Oh dear, more dramas lay ahead today!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We left darci\u2019s place early as we had a few things to do today. First up, we needed fuel, as we lost all ours when the fuel tank was repaired. We pulled into a service station that also had potable water so we topped that up. But for some reason Mike decided he didn\u2019t want fuel from that station. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
So we headed to our next task of washing the van. Rodger had collected a lot of crud when he was towed through road works. As we were washing him, Mike realised he\u2019d left his fuel cap at the gas station we didn\u2019t fill up at. So we went back to get that, then drove out to the airport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anchorage airport has a viewing spot right at the end of the runway where planes fly right over your head. And this was no little planes either. Most of them were 747 cargo planes. It was awesome! But the absolute highlight was watching the dream lifter take off. This is a 747 on steroids! It was huge! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
We also met a guy who is a curator at the Georgia museum of aviation , and he said if we were ever that way, he\u2019d give us the vip tour!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After our morning watching planes, things went pear shaped. We did grocery shopping and were about to head out of town when we realised we\u2019d forgotten to fuel up. We stopped at a petrol station and when Mike tried it fill up, petrol came pouring out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So we took it straight back to the auto shop that \u2018repaired\u2019 it. The man behind the counter said to leave our keys but it would be hours before they could look at it. We had to argue that we\u2019d paid 800 for it to be fixed and we\u2019d like someone to look at it now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So they put it in the hoist. He then showed that the breather hose was facing down and that was the problem. He turned it up the other way and told us to fill up slowly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We took it back to the garage and it started pouring out again! Mike got underneath to look, and a hose had been disconnected and not put back when they did the work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So we took it back and Mike spent 15 minutes trying to explain what the problem was. They argued with him so he\u2019d had to draw a diagram. They already had another car on the hoist so couldn\u2019t look at it for hours. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mike said it\u2019s a simple fix and if they could give him a screwdriver he\u2019d do it himself. He then got his mechanic to have a look. Mike told him exactly what needed to be done and he fixed it for us. We then poured petrol from our spare gas cans there and then to make sure it was fixed. Thankfully it was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s unbelievable Mike had to tell them how to do their job. They should never have let it go without double checking all the hoses as it could have been a massive fire risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anyway, we finally got out of town and found a lovely freedom spot by a lake to camp. All the tables and fireplaces were taken so we just parked in the carpark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then the people at one of the tables took off and left their fire burning. This was very dangerous. You just had to look around to see the fire devastation in the area. Anyway, we snagged their spot and put out their smoky fire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019d just settled down to sleep at 11 pm when a bunch of rowdy people arrived looking for somewhere to camp. I got out of the car to see what was going on. They\u2019d been looking all night for somewhere to camp. So I said they could share our spot and I moved our van forward. But they still had to set up their tents, they had 3 big barking dogs and made a lot of noise. That\u2019s the downside of free camping spots on a sunny weekend in Alaska. Most people are much more respectful. They were friendly at least.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Oh dear, more dramas lay ahead today! We left darci\u2019s place early as we had a few things to do today. First up, we needed fuel, as we lost all ours when the fuel tank was repaired. We pulled into … Continue reading