August 18, 2026

Thursday 18 August

Had breakfast at the hotel and then arranged for a shuttle to take us to the airport for border agency. Rang the bell at the border agency but after a while when nothing had happened Chris went to try and call the number on the sign. While he was away the border agency officer came and I had to get Chris.

We had to fill out a form and have our fingerprints checked. The officer was wondering why we had entered the 22nd of July and were only now coming to register! So we had to explain we had been on the river until yesterday.

Chris’s registration went without problems but for some reason the fingerprint screen couldn’t register my fingerprints no matter how hard I pressed, even when the officer pressed on top of my fingers it didn’t work! He then took us upstairs to another one and luckily here it worked! Back downstairs he had warmed up quite a bit and told us that he at some point had been part of the team that broke the trail for the Yukon Quest. It had been cold hard work. It all went well and we can stay in the States till Feb 17, 2017.

Chris asked for help to phone the hotel to get the shuttle back there and we decided we definitely needed some kind of phone.

In the afternoon we took the hotel (long route around) shuttle into town to find out about sending stuff back to Denmark.

After walking in the complete wrong direction for a bit we found the post office and had brilliant service and bought 3 boxes for our stuff.

We also walked to REI but I had to have lunch before shopping so we went to a mall across the road and had burritos. We bought some clothes, sticks for me and other stuff.

Back at the hotel we started the washing of all our clothes and our inner tent hoping it would fix the zip problem - it did not!

We had some potato shells in the bar for dinner.

Being back in civilisation was a bit of a head trip. There were lots of things that we suddenly had to do, including, as Jane notes, a visit to the ‘authorities’. While the officer in Fairbanks warmed to us eventually, he had what I believe is that baked-in aggressiveness that I can only imagine - without knowing, of course - is part of the training for US Border Patrol officers, no matter who is sitting in the White House. It really feels like you’re guilty until proven otherwise. Jane’s fingerprints were just not scanning, and what she doesn’t describe is the walk to the ‘other machine’ alongside the officer, including a ride in an elevator bigger than most people’s living rooms. One wall of the elevator was a thick black curtain, and I didn’t like to ask why an elevator would have a curtain?

The guard did let his guard down, and became chatty and pleasant to be around. This gives me hope that border patrol guards are human - pre-ICE, of course - although the guy who dealt with us in Vancouver, processing us before we even exited Canada, was about as obnoxious as they come. More about him later.

It was interesting to note how quickly we got back into city life. The only problem was we started spending money. That was the thing about travelling on the river, we only ever spent money in towns and villages. As soon as we were back on the water, we didn’t spend a dime. So, suddenly, we had a budget, and we needed stuff such as a mobile with an American number. I don’t know what it is with American payphones, but I couldn’t figure out how to use them when I spent several long periods of time in the States in my twenties, and I sure as hell couldn’t figure out how to use them in my forties either. I mean, it looks simple enough, but somewhere between inserting the money and dialling and the person answering - in various combinations of money second, dial first… whatever… stuff happens, or, as is the case, it doesn’t. A few years ago I might have said that one day I’ll figure it out, but I think our visits to the States are over, so American payphones will just have to remain mysterious and aloof. ;-)

But the most important purchase while out and about in Fairbanks, was a beard trimmer! I liked the idea of having a beard. I liked getting rid of it even more!

More tomorrow!