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At the End of a Long Drive


Shreesh and Neena Taskar

We didn't make the decision, the decision made us. On October 20th, 2007, we left our comfortable city of San Francisco to follow a simple algorithm - go North till the road ends then turn around and then go as far South. In between those two points was the stage, the timeline, the space, where we made things happen and things happened to us.

The past is fleeting and the stories, the sights and the feelings are perishable. One sees what one wants to see, and perhaps we are not capable of more. We saw that people are kind and helpful even if they were not materially rich. Some we could understand even though we didn't speak the same language, the motivations of others were incomprehensible even though we did. In the end fragments remain - the smell of roasting chocolate, a flock of snow Ptarmigians on snow, the creaking of the rainforest, the rough feathers of penguins, and the intoxication of Curanto.


So these are our stories. Every time you visit the site you will see a random post below. Each starts with Lo que pasa es que...

Frontier Life

Oct 31st, 2007 by

fj

On the Road

Vast empty spaces make room for contemplation. Some thoughts on lifestyle choices we make. (Map this!)

The drive has taken us through some vast empty spaces. The empty space is like a canvas where humans have made their mark, made according to who they are. Actually I should say who we are, since we are all connected with the common thread of humanity. What we do and who we are is reflected very strongly here in the emptiness, almost in a cartoonish way, with thick Illustrator Beziers.

Teslin Lake welcomes you with brightly painted hand-hewn signs. Surrounded by mountains the lake is dotted with houses, artist shops, and even a small museum dedicated to native history. Who lives here and are they happy? Or do they have that common small town desire to escape, to leave, to be among the city lights? I’m just passing through and I cannot know the answers…

 

Mile 0 perry-crossing

Mile 0 of the Alaska Highway

Perry River Crossing

 

Fort St. John announces its presence with the stink of natural gas. What’s that stuff they put in gas that makes it reek? Wide roads lead to the gleaming Wal-Mart, Safeway, and other large corporate big boxes. It is a place of progress, a regional hub where the locals from all around can get their Wal-Mart fix. The town seems prosperous, gravid with economic well-being. But is it a fair trade, prosperity for the stink of farts all the time?

Out here the individual communities seem bigger than ever. But so do the corporations.

3 Responses to “Frontier Life”

  1. fearghal says:
    October 31, 2007 at 9:26 am

    loving your trip so far guys. MORE PICTURES!! safe travels.

  2. Pramod Taskar says:
    October 31, 2007 at 7:45 pm

    Has river frozen? Any idea about how you are going to cross?
    Pramod Taskar

  3. Neena says:
    October 31, 2007 at 9:07 pm

    Hello!
    So far the Peel River has frozen and is open to traffic. The ARctic Red River is still closed.
    Neena

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