Day 14: Clear to Menana(?)

        Weather was good today. It was 140km away from Fairbanks, if everything went well, I could arrive in Fairbanks by 11 pm. So I decided to try.

It turned out that I overestimated my ability. I got to Menana, which is a small town in 80km south of Fairbanks. I called Duncan, the man who is going to host me for a few days, and told him I would be there this evening or tomorrow afternoon.

I did not know that there are still lots of uphill on the way to Fairbanks and regretted that I did not look for water before I left Menana. I felt my mouth was getting dry and bitter. I have had this feeling when I was on Mt. Aso in Japan. This was the feeling that I was going to have dehydration. I was so thirsty that I grabbed a few ice and put into my mouth. I stopped doing that because I have learnt that it’s not right from survival books, and started to melt ice with my camp stove. I fulfilled my physical need by doing this ultimately.

 

"cook" ice

Then it was time to worry about where I should camp tonight. Roadside was narrow. It was almost impossible to find a nice place for camping. I found an empty house, but the tireprint and the footprint was new, it definitely was not a good idea to camp there.

I found a camping sign on the roadside a few miles from the empty house, but could not find where the camping site was. It happened to have a bar near the sign, so I decided to ask whoever in the bar, even I could not get the answer I still could have water.

There was an old man who really biking. He was so excited when he knew I am having a cycling tour and tried to help me to convince the owner let me camp outside of the bar. And the owner agreed.

After all thing were done, I ordered a beer because I thought it is quite impolite to ask someone also running a hotel for somewhere to sleep for free. We had a nice conversation while having beer. 

 

Beer and all-you-can-eat popcorn

The old man is called Williams and the owner is called Brook. I shared some stories I experienced in Japan and China, and what kind of life I have had in this week. When the owner heard that I exclusively eat hotdog, rice and spaghetti, he said: “rice and hotdog? That is a bad combination.” then made me a hamburger. When he heard that I haven’t had a shower for a week, he told me it is ok to use warm water in the bar.

 

He also insisted on buying me all I had drank and eaten, and prepared a private room instead of letting me camp outside to thank me sharing him all the stories I shared to him! It seems that it is a custom in Alaska to offer a private rood to someone who asks for somewhere to lie down.

Mileage today 95km

Total mileage 550km