My Introduction to North America - by Ben

Zimbabwe to Alaska is a long way. Trust me, I know! On the day that term ended for me (Thursday, August 7th), I went with my aunt Juliet and uncle Tim to Harare Airport. At 18:40, I started my long and tiring journey to Anchorage, Alaska. 

30 hours later, and 10 hours behind my normal time zone, I had made it! And boy was I exhausted! Although, my family gave me a very warm welcome, the ambient temperature wasn't quite so warm, unfortunately. We stayed in Palmer for a couple of nights, and I got to meet the Lee family, who were letting us stay in their cottage. They are all wonderful people, and while Mark and Cathy made sure we were properly taken care of, Max and I were

 kept busy by their 8 year old twins, London and Meika. 

Meika, Cathy & London

After my first two nights, we moved east to a town called Girdwood. We stayed in a small campsite there, and we met some locals who gave us some of their homemade smoked salmon, which was extremely delicious! But that's where the rain started, and it became rather miserable! The rain was very persistent, and wherever we've been since then, it seems to have followed us! 

Since then, we've travelled all across Alaska, far and wide, high and low. It's been rainy most  of the time, but I've enjoyed it so much! The definite hi lights for me so far have been the delicious Alaskan food, such as king crab, salmon, halibut and moose.

I had to mention food of course, but there has also been the spectacular snow capped mountains that dominate Denali national park and preserve. Denali not only showed us a stunning view of the mountains, but also of four fabulous grizzly bears.

In spite of the challenges the rain has provided us with, my overall view on the trip so far, has been amazing. We've had some tough times, but it's all been worth it. I'm loving Alaska, but we will be leaving very shortly, to explore the rest of North and South America. I look forward to the thrilling adventures that await us.