Have you ever thought about going to Alaska? I hadn't. Not until my friend and I started applying for the Work and Travel USA 2014 program. "Why not?" we thought. We had been to Pittsburgh before, but this time we decided to explore the wild expanses of Denali National Park.
Easier said than done. Visas obtained, suitcases packed. Ulan-Ude - Moscow - Rome - New York - Anchorage. More than half the world in three days. Many say we went in the wrong direction from the start, claiming we should have moved east instead of west. But what can you do.
Anchorage greeted us with midnight coolness, and Delta (the airline) rewarded me with a broken suitcase. I had to carry it in my hands, which was quite difficult, considering my suitcase looked more like a colorful coffin.
Taxi, hotel. Kapkugiak Inn. A nice girl at the reception. 10 minutes to midnight, we were as tired as if we had walked half the world. Veronika went to look for a McDonald's to buy us something to eat. I stayed at the hotel to sort out the booking.
They couldn't find our money at the hotel. At all! They said no money had been received in the account, and that was that. I cursed everything in the world four times. A groan of despair: "What are we going to do??". The girl was clearly thinking. After a few minutes, a decision was made - to check us in for the night. The manager was supposed to come in the morning and solve our problem. Okay, dragging heavy suitcases to the second floor. Shower and sleep.
In the morning, I peel open my heavy, stuck-together eyelids. 8:30 AM. Time to grab all my booking confirmations, map, passport, and go downstairs to find the manager. A tall guy in glasses greets me in a friendly way. He asks what's wrong. I explain the situation, he checks again and says: "We haven't received your money." Stress takes its toll, and I start sniffling, wiping my face with my sleeve. I see a second of confusion on the manager's face. Literally a second later, a hand reaches over the counter and friendly pats me on the head. "We're all human, you know. We won't kick you out on the street, we'll figure out what to do. Go get some rest."
I go upstairs. Veronika has a fever. That's all we needed. I run to the store for juice, water, and pizza for breakfast. We eat, we go to sleep. Acclimatization will last a long time.
Two out of four days flew by just like that - food, shower, bed. On the evening of the second day, I find a note slipped under the door - "Your payment has gone through, nothing to worry about!" and a cute puppy drawn with a few strokes. Well, thank God.
Later I chatted with the same manager, asked about the origins of the hotel's name. It turned out that it came from a legend about a ten-legged polar bear, Kapkugiak. I didn't quite understand what exactly happened in this legend, but in general, at first he was very evil and cruel, but then he was able to become kind. I found it charming.
And now for the more informative part!
SOME TIPS!
Be sure (ABSOLUTELY SURE) to book everything in advance, then everything will be cheaper, easier, and more reliable.
When we went to Pittsburgh in 2013, we were green beginners and simply didn't book a hotel upon arrival. As a result, we arrived in Pitt at 2 AM and wandered around the center until 6 AM, tired, with sore feet and aching backs.
If problems arise, try to solve them, don't shut down or get shy, as the manager at Kapkugiak said - we're all human, after all.
Before arriving, discuss everything (EVERYTHING) with your employer. Avoiding ambiguities and misunderstandings is very, very important. Plus, you will present yourself as a responsible person. However, you don't need to be annoying, well, everyone understands that, I think.
