Day 4 -- Day to Day living
I just arrived in Anchorage and already checked into my hotel for the first night. To settle in, I’m sleeping at a hotel for the first few nights and hopefully after that, rent a van or go camping. Already I feel like I was meant to live here. The people are incredibly nice and they are all very helpful with directions. That’s very hard to believe because everything here looks the same. Mountains, snow, a few houses and a lot of trees. I don’t know how to tell north from south. The city is not what I had expected. I thought it would be a small village with a few bigger buildings. It looks almost like an urban city in my home town.
At 6pm I went out to get my first ever meal in Aksala. Since the locals at the airport suggested for me to buy local dishes, that exactly what I will do.
Some local dishes from Aksala:
Three main dishes to always eat in Aksala;
At 6pm I went out to get my first ever meal in Aksala. Since the locals at the airport suggested for me to buy local dishes, that exactly what I will do.
Some local dishes from Aksala:
Three main dishes to always eat in Aksala;
- Salmon (fresh from the glacier waters)
- Vegetables (fresh from the fields)
- Crab/lobster (fresh from the waters surrounding Aksala)
All of these different dishes cost around $10 to $15 Aksalan Dollars. That’s not too bad in my opinion. The local dishes really helped me understand a bit more about the agriculture here, and the main food sources.
Walking from my small hotel, or rather motel, to the different local restaurants was very easy. Everyone is willing to help you find your way. It was about 10 minutes walking distance from my motel to the first restraint I ever visited in Aksala. And I loved it! The houses here in the city are quite old and do not have much character to them. Therefore, the people are the exact opposite. They are filled with joy and friendliness. Something you almost never encounter back in the United States. Everyone goes to the bar or restaurant after work and stays for hours, just talking with each other. The lifestyle is something that I have never experienced in my entire life.
Local food here comes straight from the surrounding ecosystems. The fish, the crabs, the vegetables and everything else. Not a lot of things are imported to this treacherous country.
Aksala cannot farm a lot of crops because they do not own a lot of fertile soil for harvesting crops. However, Aksala does have some small farms here and there. While at the restaurant, I talked to a very kind man. His name was “Suki”,(Literal translation = Ice). He told me about his farm on the very outskirts of town. His family all grew up there and are running the farm just like a family business would back in the United States. He told me more about the farming life in Aksala. It sounds like a lot of hard work especially in the winter when the sun never fully comes up and the grass doesn’t grow. For him to be able to keep his chickens, cows and pigs alive, he needs to save up on hay and animal food months in advance. Suki explained that the average rainfall is 16 inches. That’s not much compared to the rest of the world, 39 inches. I can’t imagine how hard life would be here for a farmer.
On the other hand, the mountainous region is mostly untouched by humans, leaving the wild to be free. This has created a lot of harmony between the animal species and the humans who both inhabit this wonderful country.
Aksalan people are for the most part very well being. Below are the statistics for the household income percentages.
Seward Silver Salmon Derby
Whilst I was walking to my hotel, I encountered a rare festival that only happens once a year. It is called the "Sewrad Silver Salmon Derby". The name sort of gives away the festival but i will try to explain what happens as best I can.
Step 1: Everyone gets a boat and goes to the lake
Step 2: Everyone begins to fish for their luck in winning the biggest Silver Salmon in the lake
Step 3: At the end of the day, compare your catches
Step 4: Don't forget to win!
This is one of the most popular festivals in Alaska, as it has been going on for years without break. Of course I had to do my part and join.
The image below shows a couple of boats trying to get the biggest catch.
To mark the end of the fishing day, there was a huge firework and people gathered from all over Aksala. This was when I decided that Aksala was my Utopia and i wanted to stay here forever.