numerous streams & ponds.

I arrived unexpectedly early in Chena having badly mistimed the journey, so sat outside with a coffee, happily writing cards until booking-in time.  A moose and last year's calf wandered through the resort while I sat there so got some good pictures (I hope).  

Everything went downhill after that.  Lunch was billed as fried clams with smoked cheese & salad; I ordered it without cheese but the clams were done in batter.  It said fried clams, it didn't say clams in breadcrumbs, or battered clams!  $9-50 is a lot to pay for some green leaves and a dressing - no adjustment being made for the lack of cheese!

All notices say don't go in the outdoor pool if you have open sores-water is untreated and although tested for bacteria they can't be sure it's not contaminated...as I have rubbed up some friction sores from my backpack and sores on my feet on my travels this meant me.  The other pools are chlorinated, just being near them made me sneeze...so they were out too.  Also told not to go walking alone as too risky, always go with at least one other person and even then to check out and back in again afterwards...but they don't do guided walks.  Too early/late in season for horse-riding/dogs.  I booked myself in for a massage the following day...having been warned that she didn't always turn up!

For dinner the elaborate (exciting for most people) menu was built around wheat and cheese and they are totally unable to improvise, vary or otherwise stray from what is stated on the menu.  Had steak and very small amount of courgettes as the least elaborate, no potatoes as au gratin and pre-prepared so nothing else.  Afterwards I asked for a Nutty Alaskan (coffee with kahlua & frangelico), it sounded delicious, but said I didn't want it until I'd finished my glass of wine.  He brought it anyway saying if he didn't the cream would dissolve into the coffee - then why make it yet?!?  Grrrr!!

Both waiters made it plain I was a problem and I was horribly embarrassed.  I was stuck there for another 36 hours and couldn’t think of a way out of it.  Felt really miserable, depressed and lonely - went to bed and cried a lot.