Monday, June 29th 2015: my Suzy is waiting...

After a real good and long sleep I was ready for my first challenge on my trip: find my motorbike and get it ready for the trip!
After quite some phonecalls I finally found out where my Suzy Blue was stored. I just arrived there at the same time as the 2 guys from US-wildlife&homeland-security. They check every motorcicle coming to Alaska and look whether you bring mud or so with you. I tried to persuade them that my bike was absolutely clean. But no chance, they wanted to check it. So I helped them opening two other bike-boxes; meanwhile we had a nice chat about Alaska, what could be nice roads for me to drive, the perfect motorbike for a trip like that...etc. While talking my confidence about the cleanliness of my own motorbike slowly disapeared. I was absolutely not sure anymore whether I washed it before putting ut into the box. But everything was fine and I got the seal I needed to go forward to US-customs and get there another seal. The whole thing took me about 15 minutes and now I was officially allowed to bring in my motorbike.
I hurried back to the hostel to get my tools and buy some fuel. As the bus-driver did not let me into the bus anymore - could be dangerous with a can full of fuel!! - I took a taxi and had a funny drive with an Ex-Croatian taxi driver who was talking all the time.

Back to the storage place they brought my wooden carte to the outside and left me alone with it.

Hmmm.... I knew what was to do now, but was absolutely not sure whether I would manage it all of my own....
The start was quite easy: take away the top and one side, put all the personal belongings to the outisde. And now try to put the bike into a position which would make it possible to put the front wheel in again. Now that wasn's easy at all and in the end the guys from the storage company had to lift it up a bit with the forklift.

 

 

The rest was actually astonishing easy: built the front wheel in, fixed the battery (thanks to my friend Joe who teached me all theses things), filled up the tank. And hey, the engine started without any problems. I was ready for take-off :-)

With a loud "yeeeehaaaa" - that of course nobody heard than me - and a big grin on my face I drove back to Anchorage. Now I am ready for my adventure!!

Sunday, June 28th 2015: Anchorage "one way"

wow.....finally the day has come, I will leave Switzerland and my familiar life for the next 6 months. Not knowing what I will experience, whether I will handle all the adventures that might occur to me on my way down to Southamerica....

But let's get back to the start:
I was so excited , I did'nt sleep much that night. My best friend brought me fresh Croissants - though I could hardly eat something - and I had a really warm goodby from my neighbours. Together with my sisters with families I drove to the airport and of course: many hugs and tears until I finally could go through the security check. I think that was the most feared moment. But once I passed the security check it was like something was fallen away from me: it was not a pan anymore, it was REAL!! I was on the way to Alaska!

The flight was ok, I watched a sort of strange Iceland-movie and because of the deleay we had already in Zürich the change in Reykjavik was without any waiting. I was tired menawhile but did ot want to fall asleep already. Would make the change of time even more difficult.

  

 


But the scenery I was able to see from my window seat was that amazing I just did not have the time to sleep. We flew directly over Grönland and I've hardly ever seen something impressing and beautiful before. And to know that this incredebile area is in enviromental danger makes it even more impressing.


Landing in Anchorage then was easy. As it was Sunday there have been almost no travellers at the airport and I had shortly after goig through the customs I shuttle bus ("people mover") that brought me into town. After checking-in at the hostel (Alaska Bent & Prop Inn) I just went for a short walk. I did not want sleep already as it was daylight until 11.45pm!!

And I found the perfect place for my "welcome-beer" :-)