I left Wellington yesterday and caught a plane to the sunny city of Auckland... that was a joke, Auckland is more like Gotham City from Batman... overcast and rain. I was only there for a night so I decided to go see Blood Diamond in the iMax theater to waste some time. I don't think I will ever look at diamonds the same way again! Did Dicaprio win and Oscar? Because with the accent that he learned for the film, he should have!
On my way to get tickets for the movie yesterday I got a little lost and went up a block too far. But a block too far ended up being the best thing I could have done. I have found by far, the absolute best thing Auckland has to offer, a $3 Japanese store... WHERE EVERYTHING IS $3! It was such a knockoff of the Dollar store, it was awesome. This store had the most random stuff in it, every time I went down another aisle I would start laughing all over again. Japanese tableware, car accessories, body lotion, fake eyelashes, Scooby Doo dish towels, you name it, the $3 Japanese store had it. I am looking at all this stuff and I can't figure out what half of it is because everything is in Japanese... that is when I stumble upon chopsticks. Now it is completely unneccesary for me, the Japanese ambassador of New Zealand, to buy chopsticks. I mean, I am in New Zealand, not Tokyo. Just because there is large abundance of sushi and Thai food here does not mean that I need to buy commemorative chopsticks... but I do anyway. I had to buy something just so I had proof of the $3 Japanese store... WHERE EVERYTHING IS $3!!! I probably won't even be able to use them. They're probably painted with an acrylic paint that has traces of lead in it and I will end up dying after the first use of them at home.
I left for the Bay of Islands bright and early this morning and arrived around lunch. I hope the weather is good all week while I am here and the rain for Gotham City doesn't follow me up here. Tomorrow I am taking a day trip up to Cape Reinga. There is a 90 mile beach up there that the bus drives down and you can actually see where the Pacific Ocean and the Tasman Sea meet. I think there is a lighthouse and I think we are stopping at a Kauri forest (I may have spelled Kauri wrong). The Kauri trees are huge and similiar to the size of the redwoods in California. I have six nights here so I figured a day trip would do me some good. Mike and Debs, so I did decide to go to the cape... good advice on Whangarei though. I blinked and we were already through the town! The best part about Whangarei was me calling my boss and leaving her a voicemail that I had arrived there then seeing a welcome sign that read: WELCOME TO WHANGAREI! WE'RE #1!
That's about it for now though... I'll write in a few days after I do the day trip. Countdown T-minus 7 days until I get to see my mom!
NZ time: Thursday, March 1, 5:34pm
Philly Time: Wednesday, Feb 28, 11:30pm
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Monday, February 26, 2007
Kaikoura to Wellington
I am currently back in Wellington and staying with Mike, Debs, and Ethan until the 28th. Kaikoura was quite uneventful as the sea was too rough and my whale watching trip was cancelled! BOOOO! I was actually really looking forward to whale watching for some reason... I get there and the guy is all, "Well today's trip is cancelled. How is your schedule for tomorrow?" So I'm thinking, "Oh tomorrow is jam-packed with riding a bus for 2 hours, then jumping onto a ferry for 3 hours and watching enormous Australian men play rugby... I think I just may be able to pencil a whale watch in!" I just basically ran around Kaikoura taking pictures and seeing the city... which consisted of one big street... one big street with a used bookstore! Yes, I picked up yet another book, About a Boy by Nick Hornby (better known as the author of High Fidelity). No wonder my backpack is so damn heavy, I have about 5 books stuffed in it and I am too attached to all of them to give them away. So I did what any person would do, I found another used bookstore today and sold one back... and picked up Tuesdays with Morrie... wait, I thought I was supposed to be getting rid of books?! Actually Tuesdays With Morrie is one of my faves thanks to my Comm 110 professor, Steve Koehn. I figured I'd read it again and cry... again.
Mike picked me up after the ferry ride and I think I had the best night's sleep the entire trip last night. Apparently Ethan was trying to wake me up this morning outside my closed bedroom door... little did he know I now sleep like a rock. Being in a hostel with anywhere from 6-12 people at a time you learn to sleep through bags being packed, snoring, and people having sex (not lying). Thank god someone invented ear plugs.
Today I took the bus into the city and walked around for quite some time. Welly is such a great walking city, it's just bustling with people. It is by far my most favorite city here and I can easily understand why Mike and Debs chose to live here. I hit up the Wellington Art Gallery for a bit then ran into the Te Papa Museum to grab some new photos of a VW bus exhibit they have there on the sculpture deck (the pics I had before were on my MIA digital camera). We went out to dinner at a Malaysian restaurant in town tonight. I haven't had Malaysian before, just Thai, Chinese, and Japanese. It was pretty similiar to Thai... very very good!
Oh and I almost forgot... I spoke to my best friend in the whole wide world right before I got onto the ferry yesterday (Randi that would be you) She just got back from her trip to India this past week. My main question is... Hey Mom and Dad, aren't you guys happy I chose to backpack New Zealand instead of India? ***I can instantly feel my father's mouth dropping to the floor*** Mind you, the same father who when told that Randi was moving to Oregon said, "What is she moving to Oregon for? How is she getting there, by covered wagon" (he then proceeded to laugh at his own joke. I love you dad) Anyway, sorry for the tangent... Randi has decided to run the San Diego Rock-n-Roll Marathon in support of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society again this year (hell, I couldn't drive 26 miles) She raised just over $4000 last year... if you would like to donate to her cause, you can paste this little link right into your browser:
http://www.active.com/donate/tntor/tntorRPetrau1
That's it for now everyone... sorry I'm not falling into anyone's lap or helping out the Japanese tourists for this blog... just give me a few days!
Mike picked me up after the ferry ride and I think I had the best night's sleep the entire trip last night. Apparently Ethan was trying to wake me up this morning outside my closed bedroom door... little did he know I now sleep like a rock. Being in a hostel with anywhere from 6-12 people at a time you learn to sleep through bags being packed, snoring, and people having sex (not lying). Thank god someone invented ear plugs.
Today I took the bus into the city and walked around for quite some time. Welly is such a great walking city, it's just bustling with people. It is by far my most favorite city here and I can easily understand why Mike and Debs chose to live here. I hit up the Wellington Art Gallery for a bit then ran into the Te Papa Museum to grab some new photos of a VW bus exhibit they have there on the sculpture deck (the pics I had before were on my MIA digital camera). We went out to dinner at a Malaysian restaurant in town tonight. I haven't had Malaysian before, just Thai, Chinese, and Japanese. It was pretty similiar to Thai... very very good!
Oh and I almost forgot... I spoke to my best friend in the whole wide world right before I got onto the ferry yesterday (Randi that would be you) She just got back from her trip to India this past week. My main question is... Hey Mom and Dad, aren't you guys happy I chose to backpack New Zealand instead of India? ***I can instantly feel my father's mouth dropping to the floor*** Mind you, the same father who when told that Randi was moving to Oregon said, "What is she moving to Oregon for? How is she getting there, by covered wagon" (he then proceeded to laugh at his own joke. I love you dad) Anyway, sorry for the tangent... Randi has decided to run the San Diego Rock-n-Roll Marathon in support of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society again this year (hell, I couldn't drive 26 miles) She raised just over $4000 last year... if you would like to donate to her cause, you can paste this little link right into your browser:
http://www.active.com/donate/tntor/tntorRPetrau1
That's it for now everyone... sorry I'm not falling into anyone's lap or helping out the Japanese tourists for this blog... just give me a few days!
Friday, February 23, 2007
Last day in Christchurch
It's my last day in Christchurch and of course I would wake up to pouring down rain. I figured I'd make the best out of my last day here and still attempt to see the city. I headed down to the Art Gallery and the Centre of Contemporary Art. The Art Gallery was your typical art museum, it featured many NZ artists and I enjoyed seeing their work. The Contemporary Museum is more my taste. I like anything that is unusual, weird, and would make the average person say, what the hell is that supposed to be? There was a photography exhibit on display that I really enjoyed. it featured photographs about the lives of disabled people...
You can check it out here http://www.ourstories.co.nz/
There was also another guy that I was completely fascinated by, try googling Ian Scott, The Model Series 1996-2004. His collection was rather big for the size of canvas that he painted on. He features one woman per canvas and many of the women are posed in front of famous art. Just as an FYI, these are R rated. The women are pretty much half naked yet painted beautifully, but you may want to have the kiddies leave the room.
After the museum I ran around the city trying to find a bookstore. I went into one and the prices were absurd so I checked my trusty Lonely Planet and found another store down the street that was way cheaper and had a much better selection. So I picked up Dry by Augustus Burroughs, the sequel to Running with Scissors, Nicole Roche, thanks for introducing me to this guy! Hopefully this will last me until I get to Sydney where mom can supply me with more books!
After the great book search I went for an early dinner at the Holy Grail Pub, a recommendation by my friend Matt Smith (you've got to check this place out, www.holygrail.co.nz) It's this old art deco theatre turned into a sports bar with an enormous widescreen television and about 50 other flatscreens covering every sporting event going on right now across the world. It has these big balcony bars and padded bleachers... very cool. I had the pumpkin soup, which I've been eating a ton of over here. They actually sell pumpkin halves in the grocery store here, like how you'd buy a watermelon. I hung out there for a bit but not too long because being at a bar by yourself at 5pm isn't always the most exciting thing in the world. So as I came out of the bar I jumped onto the trolley and rode around the city for yet another trolley tour... it's kinda cool because each trolley driver tells you different facts about the city and they each have their own sense of humor. The guy that I had today was really dry and I like that... I've found that many people here don't understand my sarcasm, mostly the English. They take me very seriously until I tell them that I'm kidding... so funny how that is with different cultures.
Oh, and last night I went to see Letters from Iwo Jima. It was a really good movie but I wonder when Clint Eastwood is going to make a happy film? Everything he directs is so dark and depressing. Oh, if you don't want to read subtitles, don't bother renting.
Did I write that I got my bathing suit back? Heck yeah! I called the guys at Rangitata Rafts and had them drop it off at the hostel reception for me yesterday... too bad they didn't return a digital camera with it!
Alright well I think that sums up my days here at Christchurch... tomorrow morning it's off to Kairkoura to possibly do some whale watching if it doesn't rain. I have a night there then it's back up across the Cook Strait by ferry to Wellington to stay with Mike, Debs, and Ethan for a few days... oh how I dream of a big bed!
You can check it out here http://www.ourstories.co.nz/
There was also another guy that I was completely fascinated by, try googling Ian Scott, The Model Series 1996-2004. His collection was rather big for the size of canvas that he painted on. He features one woman per canvas and many of the women are posed in front of famous art. Just as an FYI, these are R rated. The women are pretty much half naked yet painted beautifully, but you may want to have the kiddies leave the room.
After the museum I ran around the city trying to find a bookstore. I went into one and the prices were absurd so I checked my trusty Lonely Planet and found another store down the street that was way cheaper and had a much better selection. So I picked up Dry by Augustus Burroughs, the sequel to Running with Scissors, Nicole Roche, thanks for introducing me to this guy! Hopefully this will last me until I get to Sydney where mom can supply me with more books!
After the great book search I went for an early dinner at the Holy Grail Pub, a recommendation by my friend Matt Smith (you've got to check this place out, www.holygrail.co.nz) It's this old art deco theatre turned into a sports bar with an enormous widescreen television and about 50 other flatscreens covering every sporting event going on right now across the world. It has these big balcony bars and padded bleachers... very cool. I had the pumpkin soup, which I've been eating a ton of over here. They actually sell pumpkin halves in the grocery store here, like how you'd buy a watermelon. I hung out there for a bit but not too long because being at a bar by yourself at 5pm isn't always the most exciting thing in the world. So as I came out of the bar I jumped onto the trolley and rode around the city for yet another trolley tour... it's kinda cool because each trolley driver tells you different facts about the city and they each have their own sense of humor. The guy that I had today was really dry and I like that... I've found that many people here don't understand my sarcasm, mostly the English. They take me very seriously until I tell them that I'm kidding... so funny how that is with different cultures.
Oh, and last night I went to see Letters from Iwo Jima. It was a really good movie but I wonder when Clint Eastwood is going to make a happy film? Everything he directs is so dark and depressing. Oh, if you don't want to read subtitles, don't bother renting.
Did I write that I got my bathing suit back? Heck yeah! I called the guys at Rangitata Rafts and had them drop it off at the hostel reception for me yesterday... too bad they didn't return a digital camera with it!
Alright well I think that sums up my days here at Christchurch... tomorrow morning it's off to Kairkoura to possibly do some whale watching if it doesn't rain. I have a night there then it's back up across the Cook Strait by ferry to Wellington to stay with Mike, Debs, and Ethan for a few days... oh how I dream of a big bed!
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Christchurch
I woke up today feeling like crap. I've had this nagging cough the past 4-5 days and I think I coughed up a lung on the top bunk last night. I called Mamma Dukes this morning who advised me to take the antibiotic that the doctor gave me before I left, so hopefully that kicks in tomorrow and I won't feel like I'm dying.
I walked around Christchurch all day today. It's a pretty city and has tons of old buildings and great architecture. I've taken quite a few pictures, probably more here then any other city so far. My hostel is located in the middle of Cathedral Square so I'm in the central part of town right next to the church (hence the name Christchurch). I went down to the botanical gardens but it was so damn hot out that I escaped into the Canterbury Museum then I roamed over to the Art Center which has a bunch of small shops, boutiques, and cafes. Then I found myself jumping onto a trolley and riding around the city. I ended back up in Cathedral Square and I watched a ton of street performers (I actually saw a guy juggle a chainsaw and two balls!) and browsed the outdoor markets. I think tomorrow I'm going to hit up Christchurch's Contemporary Art Museum (my cup of tea!). Speaking of tea... I've had two pots today. The tea and coffee here is spectacular, although I do find myself thinking about Dunkin Donuts sometimes. There's a Starbucks on every damn corner, but I won't set foot in one of them at home, so I'm not giving in here (Hail Dunkin Donuts and Wawa!).
After my second pot of tea today I was walking around and walked into Cathedral Square to these two kids who couldn't have been more then 10 years old playing the bagpipes and the drums. Now I've heard the bagpipes at Notre Dame games and on tv and during St. Patty's Day and all that, but I guess I've just never REALLY listened to them being played. These 10 year olds were amazing. Now I don't know a good bagpipe and drum player from a ham sandwhich, but I thought they were brilliant. They had this huge crowd around them and they were playing to collect money to go to some competition. At one point a lady called out to them and I realized that she must have been their mom or teacher or something, and they started playing Amazing Grace, it literally brought tears to my eyes, I couldn't believe it. I am still amazed by how good they sounded... hell I couldn't play the recorder in Mrs. Speca's 3rd grade music class let alone play it now. I sat there and listened to them for a good 30-40 minutes then threw a $5 into their suitcase because I was so impressed. I can only hope the mother/teacher/whatever is going to take a cut of the cash... I think that's something you'd hear on the news in the US!!!
I have read just about 4 books so far over here...
--A Million Little Pieces (it was still good, I don't care if he lied)
--Running with Scissors (a very funny yet strange true story)
--Scar Tissue (Bio of Anthony Kiedis and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, a must read
--Little Girl Lost (almost finished this, it's about two German girls fleeing Hamburg during the war and they're trying to find their mother... Kurt and Margie if you haven't read this, you should, it's very good and an easy read)
Also, some additions to Top Jobs in NZ (I copied and pasted the ones from before)
-Tandem Skydive Jumper/Instructor
-Cave tour guide
-Aqua-taxi boat driver in Abel Tasman Park
-Kiwi Experience bus driver (actually, any type of bus driver, they're all CRAZY!)
-Ocean Kayaking Guide
-Glacier Hiking Guide
-Bungy Jumping Cord Operator
-Steamboat Operator (went on a 100 year old steamboat in Q-town)
-Rafting Guide
-More to come!
I walked around Christchurch all day today. It's a pretty city and has tons of old buildings and great architecture. I've taken quite a few pictures, probably more here then any other city so far. My hostel is located in the middle of Cathedral Square so I'm in the central part of town right next to the church (hence the name Christchurch). I went down to the botanical gardens but it was so damn hot out that I escaped into the Canterbury Museum then I roamed over to the Art Center which has a bunch of small shops, boutiques, and cafes. Then I found myself jumping onto a trolley and riding around the city. I ended back up in Cathedral Square and I watched a ton of street performers (I actually saw a guy juggle a chainsaw and two balls!) and browsed the outdoor markets. I think tomorrow I'm going to hit up Christchurch's Contemporary Art Museum (my cup of tea!). Speaking of tea... I've had two pots today. The tea and coffee here is spectacular, although I do find myself thinking about Dunkin Donuts sometimes. There's a Starbucks on every damn corner, but I won't set foot in one of them at home, so I'm not giving in here (Hail Dunkin Donuts and Wawa!).
After my second pot of tea today I was walking around and walked into Cathedral Square to these two kids who couldn't have been more then 10 years old playing the bagpipes and the drums. Now I've heard the bagpipes at Notre Dame games and on tv and during St. Patty's Day and all that, but I guess I've just never REALLY listened to them being played. These 10 year olds were amazing. Now I don't know a good bagpipe and drum player from a ham sandwhich, but I thought they were brilliant. They had this huge crowd around them and they were playing to collect money to go to some competition. At one point a lady called out to them and I realized that she must have been their mom or teacher or something, and they started playing Amazing Grace, it literally brought tears to my eyes, I couldn't believe it. I am still amazed by how good they sounded... hell I couldn't play the recorder in Mrs. Speca's 3rd grade music class let alone play it now. I sat there and listened to them for a good 30-40 minutes then threw a $5 into their suitcase because I was so impressed. I can only hope the mother/teacher/whatever is going to take a cut of the cash... I think that's something you'd hear on the news in the US!!!
I have read just about 4 books so far over here...
--A Million Little Pieces (it was still good, I don't care if he lied)
--Running with Scissors (a very funny yet strange true story)
--Scar Tissue (Bio of Anthony Kiedis and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, a must read
--Little Girl Lost (almost finished this, it's about two German girls fleeing Hamburg during the war and they're trying to find their mother... Kurt and Margie if you haven't read this, you should, it's very good and an easy read)
Also, some additions to Top Jobs in NZ (I copied and pasted the ones from before)
-Tandem Skydive Jumper/Instructor
-Cave tour guide
-Aqua-taxi boat driver in Abel Tasman Park
-Kiwi Experience bus driver (actually, any type of bus driver, they're all CRAZY!)
-Ocean Kayaking Guide
-Glacier Hiking Guide
-Bungy Jumping Cord Operator
-Steamboat Operator (went on a 100 year old steamboat in Q-town)
-Rafting Guide
-More to come!
Rangitata to Christchurch
I left Q-town yesterday and halfway to Christchurch I got dropped off in Geraldine. A guy from the Rangitata Rafting company picked me up and drove me to their lodge in the middle of NOWHERE! We had about a 25 minute drive to the lodge and the road went from a two lane road to a one lane road and then to a one lane dirt road (so you can get a feel of where NOWHERE is) Out of two tour buses of 50 people, I turned out to be the only person who decided to go rafting, so I was at the lodge pretty much by myself and with some of the rafting guides. I got there and met a guide named Dustin who is from Idaho... did you know that Idaho has incredible rafting there? All this time I thought that they just grew potatoes... who knew. So I chatted with Dustin for a bit, a guide named Cam who was hella cool, and an older couple that was staying at the lodge then pretty much just went to bed because I was so knackered from Q-town.
I woke up today and the guides made me breakfast and I pretty much just hung with them and BS'd until the other buses from Christchurch came in with people. The guys were like this huge family preparing breakfast and lunch for all the rafters... I guess you would be a family if you all lived with each other and worked together 24/7 from September until May. Anyway, so they drove us to the river and we got our rafts and started down river. My guide was Ben (holy hotness ladies!) and he has been working at Rangitata for 17 seasons, so he is pretty much a veteran off the river. It was definitely a great time going through all the different grade rapids and just getting totally soaked. We didn't have anyone fall overboard and we didn't flip unlike some of the other guys, which I think pretty much showed Ben's ability on the water. We stopped once to jump off this big cliff then we all swam down river to another spot where we all stopped to jump off another cliff that was actually way way bigger than the first. So I jump about 40 feet off this cliff and swim to shore... so we're all getting back into the rafts and Cam's raft was in the way of Ben's so he tells me to jump on his raft to get to Ben's. So as I am making to jump from Cam's raft to Ben's raft my foot gets caught on one of the ropes and I fall facefirst right into Ben's crotch. I quickly sat up and was laughing so hard and his mouth was pretty much on the floor of the raft. So I grab his face, give him a huge kiss and say, "Well I hope that was as good for you as it was for me." He pretty much just died right then and there. I was absolutely hysterical and SO embarrassed. He just sat there with his mouth to the floor and was like OH MY GOD! Luckily not too many people saw it happen! Eventually we got back to the lodge and the crew cooked us dinner. We were all on the bus leaving and Ben sees me sitting on one of the seats and comes up to the window of the bus and starts kissing it, so of course I lean over and kiss the window as well... I am STILL laughing.
It took about two hours to get to Christchurch and on the way I realized that I left my bathing suit in the bathroom of the lodge--GUTTED! So Mom, if you're going to the beach, can you get the black bathing suit that's in my room (the top and bottom don't match) and the purple striped one as well? Thanks MUAH!! It's also my mom's birthday today! Well, for me it was yesterday, but hey whatever, so Happy Birthday Mom! I will write about Christchurch in a day or two because it's 8:45pm here and I'm not planning on going out to see the city until tomorrow. So until then!
I woke up today and the guides made me breakfast and I pretty much just hung with them and BS'd until the other buses from Christchurch came in with people. The guys were like this huge family preparing breakfast and lunch for all the rafters... I guess you would be a family if you all lived with each other and worked together 24/7 from September until May. Anyway, so they drove us to the river and we got our rafts and started down river. My guide was Ben (holy hotness ladies!) and he has been working at Rangitata for 17 seasons, so he is pretty much a veteran off the river. It was definitely a great time going through all the different grade rapids and just getting totally soaked. We didn't have anyone fall overboard and we didn't flip unlike some of the other guys, which I think pretty much showed Ben's ability on the water. We stopped once to jump off this big cliff then we all swam down river to another spot where we all stopped to jump off another cliff that was actually way way bigger than the first. So I jump about 40 feet off this cliff and swim to shore... so we're all getting back into the rafts and Cam's raft was in the way of Ben's so he tells me to jump on his raft to get to Ben's. So as I am making to jump from Cam's raft to Ben's raft my foot gets caught on one of the ropes and I fall facefirst right into Ben's crotch. I quickly sat up and was laughing so hard and his mouth was pretty much on the floor of the raft. So I grab his face, give him a huge kiss and say, "Well I hope that was as good for you as it was for me." He pretty much just died right then and there. I was absolutely hysterical and SO embarrassed. He just sat there with his mouth to the floor and was like OH MY GOD! Luckily not too many people saw it happen! Eventually we got back to the lodge and the crew cooked us dinner. We were all on the bus leaving and Ben sees me sitting on one of the seats and comes up to the window of the bus and starts kissing it, so of course I lean over and kiss the window as well... I am STILL laughing.
It took about two hours to get to Christchurch and on the way I realized that I left my bathing suit in the bathroom of the lodge--GUTTED! So Mom, if you're going to the beach, can you get the black bathing suit that's in my room (the top and bottom don't match) and the purple striped one as well? Thanks MUAH!! It's also my mom's birthday today! Well, for me it was yesterday, but hey whatever, so Happy Birthday Mom! I will write about Christchurch in a day or two because it's 8:45pm here and I'm not planning on going out to see the city until tomorrow. So until then!
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Queenstown will be the death of me
I quickly got over being bummed about my camera after Kristen got in the other day, which is good because I was pretty upset. The people she is traveling with are really cool and I've made instant friends with Phil, Steve, and Malue. The day they got in Kristen came and met Dave and I on the beach by the lake for a bit then Kristen and I went to meet up with a guy named CK who bartends at my hostel bar Altitude (where my camera went MIA). Kristen's friends that she lived with in Australia worked with CK when they were on a working visa in NZ. So we meet up with CK at the bar while he's working and he tells us about this horizontal bungy contest that is going on at the bar that night and that we should both enter. Kristen bugs out but of course my competitive streak is always alive and I tell CK not only will I enter the contest, but I will win it...
So for the horizontal bungy contest I had a bungee cord strapped around my waist and I had to run the length of the bar, grab a yard of beer out of this girl's hand. Then I had to run backwards with the beer without spilling it then chug it without pouring the beer all over myself. So there were 5 girls in my group including me and I asked CK (who was the announcer) if he could put me last so I could see my competition. So this beastly girl gets up there first and I'm like hmmm she could be difficult... luckily for me she didn't have Joe Miller for track and field in highschool and she didn't know that you have to get low to the ground and dig while running with a bungy (I knew running track was going to do something for me in the future). The other girls weren't that good either and I look at Kristen, Phil, and Dave and I'm like dude, this is totally in the bag. The one girl was actually so bad that they gave her a bar tab for potentially being the worst contestant ever. So CK calls me up and he's all our next contestant is from the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (a few cheers, alot of boos) then the DJ puts on the national anthem. I politely turned to CK and request the Rocky theme which he graciously had the DJ put on. So not only do I completely kill the contest, I win and beat all the girls.... ANNNNNNND I beat all the guys. I got done and CK and the other people running the contest were like we have never seen someone skull a yard of beer so fast before (thank you Lycoming College). I also set a new women's record of 16.4 seconds. I rule. I bet you're all now wondering, OH-MY-GOD what did she win??? Well, I got to jump the Nevis Highwire AGAIN! Yeaaaay! It's something that I never would have paid for to do again, but hell if it's free, I'm game.
So I just got back from doing that and now I'm all wired and giddy like a schoolgirl. The jump wasn't as nearly as cool as the first one because I knew what to expect, but it's still such a crazy rush that you've never ever felt before. I got pictures of me jumping because my other ones were on my digi camera, I have to go pick them up in a few minutes then I am meeting up with Kristen and everyone to go out. I can't believe how fast my time in Q-town has gone by. I feel like I've been here for 2 days and I'm already at a week. On my way to Christchurch I am stopping off and going whitewater rafting in this place called Geraldine. The trip will cut the trip from Q-town to Christchurch in half (6-7 hour drive) and it's supposed to be a pretty good grade 5 rapid river. Tomorrow or the next day I may go wine tasting but I'm not sure. It's kind of pricey and I already did one tasting in Nelson so it'll depend on if anyone else wants to go with me... other than that, not much is planned. I hope you're all doing well in the FREEZING COLD WEATHER that you're all emailing me about! Yeah it was about 90 degrees here today (no yucky PA humidity either). Alright, it's time to wrap this one up... I will write more soon. Mad love to everyone at home in their snowsuits:)
So for the horizontal bungy contest I had a bungee cord strapped around my waist and I had to run the length of the bar, grab a yard of beer out of this girl's hand. Then I had to run backwards with the beer without spilling it then chug it without pouring the beer all over myself. So there were 5 girls in my group including me and I asked CK (who was the announcer) if he could put me last so I could see my competition. So this beastly girl gets up there first and I'm like hmmm she could be difficult... luckily for me she didn't have Joe Miller for track and field in highschool and she didn't know that you have to get low to the ground and dig while running with a bungy (I knew running track was going to do something for me in the future). The other girls weren't that good either and I look at Kristen, Phil, and Dave and I'm like dude, this is totally in the bag. The one girl was actually so bad that they gave her a bar tab for potentially being the worst contestant ever. So CK calls me up and he's all our next contestant is from the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (a few cheers, alot of boos) then the DJ puts on the national anthem. I politely turned to CK and request the Rocky theme which he graciously had the DJ put on. So not only do I completely kill the contest, I win and beat all the girls.... ANNNNNNND I beat all the guys. I got done and CK and the other people running the contest were like we have never seen someone skull a yard of beer so fast before (thank you Lycoming College). I also set a new women's record of 16.4 seconds. I rule. I bet you're all now wondering, OH-MY-GOD what did she win??? Well, I got to jump the Nevis Highwire AGAIN! Yeaaaay! It's something that I never would have paid for to do again, but hell if it's free, I'm game.
So I just got back from doing that and now I'm all wired and giddy like a schoolgirl. The jump wasn't as nearly as cool as the first one because I knew what to expect, but it's still such a crazy rush that you've never ever felt before. I got pictures of me jumping because my other ones were on my digi camera, I have to go pick them up in a few minutes then I am meeting up with Kristen and everyone to go out. I can't believe how fast my time in Q-town has gone by. I feel like I've been here for 2 days and I'm already at a week. On my way to Christchurch I am stopping off and going whitewater rafting in this place called Geraldine. The trip will cut the trip from Q-town to Christchurch in half (6-7 hour drive) and it's supposed to be a pretty good grade 5 rapid river. Tomorrow or the next day I may go wine tasting but I'm not sure. It's kind of pricey and I already did one tasting in Nelson so it'll depend on if anyone else wants to go with me... other than that, not much is planned. I hope you're all doing well in the FREEZING COLD WEATHER that you're all emailing me about! Yeah it was about 90 degrees here today (no yucky PA humidity either). Alright, it's time to wrap this one up... I will write more soon. Mad love to everyone at home in their snowsuits:)
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Q-town
I've been in Queenstown for a few days now, I actually head out of here for Christchurch on the 20th, today is the 15th. I had a slight setback the other night and my digital camera got ripped off at a bar. I've actually been quite bummed out about it. I lost over 200 pictures... I could care less about the camera you know? So I've been hoping that it would pop up somewhere but I've had no luck and I'm sure it's long gone. Luckily I still have my 35mm camera and I've taken quite a few rolls with that, but it's all been pretty much scenery. All the pictures of the people that I have met and hung out with were on the digital and so was my glacier hike and bungy jump. Luckily alot of the people I have met are going to email my some pictures, but it's just not the same you know? So yesterday consisted of me on a bus going to the Milford Sound through these crazy mountains and being on the phone with my mom about 6 times trying to figure out if I can get an insurance claim, which I can. I had to go to the police station last night to fill out a police report (joy) so hopefully things all work out.
So the Milford Sound... I went on a boat cruise yesterday that was included in the pass I bought from the Kiwi bus. It took about 5 hours to get there, we had tht 2 hour boat cruise, then a 5 hour trip home. Needless to say, I was in no mood to do this and I didn't sleep a wink the night before even though I tried going to bed around 10pm. My friend Dave went with me so it was nice that he was there and I didn't have to do it by myself, but I don't think he really enjoyed it either! The scenery was really great and we saw a bunch of seals and tons of fish in this underwater observatory, but other then that there wasn't much to the trip.
My Canadian friend Kristen that I met in Auckland arrives in Q-town today. I am pretty excited to see her, we've been trying to cross paths for a few weeks now. So as crappy as the past 2 days have been, things are looking up and she is here for the rest of my stay in Q-town. It's nice hanging out with another girl, I feel like all I've met are guys since Sarah and I split. Sometimes you just need a cool chick to chill with... which hasn't been easy because most girls here travel in packs and they're like wolves protecting their kill when trying to make friends... no wonder I never get along with girls!
Happy Valentine's Day to everyone at home (even though it was yesterday for me) and I'd like to say hello and I miss you to my fabulous boyfriend who I have now been dating for a year... like whoa, who would have thought!!!??? Hope you all are dealing with the snow and sleet, I am going to go lay on the beach HA! love you and miss you all.
B-Dev, thanks for you myspace message, tell Aunt Sue and Uncle Rodg hi and Aunt E, Uncle Al, and Nanny, I've been eating so much tuna fish and cereal... get ready for me to raid your kitchen when I get home!!!! XOXO.
So the Milford Sound... I went on a boat cruise yesterday that was included in the pass I bought from the Kiwi bus. It took about 5 hours to get there, we had tht 2 hour boat cruise, then a 5 hour trip home. Needless to say, I was in no mood to do this and I didn't sleep a wink the night before even though I tried going to bed around 10pm. My friend Dave went with me so it was nice that he was there and I didn't have to do it by myself, but I don't think he really enjoyed it either! The scenery was really great and we saw a bunch of seals and tons of fish in this underwater observatory, but other then that there wasn't much to the trip.
My Canadian friend Kristen that I met in Auckland arrives in Q-town today. I am pretty excited to see her, we've been trying to cross paths for a few weeks now. So as crappy as the past 2 days have been, things are looking up and she is here for the rest of my stay in Q-town. It's nice hanging out with another girl, I feel like all I've met are guys since Sarah and I split. Sometimes you just need a cool chick to chill with... which hasn't been easy because most girls here travel in packs and they're like wolves protecting their kill when trying to make friends... no wonder I never get along with girls!
Happy Valentine's Day to everyone at home (even though it was yesterday for me) and I'd like to say hello and I miss you to my fabulous boyfriend who I have now been dating for a year... like whoa, who would have thought!!!??? Hope you all are dealing with the snow and sleet, I am going to go lay on the beach HA! love you and miss you all.
B-Dev, thanks for you myspace message, tell Aunt Sue and Uncle Rodg hi and Aunt E, Uncle Al, and Nanny, I've been eating so much tuna fish and cereal... get ready for me to raid your kitchen when I get home!!!! XOXO.
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Queenstown
I arrived in Queenstown about two days ago. On our way here the bus stopped at AJ Hacket's Bungy Jump Center where I decided that it would be a good idea to sign up for the Nevis Highwire and jump 134 meters out of a gondola in the middle of the mountains... what a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. I had no intention of bungy jumping on this trip. I've never even wanted to do it, I've always just wanted to skydive... when in Rome right? It was by far the biggest rush I've ever experienced. I can't even begin to explain how it makes you feel. I had someone take pictures of me while I was getting ready to jump and I look like a little kid on Christmas morning. After I got done jumping the girl was trying to take my legs out of the harness and I my kneecaps were shaking. The whole time I couldn't even watch anyone else jump because I didn't want to get freaked out. I'm not scared of heights or anything, but to throw yourself out of a gondola is a pretty mental thing. I just got to the edge and kept looking out, the guy counted 1-2-3 and I did a swan dive out, I am still shaking thinking about it. I could hardly watch my video after I did it.
So my last day in Wanaka was pretty cool. While I was in the LAX getting my flight here I met this guy Adam from Minnesota who was going to work and travel here. We've been text messaging each other and when he would be arriving in a town I would always be leaving. We finally caught up in Wanaka and went out for lunch and he is here in Queenstown now. It's kinda nice to have a little bit of home here... I mean not that Minnesota is really close to home but you know what I mean. My bunkmates are ok, there is a couple that doesn't really talk and another girl who is kinda odd and she has her crap all over the damn room. I been hanging out with this guy Adam (another Adam) and he's just been super nice and has let me tag along with him and the other guys he is traveling with who are a riot and probably some of the worst dancers I have ever seen. Right when I got into town Adam and his friend Sam asked me if I wanted to go eat dinner with them so we headed to this place called Fergburger which has the biggest hamburgers I have ever eaten. There are seriously as big as my face, not kidding. Sam proceeded to eat the burger in all of 3 bites and I couldn't even bite into the thing. I felt like a cartoon character with the huge sandwich. Every time I went to bite everything would come out the other side of the burger and end up on the table. It took me a could 25 minutes to eat it.
My friend Sophie who I traveled the north island with is also here but is leaving tomorrow. She and I went out last night with all the guys and our other friend Michael and it was just absolute chaos. I also traveled with Michael on the north island but have never mentioned him. He is German and so funny but funny like he isn't trying to be funny it's just his mannerisms and he is so naive about things. Like he just does and says the most random things and we all laugh and he's all in his German accent, Why are you laughing at me, I'm not trying to be funny. We were all in the bar last night and Michael just disappeared. About a half hour later he comes back to the bar and has a huge buldge in his pocket. I point at it and I'm like what the hell is that, and he pulls out a can of Watties spaghetti and meatballs. I'm like Michael why do you have that you're in the bar and he replies, well in case I get hungry I can just snap off the lid and eat right here. At one point we all went back to our rooms to get our IDs because we were going out to another bar. I came down to meet Michael and Sophie and Michael is carrying a box of goon (wine) I'm like, Michael where did you get that, and he replies to me umm I found it in my room, it's mine now and we're going to drink it... so we did. Somewhere in the chaos we gained another guy in the group and we all sat down in the hallway and proceeded to pass the bag around. Then a girl came out and yelled at us so we moved downstairs to the lobby of the hostel and drank there. After we kill the bag we thought that it would be a good time to go out and get food. We end up at this all night mini-mart and of all the things I could choose to eat I get a hotdog on a stick and wedges. Needless to say, we never made it to the other bar which is probably a good thing because it was karaoke night!
I had to get a new pair of flip flops today because the bar we went to doesn't clean the floor. It was so sticky last night that when I picked up my foot I pulled the rubber part that connects to the bottom of the flip flop right through the sole. So those flip flops lasted me a good 4 1/2 weeks in New Zealand. I had to go change into my Old Navy shower shoes and wear them out...niiiice. Oh and that reminds me, no one where's shower shoes in this country, no one. I think myself and my Canadian friend are the only people that wear shoes in the showers...vomit.
Well, I am here in Q-town until the 20th so I'm sure I will have more fantastic stories to tell. I just ran into LA Airport Adam and we're going to go get pizza at Winnies for dinner (thanks Gwenn!!) I will write more about my escapades later.
NZ Time: Monday February 12, 2007, 4:42pm
Philly Time: Sunday February 11, 2007, 10:43pm
So my last day in Wanaka was pretty cool. While I was in the LAX getting my flight here I met this guy Adam from Minnesota who was going to work and travel here. We've been text messaging each other and when he would be arriving in a town I would always be leaving. We finally caught up in Wanaka and went out for lunch and he is here in Queenstown now. It's kinda nice to have a little bit of home here... I mean not that Minnesota is really close to home but you know what I mean. My bunkmates are ok, there is a couple that doesn't really talk and another girl who is kinda odd and she has her crap all over the damn room. I been hanging out with this guy Adam (another Adam) and he's just been super nice and has let me tag along with him and the other guys he is traveling with who are a riot and probably some of the worst dancers I have ever seen. Right when I got into town Adam and his friend Sam asked me if I wanted to go eat dinner with them so we headed to this place called Fergburger which has the biggest hamburgers I have ever eaten. There are seriously as big as my face, not kidding. Sam proceeded to eat the burger in all of 3 bites and I couldn't even bite into the thing. I felt like a cartoon character with the huge sandwich. Every time I went to bite everything would come out the other side of the burger and end up on the table. It took me a could 25 minutes to eat it.
My friend Sophie who I traveled the north island with is also here but is leaving tomorrow. She and I went out last night with all the guys and our other friend Michael and it was just absolute chaos. I also traveled with Michael on the north island but have never mentioned him. He is German and so funny but funny like he isn't trying to be funny it's just his mannerisms and he is so naive about things. Like he just does and says the most random things and we all laugh and he's all in his German accent, Why are you laughing at me, I'm not trying to be funny. We were all in the bar last night and Michael just disappeared. About a half hour later he comes back to the bar and has a huge buldge in his pocket. I point at it and I'm like what the hell is that, and he pulls out a can of Watties spaghetti and meatballs. I'm like Michael why do you have that you're in the bar and he replies, well in case I get hungry I can just snap off the lid and eat right here. At one point we all went back to our rooms to get our IDs because we were going out to another bar. I came down to meet Michael and Sophie and Michael is carrying a box of goon (wine) I'm like, Michael where did you get that, and he replies to me umm I found it in my room, it's mine now and we're going to drink it... so we did. Somewhere in the chaos we gained another guy in the group and we all sat down in the hallway and proceeded to pass the bag around. Then a girl came out and yelled at us so we moved downstairs to the lobby of the hostel and drank there. After we kill the bag we thought that it would be a good time to go out and get food. We end up at this all night mini-mart and of all the things I could choose to eat I get a hotdog on a stick and wedges. Needless to say, we never made it to the other bar which is probably a good thing because it was karaoke night!
I had to get a new pair of flip flops today because the bar we went to doesn't clean the floor. It was so sticky last night that when I picked up my foot I pulled the rubber part that connects to the bottom of the flip flop right through the sole. So those flip flops lasted me a good 4 1/2 weeks in New Zealand. I had to go change into my Old Navy shower shoes and wear them out...niiiice. Oh and that reminds me, no one where's shower shoes in this country, no one. I think myself and my Canadian friend are the only people that wear shoes in the showers...vomit.
Well, I am here in Q-town until the 20th so I'm sure I will have more fantastic stories to tell. I just ran into LA Airport Adam and we're going to go get pizza at Winnies for dinner (thanks Gwenn!!) I will write more about my escapades later.
NZ Time: Monday February 12, 2007, 4:42pm
Philly Time: Sunday February 11, 2007, 10:43pm
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Still rockin Wanaka
It's Thursday here, today has been a pretty chill day. I walked around town for quite a bit and read by the lake. I was out until 3am last night... exactly what I said I wasn't going to do, be out late. Rob, US-Holland, and I met a Kiwi named Dean and he ended up taking us all around town (I make it sound like NYC, Wanaka is like 5 blocks by 5 blocks) We had a real good time and it was nice to hang out with a Kiwi and not someone who is just a traveler. Dean is on holiday here in Wanaka, he really lives in Wellington. As of yesterday Rob and I couldn't get on the Kiwi bus for Saturday because it was booked solid so we were on the waitlist. Dean offered to take us to Queenstown because it's only an hour 1/2 away and he's on holiday. I definitely considered it, but I called the Kiwi office today and I got on the bus so that's good. Mom, you can pick your mouth up off the floor and dad you can stop yelling. It is extremely safe here... the people here are just nicer and willing to go out of their way for you. They are proud of their country and want the people that visit to experience it to the fullest... p.s. bet you all didn't know that hitchhiking is a main form of transportation here.
So US-Holland turned out to be ok... still not a huge fan of her, but she was nice to hang out with for a night. I think I may have run into her at a Grateful Dead concert or in the dance pit the last time I saw Phish. She tried to tell me that when she was hiking in Franz Josef she saw THE tree where pixies came from. She was so sincere about the whole thing, she even whipped out her digital camera and showed me a picture of the tree. It took everything I had to not laugh. I wanted to tell her to stay off the pot she was smoking for a few days but I decided not to... I also opted to tell her that maybe it was a bird that she saw on the tree, but I didn't want to spoil her utter amazement with the pixie tree. I mean seeing the tree where pixies come from... man, that's a story to tell the grandkids. I think US-Holland needs to dock her boat somewhere other than Amsterdam.
Some of you may remember when I was backpacking Europe I had a Japanese girl accuse me of stealing her contacts and her contact case in Belgium (I'm not lying). Well I think I am receiving payback for laughing right in her face. There is a Japanese girl staying in my room for a few days. She is extremely nice, but like the can opener girl, she doesn't really understand English. So I talk to her slow and try to act things out like I'm playing charades-- awesome. It took me five minutes to try to explain to her where the grocery store was. Finally I just drug her out the sliding glass door of our room and pointed at it... I should have thought of that first. I think God wants me to be the Japanese tourist ambassador. My job will be to show them how to use kitchen utensils and point out the nearest grocery store. I think I have found my calling. Also, this has nothing to do with the story I just told, Dean told me last night that I should do stand up comedy, not the first person to suggest it, but it was pretty funny. Are there any job postings at QVC for japanese tourist ambassador/stand up comedian? Jenny and Richard, please let me know and put that down on my PODP.
I'll write in Queenstown... oh and check this out www.google.co.nz
now type in Nevis Highwire!
NZ time: Thursday, February 8, 2007, 4:30pm (Hey, it's Matt Herneisen's birthday)
Philly time: Wednesday, February 7, 2007, 10:30pm (not Matt Herneisen's birthday)
So US-Holland turned out to be ok... still not a huge fan of her, but she was nice to hang out with for a night. I think I may have run into her at a Grateful Dead concert or in the dance pit the last time I saw Phish. She tried to tell me that when she was hiking in Franz Josef she saw THE tree where pixies came from. She was so sincere about the whole thing, she even whipped out her digital camera and showed me a picture of the tree. It took everything I had to not laugh. I wanted to tell her to stay off the pot she was smoking for a few days but I decided not to... I also opted to tell her that maybe it was a bird that she saw on the tree, but I didn't want to spoil her utter amazement with the pixie tree. I mean seeing the tree where pixies come from... man, that's a story to tell the grandkids. I think US-Holland needs to dock her boat somewhere other than Amsterdam.
Some of you may remember when I was backpacking Europe I had a Japanese girl accuse me of stealing her contacts and her contact case in Belgium (I'm not lying). Well I think I am receiving payback for laughing right in her face. There is a Japanese girl staying in my room for a few days. She is extremely nice, but like the can opener girl, she doesn't really understand English. So I talk to her slow and try to act things out like I'm playing charades-- awesome. It took me five minutes to try to explain to her where the grocery store was. Finally I just drug her out the sliding glass door of our room and pointed at it... I should have thought of that first. I think God wants me to be the Japanese tourist ambassador. My job will be to show them how to use kitchen utensils and point out the nearest grocery store. I think I have found my calling. Also, this has nothing to do with the story I just told, Dean told me last night that I should do stand up comedy, not the first person to suggest it, but it was pretty funny. Are there any job postings at QVC for japanese tourist ambassador/stand up comedian? Jenny and Richard, please let me know and put that down on my PODP.
I'll write in Queenstown... oh and check this out www.google.co.nz
now type in Nevis Highwire!
NZ time: Thursday, February 8, 2007, 4:30pm (Hey, it's Matt Herneisen's birthday)
Philly time: Wednesday, February 7, 2007, 10:30pm (not Matt Herneisen's birthday)
Wanaka
Picture a huge crystal blue lake with the biggest snowcapped mountains you can possibly think of out in the distance. That is Wanaka. Oh and it's like 85-90 degrees here. If I tried to compare Wanaka to the Poconos it would be like trying to talk you into eating the old lint covered tic tacs at the bottom of my purse... not a chance in hell.
Yesterday all my friends left me... again (do we see a pattern here?). I freaked out about being by myself and being out of my comfort zone and called my mom who was like, yo get a grip you'll be ok... and of course I calmed down. So after talking to her and to my wonderful boyfriend I went to the lake and chilled... by myself (ha). As quickly as the scary anxious feeling comes, it leaves and I'm ok and laying on the sheet that I stole from the hostel that I am staying at. I ended up meeting some girl who is also from the US but was born in Holland or something... I don't know I didn't really feel like talking to her because I felt like she was trying extremely hard to be cool and talk all surfer like... does the North Sea get waves? Anyway, I just started reading and she got the hint. So I hung out the rest of the day then fell asleep watching Mr. & Mrs. Smith with my new Danish roommates (they would have been much better rommates if they brought some danish) I woke up in the morning and BAM! By myself again... which I am actually beginning to like. I go to sleep at night with people in the room and I wake up by myself. I went and kayaked on the lake today for 2 hours. I went out to this little island and kayaked around it then went all over the lake and came back and just laid on the beach all day (oh the life) So who do I run into? The US-Holland girl (sounds like the name of a ship). We talk a little more and she asks me if I want to meet up for a few beers tonight. I told her I would, so that is my plan as of now, to go out with the US-Holland and have a few beers then go to bed. I think she may think I'm going to be out until 4am with her, she's in for a surprise... hopefully she doesn't put any roofies in my drink and try to take advantage of me (I can't believe I just wrote that). I was talking to a guy at the kayak place today and he told me of a hike with good scenic views that isn't too crazy hard, so I may do that tomorrow morning.
A few of my friends are moving south and are going to catch up with me in a few days so that is something to look forward to. I met a guy named Adam in the LAX airport on the way over here and we exchanged info. He called me today and is a city behind me, we are going to meet up in Queenstown. And since he has been there before he knows the lay of the town and can probably show me some cool stuff which is always good. I also talked to my friend Dave from the UK and Kristen from Canada and we're all going to try to meet up as well... Queenstown should be a good time.
I probably won't write for a few days because I'll still be in Wanaka, so don't fear, I am still alive. I will talk to you all soon... Colella it was nice to talk to you yesterday, it makes me feel like I am at home. Keep sending the emails and the posts! Miss you all.
Yesterday all my friends left me... again (do we see a pattern here?). I freaked out about being by myself and being out of my comfort zone and called my mom who was like, yo get a grip you'll be ok... and of course I calmed down. So after talking to her and to my wonderful boyfriend I went to the lake and chilled... by myself (ha). As quickly as the scary anxious feeling comes, it leaves and I'm ok and laying on the sheet that I stole from the hostel that I am staying at. I ended up meeting some girl who is also from the US but was born in Holland or something... I don't know I didn't really feel like talking to her because I felt like she was trying extremely hard to be cool and talk all surfer like... does the North Sea get waves? Anyway, I just started reading and she got the hint. So I hung out the rest of the day then fell asleep watching Mr. & Mrs. Smith with my new Danish roommates (they would have been much better rommates if they brought some danish) I woke up in the morning and BAM! By myself again... which I am actually beginning to like. I go to sleep at night with people in the room and I wake up by myself. I went and kayaked on the lake today for 2 hours. I went out to this little island and kayaked around it then went all over the lake and came back and just laid on the beach all day (oh the life) So who do I run into? The US-Holland girl (sounds like the name of a ship). We talk a little more and she asks me if I want to meet up for a few beers tonight. I told her I would, so that is my plan as of now, to go out with the US-Holland and have a few beers then go to bed. I think she may think I'm going to be out until 4am with her, she's in for a surprise... hopefully she doesn't put any roofies in my drink and try to take advantage of me (I can't believe I just wrote that). I was talking to a guy at the kayak place today and he told me of a hike with good scenic views that isn't too crazy hard, so I may do that tomorrow morning.
A few of my friends are moving south and are going to catch up with me in a few days so that is something to look forward to. I met a guy named Adam in the LAX airport on the way over here and we exchanged info. He called me today and is a city behind me, we are going to meet up in Queenstown. And since he has been there before he knows the lay of the town and can probably show me some cool stuff which is always good. I also talked to my friend Dave from the UK and Kristen from Canada and we're all going to try to meet up as well... Queenstown should be a good time.
I probably won't write for a few days because I'll still be in Wanaka, so don't fear, I am still alive. I will talk to you all soon... Colella it was nice to talk to you yesterday, it makes me feel like I am at home. Keep sending the emails and the posts! Miss you all.
Saturday, February 3, 2007
Franz Josef
I hiked the Franz Josef Glacier yesterday. It was pretty cool, and the sites were incredible. It wasn't my most favorite thing that i have done here, but how many people do you know that have hiked a glacier? Yeah that's what I thought. I took about 40 pictures... they just won't do this place justice. It is so beautiful here, I can't get over how blue everything is; the sky, the water, the mountains, everything is SO blue and if it's not blue then its green, like Kermit the Frog green. All the plants and trees look like someone colored then with a green highlighter.
So my crew left on the bus this morning, I am staying a day longer because I have so much time until March. My friends Sophie and Thurstan came in on the bus yesterday, so I will be traveling with them on their bus now. Sophie is 19, from the UK, and fresh out of Uni. At times I forget that I am six years older then her but she is hella cool and is alot of fun to hang out with. I met Thurstan on the Tongiraro Crossing in Taupo. He is also very nice and has crazy curly hair. I was kind of bummed to leave Sarah, Ben, and Stu because they have all been so fun, I have never laughed so hard in my life. Ben and I decided that doing the Thriller dance at the bar last nite was a good idea (who knows why) we had the entire bar watching us... check youTube for a video, someone had to take one (now i can't run for office!) I will meet up with Ben and Stu in Queenstown and I will have a night with Sarah in Wanaka.
Ok, so a few of you have sent emails about the comet. I did see the comet in Wellington. Mike, Deb, Ethan and one of their friends and I went out my last night there to see it. Nothing crazy, just a white streak in the sky... it would have been cooler if it was flaming or something but I can't always have what I want you know:)
And now for the absolute BEST highlight of my trip that I forgot to tell you all about in my Wesport blog... I taught a Japanese girl how to use a can opener. We were all making dinner in the kitchen. While I was opening a can of tuna, I made a remark about how much the can opener sucked and it was hard to use. So the Japanese girl comes over and goes, "I try?" and I'm thinking ummm ok I guess she wants to see how much the can opener sucks. So I say sure, she grabs the can and picks up the can opener and is staring at it was absolute amazement. And she's turning it around in her hand and is opening and closing the handles. So now I think to myself, holy shizat this girl doesn't know what a damn can opener is.... so i show her how to clamp it onto the can and twist the twister thinger. and she looks at me with wide eyes and a huge smile and goes OOOOOOH! like she just won a million bucks or something. I didn't even realize what was happening until i started eating. I was like oh-my-god I just taught someone how to use a can opener... RANDOM. The next day we stopped at a cafe on the way to the lake and she asked me what wedges were... so I told her to buy them and get sour cream to put on them... she really enjoyed that, like a kid on Christmas morning. You know, it's amazing what people just don't know. I'm sure I'd be the same way if I went to Japan.
Things that I miss at home:
1. Toilet seat covers (seriously, that is not a joke)
2. Having one faucet at the sink, they have two faucets here, a hot and a cold
3. My down pillows, the pillow here are like sleeping on a stack of newspapers
4. Friends (the tv show) they have the show here, but the voices are at a higher pitch or something, for example, Joey Tribiani sounds like he got kicked in between the legs
5. Ketchup... the stuff here is really sweet
Oh and an FYI, the carrots here are AWESOME. I don't even like carrots and I've been eating them non-stop here. Mom, if we lived in NZ when I was a kid, I would have eaten my veggies! oh and even better, there is an ad running on the tv right now for the Hogan's Heroes box set!
So my crew left on the bus this morning, I am staying a day longer because I have so much time until March. My friends Sophie and Thurstan came in on the bus yesterday, so I will be traveling with them on their bus now. Sophie is 19, from the UK, and fresh out of Uni. At times I forget that I am six years older then her but she is hella cool and is alot of fun to hang out with. I met Thurstan on the Tongiraro Crossing in Taupo. He is also very nice and has crazy curly hair. I was kind of bummed to leave Sarah, Ben, and Stu because they have all been so fun, I have never laughed so hard in my life. Ben and I decided that doing the Thriller dance at the bar last nite was a good idea (who knows why) we had the entire bar watching us... check youTube for a video, someone had to take one (now i can't run for office!) I will meet up with Ben and Stu in Queenstown and I will have a night with Sarah in Wanaka.
Ok, so a few of you have sent emails about the comet. I did see the comet in Wellington. Mike, Deb, Ethan and one of their friends and I went out my last night there to see it. Nothing crazy, just a white streak in the sky... it would have been cooler if it was flaming or something but I can't always have what I want you know:)
And now for the absolute BEST highlight of my trip that I forgot to tell you all about in my Wesport blog... I taught a Japanese girl how to use a can opener. We were all making dinner in the kitchen. While I was opening a can of tuna, I made a remark about how much the can opener sucked and it was hard to use. So the Japanese girl comes over and goes, "I try?" and I'm thinking ummm ok I guess she wants to see how much the can opener sucks. So I say sure, she grabs the can and picks up the can opener and is staring at it was absolute amazement. And she's turning it around in her hand and is opening and closing the handles. So now I think to myself, holy shizat this girl doesn't know what a damn can opener is.... so i show her how to clamp it onto the can and twist the twister thinger. and she looks at me with wide eyes and a huge smile and goes OOOOOOH! like she just won a million bucks or something. I didn't even realize what was happening until i started eating. I was like oh-my-god I just taught someone how to use a can opener... RANDOM. The next day we stopped at a cafe on the way to the lake and she asked me what wedges were... so I told her to buy them and get sour cream to put on them... she really enjoyed that, like a kid on Christmas morning. You know, it's amazing what people just don't know. I'm sure I'd be the same way if I went to Japan.
Things that I miss at home:
1. Toilet seat covers (seriously, that is not a joke)
2. Having one faucet at the sink, they have two faucets here, a hot and a cold
3. My down pillows, the pillow here are like sleeping on a stack of newspapers
4. Friends (the tv show) they have the show here, but the voices are at a higher pitch or something, for example, Joey Tribiani sounds like he got kicked in between the legs
5. Ketchup... the stuff here is really sweet
Oh and an FYI, the carrots here are AWESOME. I don't even like carrots and I've been eating them non-stop here. Mom, if we lived in NZ when I was a kid, I would have eaten my veggies! oh and even better, there is an ad running on the tv right now for the Hogan's Heroes box set!
Friday, February 2, 2007
Lake Mahinapua
After i blogged in Westport i ended up meeting this 45 year old guy in the hostel named Sam. Sam looks like he just stepped out of an 80's hair band. he has this crazy hair and the acid washed jeans and the sleeveless jean jacket... oh the people you meet. well anyway, so i talked to him for a while and it turns out he's been traveling his entire life and has never stayed in one place. he just travels works when he needs money then travels again. He is a musician and i asked if he ever met anyone or played with anyone famous and he proceeds to tell me that he met CHUCK NORRIS and that he was an extra in the movie Renegade. When CN jumps out of the plane, he is the guy that jumps out after him... when i get home i am renting that movie!
So on the way to Lake Mahinapua the bus stopped in Greymouth so we could pick up costumes for the fiesta at the place we were staying at... yeah, who knew there was even a fiesta? the theme was characters from movies, so i ripped off my old dazed and confused costume and was one of the senior girls (for a 3rd time). We get to the hostel which is in the freakin middle of NOWHERE, it's like the move Deliverance only we're at the beach. There is a crazy guy that runs the place named Les and he looks like he walked straight outta Zerns... in fact, i sort of felt like i was at home because the bar reminded me of Zerns (but cleaner). Apparently this place is legendary and that's why they take us there, so it's all in good fun. We all have this huge meal of steak and potatoes etc and then we put on our costumes and the drinking begins DUM DUM DUM DUM (the bartender reminded me of the mother from the Adams Family) so we drink and drink and drink... then we decide that walking down to the lake is a GREAT idea. as we're walking in the dark i'm like hmmm... this is how scary movies start... they bring us to an isolated place, feed us, make us dress up, give us lots of booze, then "take us to the lake" AKA kill us..... obviously i made it and i am still alive, but the thought did cross my mind. i ended up having the time of my life. the new people i met on the bus are hilarious and have dubbed me Team America, even though i am the only American and there is no team. the bar closed down and all the guys start singing god save the queen and all these crazy pub songs which turned into me belting out an abridged version of the star spangled banner. we were all singing and dancing on picnic tables with Andy our new bus driver singing OLE OLE OLE OLE (college flashback) and Johnny Cash's ring of fire. i can honestly say that it was one of the best nights of my life. who would EVER think that being with a bunch of people that i don't know from adam and i'd have the greatest time? definitely not me.
anyway, my time is about out. tomorrow i do glacier hiking then i am here for another nite to just chill... then it's off to Wanaka (rhymes with the jewish holiday) for about 4-5 nights. Keep sending the emails and the blog messages, i can't get enough of them and it's nice to know that you're all thinking about me. oh and i just wanted to give a small shout to my mom and say congrats on your retirement and i can't wait to celebrate when you get to Sydney... and hello to my Dad, i miss you and i have shipped a sheep home for you so you can make sweaters. and Dana, the drivers here would give you a run for your money!!! tell my QVCers i said hello and that i met someone who knows the finn brothers and steriogram!
So on the way to Lake Mahinapua the bus stopped in Greymouth so we could pick up costumes for the fiesta at the place we were staying at... yeah, who knew there was even a fiesta? the theme was characters from movies, so i ripped off my old dazed and confused costume and was one of the senior girls (for a 3rd time). We get to the hostel which is in the freakin middle of NOWHERE, it's like the move Deliverance only we're at the beach. There is a crazy guy that runs the place named Les and he looks like he walked straight outta Zerns... in fact, i sort of felt like i was at home because the bar reminded me of Zerns (but cleaner). Apparently this place is legendary and that's why they take us there, so it's all in good fun. We all have this huge meal of steak and potatoes etc and then we put on our costumes and the drinking begins DUM DUM DUM DUM (the bartender reminded me of the mother from the Adams Family) so we drink and drink and drink... then we decide that walking down to the lake is a GREAT idea. as we're walking in the dark i'm like hmmm... this is how scary movies start... they bring us to an isolated place, feed us, make us dress up, give us lots of booze, then "take us to the lake" AKA kill us..... obviously i made it and i am still alive, but the thought did cross my mind. i ended up having the time of my life. the new people i met on the bus are hilarious and have dubbed me Team America, even though i am the only American and there is no team. the bar closed down and all the guys start singing god save the queen and all these crazy pub songs which turned into me belting out an abridged version of the star spangled banner. we were all singing and dancing on picnic tables with Andy our new bus driver singing OLE OLE OLE OLE (college flashback) and Johnny Cash's ring of fire. i can honestly say that it was one of the best nights of my life. who would EVER think that being with a bunch of people that i don't know from adam and i'd have the greatest time? definitely not me.
anyway, my time is about out. tomorrow i do glacier hiking then i am here for another nite to just chill... then it's off to Wanaka (rhymes with the jewish holiday) for about 4-5 nights. Keep sending the emails and the blog messages, i can't get enough of them and it's nice to know that you're all thinking about me. oh and i just wanted to give a small shout to my mom and say congrats on your retirement and i can't wait to celebrate when you get to Sydney... and hello to my Dad, i miss you and i have shipped a sheep home for you so you can make sweaters. and Dana, the drivers here would give you a run for your money!!! tell my QVCers i said hello and that i met someone who knows the finn brothers and steriogram!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
