A Sunny Day in Bethel

Yes, we saw the sun today! It's been so rainy, windy and dreary the past 3 days that we weren't sure the sun really did shine here. But it did and we were able to enjoy lots of time outside.
Let me give you a overview of the city of Bethel. Approximately 6,000 people live here, the majority being Yup'ik. This isn't exactly a tourist town, but there are a couple of museums covering the culture and wildlife in this region. Bethel is really more of a commercial center for the area, with a campus of the University of Alaska, Wells Fargo bank, grocery store, hospital, airport, churches, and several small restaurants. There are many small lakes throughout the town, as well as the Kuskokwim River. Every February they hold the Kuskokwim 300, a 300-mile dogsled race similar to the Iditarod. The ground is permafrost, and the soil is silt. So even though it's been raining a lot, there really isn't mud, just a wet sandy mixture. The temp right now is in the 40's and 50's with no snow - yet. That will come in a month or so along with frigid temperatures. I think we came at the perfect time.
The place we're staying at is called the Grr8 Bear Bed and Breakfast. It is run by a retired couple who have lived in Bethel for several years. When their children moved away from home, they added on to their house, and two years ago opened the B&B. Downstairs there is a family room and kitchen that we can use at any time. Upstairs there is a bathroom and 5 bedrooms of various sizes. Rachel has her own room - the economy room. It's pretty basic, just a bed and table, but she loves the privacy. She's also really put her own personal touches on it, including a "Caution: Rachel's Room" sign. The owner didn't think that room had ever been decorated as much as it has been this week! Our room is quite a bit bigger, and it's where we have our classes everyday.
The owner makes us a delicious breakfast every morning of fruit and meat, and either pancakes, french toast, or omelettes. This morning we had reindeer sausage with our french toast. For lunch and supper we either go to one of the restaurants in the area or fix something in the kitchen. It's very expensive to go out to eat here. Anywhere from $12-20 for a meal is not uncommon, so we try to buy groceries and make as much of our own food as possible. Tonight we're having blueberry waffles (there was a sale on Eggo waffles at the grocery store), fruit, yogurt and toast. Hope no one minds having breakfast foods for supper!
I hope that this helps you get an idea of where we're staying. Tomorrow we'll write about the special lunch we had today and the Yup'ik translation project Brian's helping with. Take care and so long for now. Donna