Boarding was an unsightly mess, but everyone eventually
got on the plane. A poker-faced bunch of flight attendants.

Despite our crew sort of going through the motions, it was
an enjoyable flight, thanks to the company and a few
iterations of Courvoisier and hot water, not together. The
meal was the Mediterranean snack plate, which I passed on.

Toward the end of the trip there was an unexpected flurry of
activity, almost as if the crew had suddenly heard of a
secret shopper on board. If it weren't so funny it would
have been pathetic.

The Hampton shuttle showed up as soon as we got to the
pickup spot, a record of the welcome sort, and soon (after
trying to get off at the Homewood Suites in my stuporous
state) I was snoring away gratefully.

lili and I had been scheduled on a tour that left before
we were going to arrive at the ADQ airport next day, and we
had tried in vain to juggle things so we could make it;
but given the way I felt I was thankful to be on the later
flight. It turns out that the tours got jiggered around so
everyone eventually got accommodated.

Breakfast was a carbon copy of every other, though the room
was high-ceilingeder than normal. Afterward, the shuttle got
us back expeditiously and dropped us off at the wayleft part
of the airport, which was a section new to me. Spartan
despite a bit of cheap art down the mostly faceless corridor.

7H 888 ANC ADQ 0950 1100 DH8 5EF I think

We were sitting quietly when a familiar face appeared -
LIGrin, on our same flight. A happy chat, interrupted only
by the boarding announcement, which came in a timely manner.
No security to speak of at the ERA gates. Maybe just an ID
check, but if so, just pro forma.

The flight was reasonable, the weather not too bad, but we
were on the wrong side of the plane to see anything.

We got a room at the Best Western Kodiak that had two beds
but no working lock. According to the front desk, they'd
done some work on the doors, but there had been subsidence
from some kind of seismic activity, so the plates and the
bolts didn't match so well; nobody seemed too concerned
about any of this. It turned out not a big deal, as I
spent way too much time there while the rest of the people
gallivanted about. I was feeling about as crappy as I'd
ever felt.

Nonetheless, I dragged my ... to the events. I seriously
considered bailing on the bear-viewing trip, but I'd paid
over $300 for this rare opportunity and wasn't inclined to
miss it.