I was summoned to state capital Helena (incorrectly pronouced by Americans as ‘Helen-ah’) for my fingerprints to be taken once again. I think prisoners have their fingerprints stored in fewer locations than I do. As my appointment was for 9am on Thursday I had to leave on Wednesday and spend the night in the capital. It was shaping up to be a lonely night for me until Kate managed to get her exam moved back, allowing her to come too. We left Missoula around 4pm and arrived a little after in Helena around 6pm.
I was up bright and early and to my astonishment I managed to stumble across a US immigration office/facility which was not only friendly, but did simple things that made it easier for my paperwork. Simple things like marking out height measurements on the wall so you can provide the estimate which they require showed helpfulness which I have yet to come across here. Going above and beyond the job description.
Anywho afterwards we explored the vast city of 30-odd thousand politians. We parked up downvilliage and continued or adventure on foot. Downtown consisted of a small walking mall with the usual trinket, pawn and gun shops. I may be guessing here but it seems that Helena has some sort of history based on the number of statues around the place. There are also a number of murals painted throughout downtown. We popped into bakery and pokey candy (pronounced ‘sweet’) shop. We drove up Mt Helena and consumed our bread, then headed home in time to return the car on time. Thankfully it hadn’t snowed or rained in over a week so the roads were, apart from isolated spots, ice free.
