Alaska, Canada and NYC Day 5

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Wake up knowing we are allowed to check out at 1200 -so guess what - just make the 1200 checkout. Never mind....

Leave bags at hotel and explore Fairbanks. Downtown is hard to find as there really isn't much of downtown... Get a coffee house that looks ok and order soup and coffee for Chris. Soup good, coffee gets a pass mark. Bit of a drizzly day but not too bad to walk the streets. Ask about where to go in downtown and we had obviously got that right befor the coffee shop. Do a few more shops the tot the visitor centre where we spend the best part of 2 or 3 hours - very inter steins especially after our northern adventure.

Walk back to the hotel, order a cab and off to our next hotel which marks the start of our next tour - the cruise/land trip....... Taxi arrives and big dude gets out (so big his seat is leant back so far that no one could sit behind him). Tell him where we are going and he asks us directions - oh oh. Finally get to our new hotel and meet our tour director in the foyer. All good and they know us so we are on a winner.....

We get individual cabins on, or just back from the riverfront. Not bad either.

They have a meet and greet at 1800 so into the room, freshen up and back for the reception. Read the list of names and try to work out relationships, etc. Sit at a table with an Indian couple - the husband is an eye specialist and his wife lives in California, another couple from New Zealand and then a single guy from NSW (Geoffrey).

Another lady arrives and we invite her tour table - Stephanie from the UK. All of a sudden Geoffrey disappears to another table - have we offended him - who knows.

Meet and greet goes nicely - 21 on the tour - mix of 5 singles and the rest couples, 8 from Oz, 2 kiwis, and 9 Americans (Lost 2 somewhere but never mind......).

Decide to go for a walk to Fred Meyers (like Coles, Bunnings and the local bottle shop and chemist all rolled into one) to get some bits and pieces. Back home and still light at 2330. Off to sleep now....

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