If Forumosa Did Alaska

[Mucha Man]

Spent the morning birding on the tundra off the lonely Denali Hwy. Then met a guy who's related to John Audubon himself.

Now in a roadside diner eating a surprisingly good cheese burger made by a lazy-eyed Vietnam vet.

Last night a lynx walked across the road in front of my car and stopped for photos. Light was too low so they aren't good. I don't know how I endure this place.

[Mucha Man]

In Barrow, the most northerly town for you yanks. Dipped a finger in the Arctic Ocean and, well, that's about all you do here.

Pics to come. This place makes Wugu look like Taoyuan.

[Chris]

In Barrow, the most northerly town for you yanks. Dipped a finger in the Arctic Ocean and, well, that's about all you do here.

Say hello to the midnight sun for me!

[Mucha Man]

Okay, Barrow.

Flying over the Arctic:


flying over arctic by Muzha Man, on Flickr

The town. It wasn't big but almost no one walked, except me.


Barrow street scene by Muzha Man, on Flickr

The nice part of town:


Barrow, Alaska by Muzha Man, on Flickr

The not so nice


Barrow, Alaska by Muzha Man, on Flickr

The Arctic Ocean


bush plane over arctic ocean by Muzha Man, on Flickr


arctic ocean in June by Muzha Man, on Flickr

When it's 4 degrees and the snow has melted take your snowmobile on the water


snow mobile on the water by Muzha Man, on Flickr

By chance I found Wilson


Wilson found by Muzha Man, on Flickr

Really expensive milk (sorry can't figure out how to turn imnages in Flickr). Odd thing was groceries were extremely expensive but eating in restaurants wasn't. The selection was even odder: there was a japanese sushi place, the world's most northerly Mexican restaurant, two Chinese, and a pizza joint.


really expensive milk by Muzha Man, on Flickr

This was cool. Because you are so far north the satellite dishes have to face almost straight forward and not up


satellite dishes facing out by Muzha Man, on Flickr

Also this is what should be the most northerly grave in the US, with some bodies that were found in the permafrost and claimed by the Inupiat as their ancestors.


most northerly grave in US by Muzha Man, on Flickr

The Barrowians like to use their garbage bins for advertisement. Even the mayoral candidates.


mayoral ad in Barrow by Muzha Man, on Flickr

Barrow is a bit short on sights. In fact the most popular thing to do is drive out to a gravel spit and stand at the highest point in America. Being a Canadian it had no interest to me as parts of our land is still more northerly. In any case, this is a typical sight. Note that the only thing to look at is the sign. The ancient village in the grassy part behind.


marker by Muzha Man, on Flickr

Very friendly town though and after living in taiwan for so long these scruffy, dirty places don't really bother me. And it was cool in all senses (it was about 3-4 degrees most of the day, and below zero with the wind chill on the tundra) to be at the Arctic Ocean, sit e of so much adventure over the centuries.


me at arctic ocean by Muzha Man, on Flickr

[Mucha Man]

The Alaska Pipeline. The only place you can stand under and touch it without getting shot.

Alaska tourism at its finest and most environmentally friendly.


pipeline2 by Muzha Man, on Flickr

[Gao Bohan]

It's always cold in Alaska.

[Chris]

Great photos, MM!

[Mucha Man]

What I hate most about Alaska is how unfriendly everyone is to me. I mean look at the signs they post. Imagine what they are willing to say when they've had a few at the Silver Gulch?


angry alaskans by Muzha Man, on Flickr

[Mucha Man]

In Nome, the legendary end of the Iditarod. Fucking wet town so everyone is drunk. Kinda gross really. So far I have seen a guy warned by the police in a cafe not to run out without paying, another fellow so drunk the waitress just snapped "I can't understand you!" and a 7 year old left outside a bar while his paents went in to get hammered (the police were trying to coax the kid out from hiding under a staircase).

I was going to go for a walk after dinner but too many drunks on the street. Toobad. It's a lot nicer here than Barrow. Beautiful beach bordering the Bering Sea. Lush green hills outside town and some cool museums and old buildings. i just don't want to get shanked for enjoying it all.

[Dr. McCoy]

If you had a big slingshot you could shoot the angry Alaskans into igloos or something.