August 20th, 2014
We arrived in Dawson after a long pedal from Tombstone Park, and it was late at night. Amanda was pretty ragged due to lack of food and water, but that didn’t stop us from exploring the town as the sun was setting at 10pm. Unfortunately it did mean that none of the restaurant kitchens were still serving with the exception of Diamond a Tooth Gerties, and the Chinese Restaurant. We walked a few blocks to Gerties and arrived just as the 10 o clock show was starting. Only one problem cash only. Typically we are credit and debit card only types. Still we were hungry and the show looked like fun. I tried the on site ATM and was left feeling frustrated that it wasn’t working for me. We took it as a sign to move on to another establishment, and as the Chinese restaurant was just a block from where we were staying, we ended up there. The ambiance inside and out was I’m not sure of bathe words..historically poignant? Dated? In any event, I thought that this place offered good value for what we paid for the food. Amanda was crestfallen to learn upon ordering that even though there were hamburgers advertised on the menu that this late at night Chinese food was the only available offering. It was probably around midnight by the time we got home and went to sleep.
August 21st, 2014
We awoke the next morning at the crack of 1030. The ride the day before had really taken its on us physically, and it was a great opportunity to listen to our bodies and just relax. It felt a little strange, not having to be anywhere yet it didn’t feel like a typical “rest day”. Perhaps that was because we felt like there was so much to do. The list included items like laundry, send/receive emails update the website , upload pictures and videos, bicycle maintenance, and finally explore Dawson.
It’s a little strange, that when I am out cycling, I don’t miss the internet per se. I don’t feel like I miss the social interaction and sharing opportunities that it so easily offers, yet as soon as we get in range of free wifi , I am rip-raring to get online and connect. This can cause annoyance or irritation between Amanda and I when sometimes my internet habits get in the the way or take priority over other more pressing things.
We got a few of the more mundane tasks started, and then set off to visit with some of Amanda’s old work colleagues down at the new waste water treatment plant. This multi million dollar project was quite impressive. Two shafts, 300 feet deep churning and pumping water through dozens of pipes, along a seemingly complex yet very simple cycle, in a building the size of a city block. Waste water gets processed over a two week period and It is mind boggling to think that a process like the clarifier moves along at 50mm per minute, yet a bit further down the line, effluent is pumping clean water back out into the river at a rate of hundreds of gallons per second. Along the way they separate more solid waste into trash bags, utilize air compressors and water boilers to remove and reintroduce heat, and ultraviolet light bats cleanup to ensure that the cleanest water is put bak out into the environment. I found it all rather fascinating.
In search of Internet, we ran into Donnie at the Alchemy Cafe. Donnie is riding from Anchorage to San Diego. He, like us, admits that maybe he took a few things for granted in trip preparation, and as a result, he has had to change his expectations for the trip. Donnie’s dream, is to one day produce a film, based upon the cycling book, “Keith’s. Incredible Journey”.
This took up a good chunk of what was left on Thursday? And then we were back at our home stay, leeching free wifi for a neighbour, uploading and updating late into the night again. I felt as if everything that needed doing was done by the time I went to bed, and strangely enough it felt like a solid days work. There was also a sense of fulfillment that accompanied the day, at having gotten so much done, with the weekend upon us and a chance to play tourist for a few days.