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