The people I have come to love.

Thanks for everything.

I cannot put into words how grateful and honored I am to have known you all. I love you and will always miss you all.

Keep in touch.

"I came here to discover myself, heck, I didn't realise that I am an American."

So goes my quote in the newsletter for Skagway Westmark Hotel (which Chilkoot restaurant is a part of). The newsletter was part of a bi-weekly publication given to all the employees. It so happened they were featuring the staff of Chilkoot Restaurant that week. And everyone (not just myself) had to write a little bit about themselves. I just thought of the quote and went along with it.

I'm not being a traitor to Singapore, oh no no (I am a born and bred Singaporean and I am damn proud of it), its just that when I first came here, I felt so miserable leaving my family and friends behind. I miss Singapore. Everything about Singapore: the food, the heat and the 'big' city life. Compared to Skagway, Singapore seems like a mega-metropolis.

But most of all, I miss my family. A lot. Especially my niece (I can't wait to carry her again).
So weeks past, and I began my 'countdown', first it was how many days I have been here, then it turned to weeks and then months, and then it began to be in reverse, how many months I have left here, then weeks and then days, and now hours...

Initially, when the days turned to weeks and weeks turned to months, I was really longing to go back home. I was missing the only family I know.But then as it began to be the reverse, when months left turned to weeks left and then to days left, I know I'm beginning to dread going back home. Cos I know I will be missing the family I made here. Family I would not get to see, maybe for a year or maybe even forever.

This is my American family.

I wouldn't have guessed in a million years how in just three months I could have made so many close friends, friends whom I want to stay in touch with for the rest of my lives; friends whom I have came to love so much, friends whom I feel are like family.

I have my Mama and Big Daddy, Rosalinda and Artie. My sisters (Jasmin, Tsvetalina, Ralitza, Mariya, Yoana and Tsveta) and 'sista' (Jacob). My bros (Greg, Chris, Bryan, Kevin and Justin, and even Alfredo).

Thank you for making being here alone and away from my family easy. Thank you for making me feel so welcomed. Thank you for making me feel loved and at home.

Thanks for being my family.

"Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some people move our souls to dance. They awaken us to new understanding with the passing whisper of their wisdom. Some people make the sky more beautiful to gaze upon. They stay in our lives for awhile, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never, ever the same."

My last hike: AB Mountain.

My last and final hike, before I completed all the hikes in Skagway. And who better than to do it with then my best friend, Bryan:A view of Skagway somewhere up AB Mountain:
Higher up we go: Dyea Plains on the right:
Till we reached the clouds:
And couldn't see anything: Some snow still left near the summit:
It was cold...:
My unglam shot eating bread and jelly:
Another unglam shot of me peeing on the summit (PS: that is my belt).

So we headed back down and the clouds were starting to disperse and the sun came out:
What a beautiful day:
Thanks Bryan, now everything is complete.
AB Mountain...

Sturgill's Landing.

My mission to finish all the hike trails in Skagway led me to Sturgill's Landing the very next day after Denver Glacier.

You have to climb up to Lower Dewey before heading to the trail to Sturgill's. Views of Lower Dewey Lake:
Sturgill's Landing was actually an easier hike compared to what I have done.
This is what you see in Sturgill's:
A nice rapid near Sturgill's:
Then I headed back to Lower Dewey and said my final goodbyes before going back...
Goodbye Lower Dewey... We have had many good times.

Denver Glacier.

I decided to head down to Denver Glacier on my last weekend in Skagway. My last camping trip. And my last hike before I retire (or so I thought).

And the girls decided to join in as well. Tsveta, Ralitza, Mariya, Yoana and Tsvetelina (Jasmin, not in the picture):
The boys too; my favourite boys. Bryan, Chris and Kevin:

The cabin cum caboose:
The rail tracks were just beside the cabin:
Off hiking we go:
I am one lucky man, :) :

12 is a pretty large group; from left: Tsveta, Chris, Kim (behind), Ralitza, Kevin (behind), Jasmin, Tsvetelina, Lauren (behind), Yoana, Mariya, Bryan (behind) and me:
Yoana, Ralitza and Tsveta:
Hiking halfway throught the trail was hell... The vegetation was overgrown and path almost invisible.

Then we reached a point (far away from the glacier) where there was a clearing. Denver Glacier from far:

I was clearly disappointed. Cause unlike Laughton Glacier when we could actually walked on the glacier and ice, we could only see Denver Glacier from far. Or we could have bashed through another hour or more of vegetation...

But we headed back to camp instead.

We found GOLD. No kidding, gold flakes in a tiny little stream:

When we got back, what else but a campfire? Bryan and his marshmallow stick or should I say sticks...
While the girls went back, we decided to stay on to camp overnight. There was a bridge where we were and the train tracks run over it. So this was us, over the river, in the middle of the bridge, thinking there wasn't going to be any trains...
What do you think we did? Of course, we each took a turn crying wolf. In this case it was 'crying train'.

Until Bryan actually saw a train (it was actually two small service trains) from afar.

We ran as fast as we could, actually it was hard to run on the tracks, we had to take small steps at a time... It was really scary... lol.

Us, safe on 'land':

So this was what we saw:
It was really funny as hell.

And the rest of the night was a night to remember... Wolf-crying into the night on the bridge, skits, marshmallow-roasting, laughing and talking...

Thanks guys, it was unforgetable. One of the best nights I ever had.