- Aug 21, 2010
- 32,673
- 9,798
- Parrots
- Goffins: Gabby, Abby, Squeaky, Peanut, Popcorn / Citron: Alice / Eclectus: Angel /Timneh Grey: ET / Blue Fronted Amazon: Gonzo /
RIP Gandalf and Big Bird, you are missed.
I am generally a reliable sleeper at night, but my cycle is easily disrupted by time-zone changes or when sick. Currently have a nasty cold and have been napping on and off during the day. This has been the fastest-progressing illness in memory; went from a sore throat one afternoon to a full-bore head-cold early the next day, culminating that night with chest congestion. But I digress.....
Rather than reading something boring at 2:00am, I had the idea of virtual touring. Life in torturous climates is fascinating, so I took my iPad to bed, turned off the lights, and explored Barrow Alaska. Barrow is the most northern city in U.S. territory, within the arctic region, and a home to the indigenous Inupiat People. For centuries they self-sustained from the land/sea and native animals, but the discovery of oil under the north-slope was a game-changer. The population is now close to 5000, and an influx of fortune-seekers has broadened the demographic. Because Inupiat tradition is of sharing, many outside entrepreneurs have formed successful businesses. There is a thriving tourist industry despite the bitter cold, several hotels, a variety of restaurants, mostly serving the same types of food, and daily air service via Alaska Airlines to Fairbanks and Anchorage. Food prices are stupendous because mostly everything is airfreighted; 1/2 watermelon $25, gallon of milk $9, box of dry breakfast cereal $8, typical lunch/dinner at the popular Sam and Lee's Chinese restaurant between $20 and $30. Buildings are built on stilts because the warmth of heating would melt the permafrost causing a sink into the ground! An influx of funding provides a modern level IV trauma center hospital and state-of-the-art high school. Utility cables/pipes are carried in heated underground ducts! Interestingly, they are a "damp" community in that alcohol cannot be publicly sold or consumed, but may be ordered and delivered from other cities. A recent vote changed the official name to the ancestral Utqiagvik and passed by just 6 votes!
I spent some time Googling, visiting overhead views on Google Maps, and even stalked a few FB pages to gain insight. I've been as far north as Fairbanks and really doubt I'd ever actually visit Barrow, let alone move there with my birds!
Utqiagvik/Barrow at its finest, during the extended summer when the top ice coat melts:
Rather than reading something boring at 2:00am, I had the idea of virtual touring. Life in torturous climates is fascinating, so I took my iPad to bed, turned off the lights, and explored Barrow Alaska. Barrow is the most northern city in U.S. territory, within the arctic region, and a home to the indigenous Inupiat People. For centuries they self-sustained from the land/sea and native animals, but the discovery of oil under the north-slope was a game-changer. The population is now close to 5000, and an influx of fortune-seekers has broadened the demographic. Because Inupiat tradition is of sharing, many outside entrepreneurs have formed successful businesses. There is a thriving tourist industry despite the bitter cold, several hotels, a variety of restaurants, mostly serving the same types of food, and daily air service via Alaska Airlines to Fairbanks and Anchorage. Food prices are stupendous because mostly everything is airfreighted; 1/2 watermelon $25, gallon of milk $9, box of dry breakfast cereal $8, typical lunch/dinner at the popular Sam and Lee's Chinese restaurant between $20 and $30. Buildings are built on stilts because the warmth of heating would melt the permafrost causing a sink into the ground! An influx of funding provides a modern level IV trauma center hospital and state-of-the-art high school. Utility cables/pipes are carried in heated underground ducts! Interestingly, they are a "damp" community in that alcohol cannot be publicly sold or consumed, but may be ordered and delivered from other cities. A recent vote changed the official name to the ancestral Utqiagvik and passed by just 6 votes!
I spent some time Googling, visiting overhead views on Google Maps, and even stalked a few FB pages to gain insight. I've been as far north as Fairbanks and really doubt I'd ever actually visit Barrow, let alone move there with my birds!
Utqiagvik/Barrow at its finest, during the extended summer when the top ice coat melts:
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