Look To My Coming, At First Light On The Fifth Day, At Dawn Look To The East!!!

This one will be the most random set of rambles. 

My original plan for New Zealand was to land, explore a little bit of the country, and go on some LOTR tours. I honestly didn’t save up that much money for this trip. I got my working visa so that I could work for accommodation whilst traveling. When I was checking out hostels to work at most asked for a minimum of 3 week stay. I thought this was cool. I could get used to the town, see their culture, and experience life as a Kiwi.

As you know that wasn’t even close to what I did. I traveled like a maniac then spent a few weeks in Dunedin and a few weeks in Christchurch.

If you can remember back to my first post I said that the best travel advise given to me was to plan 5 things you really wanna do. Do them and for the rest of the time just go with the flow. I did the top 5 things I wanted to and more. I’m really satisfied with how this trip went. 

I think it was good for me to do this all by myself. I learned a lot not only about myself but about others and the whole travel experience. I now know that I would prefer traveling with someone I can share unforgettable moments with (that means you Damian - hurry up and finish school). Yes I learned a lot but I would still consider myself a novice in terms of world travel and backpacking. It’s definitely a way of life and I’ve only scratched the surface of it. The tip of the iceberg some would say. For example, one of my room mates in Christchurch is from France. She hasn’t been home in over 2 years. She spent a year in Asia and a year in Australia/New Zealand. She left a week or so ago and headed to South America for a year. After that she plans on going to the USA and Canada. She has no clue when she’ll go home.

When I met people I was always asked or asked why did you decide to travel? Most people I met hated their jobs back home and wanted an out. Travel was the answer. Younger people didn’t want to go to school without knowing why they were there. Or they had graduated (a lot with Masters degrees) and couldn’t find work in their field/didn’t want to start working. I didn’t fall into any of those categories. I had a wicked job and finished school. When I get home or whenever you see me next ask me why I decided to travel. Writing this right now I don’t even know if I’ll have a definitive answer. But I did it and it opened my mind. No regrets. This was an experience that I have and will learn from. It will only help me grow.

What’s in store for round 2? I already know I’ll be coming back to NZ and when I do I have a new list of things to do. Some of those things include, Travel and sail in the Northland; Blackwater Raft the Waitomo Caves; See the West Coast of the South Island and Catlins. There is plenty more but I don’t wanna get too far ahead of myself.

Not only do I want to come back to NZ but I want to continue seeing the rest of the world and experiencing al it has to offer. Some places on my list include Antarctica, The Galapagos, and India/Nepal. 

I’m sorry this post doesn’t have any cool stories in it. It’s my conclusion - which is a recap of what I did. As you can tell this is the worst conclusion ever. As such I know you aren’t suppose to end a paper or piece of writing with a question. The reader should know definitively what point you are arguing and not have to question themselves at the end (ahahaha look at the Pauly, your school funding wasn’t a complete waste [I could be wrong though]). I am no writer though.

What’s your “New Zealand” ??? It may be a trip you’ve always wanted to take. Your dream trip for a week or maybe a year. It may be a career/job you’ve always wanted; It could be a fear you want to overcome. Whatever it may be all I can say is that it doesn’t have to be a dream or unachievable. Have you started pursuing it? It’s never to late to start and if you really truly want something to happen you’ll make it happen and it will happen (if that makes any sense at all).

I’m not good at endings and I could ramble inspiring quotes/sayings you’ve all heard before. I could try to end it with an epic sentence but I know I’ll fail at that. Instead I’ll end with a quote.

“It’s pretty simple. Adventure is what you make it, and whether it’s the travel, the discovery, or just the feeling of letting go...The only way we’ll ever find out is to get out there and do it.”

White Shores And Beyond, A Far Green Country, Under A Swift Sunrise!!

It’s weird to leave NZ. As I was packing my stuff it felt like only 2 weeks ago I was going over everything in Toronto and heading off to the airport. I was just starting to get comfortable with things. I am starting to look the proper ways before crossing the street, without triple taking both ways. And so now when I get back to Canada I will most likely look the wrong way. Being accident prone I will get honked fiercely at or tapped by a car. Oh well.

My flight to Rarotonga was on a Monday morning and so instead of staying at a hostel 1 extra night and trying to get a cab/shuttle to the airport for 3am. I went there late Sunday afternoon. I had over 12hrs here and there was no internet or carpeted floors for me to sleep on.

It is now Monday 5:30am. I found a carpeted area to sleep on after getting kicked out of the departures building. Unfortunately it was in the international arrivals building. I got a little bit of rest but not as much as I would have like to. I have checked in for my flight and am waiting at my gate. I went into the Air New Zealand private lounge and talked to one of the concierges about becoming a member etc etc. She told me to have a look around. I did and BAM found the user name and password for the wifi’s!!! I have a few torrents on my computer that still need downloading and right now I’m getting 1Mb/s  AMAZING. Plus I’m the only person here. Time to DL as much stuff as possible ahahah.

Our flight to Rarotonga was about 3 hours. Unfortunately I had an aisle seat and wasn’t able to see the whole island as we were approaching and landing on it. When we landed it was 430pm and about 30C outside. The sun was shining and it was hot. For my first night I relaxed on the beach and gazed at the night sky. I know I said the New Zealand sky was amazing but when you’re on a remote island in the middle of the Pacific and there are literally no light around, the stars shine plentiful and bright. Probably one of the best night sky’s I’ve ever seen.  

On Monday I went into town and go my drivers license. Best idea ever! For the rest of my stay I had a scooter to drive around on and it has definitely been worth it. After driving back to the hostel I spent the day at the beach opening coconuts, working on my base tan, and catching hermit crabs. Now that I can open a coconut I have planned on husking and opening everyday I’m here. On Monday night we went out for dinner. Once we were back the rain started, and as the saying goes, when it rains, it pours. 

Tuesday I went snorkeling on the reef. INCREDIBLE!!! The water is ridiculously clear and there is sea life everywhere! It was another relaxing day. Tuesday night a group of us from the hostel went out for a sunset BBQ. I met 3 girls from England at the BBQ each with pretty sweet stories. I initially met girl #1 on the beach at the backpackers. She asked me how I got my scar. We ended up swapping stories and hers is more intense than mine. She was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a mastectomy. A little while later they found the cancer had spread to her liver and it is terminal. The doctors gave her 3 months to live. That was this January. She had another operation to remove her ovaries and so now she has approx 1-3 years left. Even though all these horrible things have happened to her recently she is probably one of the coolest most energetic, live life to the fullest (literally) people I’ve ever met. Inspirational. The other two are 23 year old doctors who were working here and also on vacation. Also really cool but not as interesting a stories.  

Back to the main events. Tuesday night was a fantastic BBQ. We all got to know each other and had a good time. The BBQ was kinda a buffet style and no one else there was going up for seconds so I figured why waste this food when I can just eat it all. I took every last piece of teriyaki steak and probably ate 4 corn on the cobs. I was hungry. People sitting near the food area actually asked me if i had worms. I had to say no just a fast metabolism and large appetite. 

Back at the hostel after the BBQ we decided to have a fire on the beach. I mean you can’t not have a fire on the beach when your in the middle of the Pacific. We ended up catching running around catching crabs and putting them into a cup. I slowly got over my mini fear of them and picked a few up. One managed to pinch the tip of my finger and draw blood. I wasn’t impressed so I threw him in the fire. 

Wednesday was just another relaxing island day. I went for a ride of my scooter, tanned on the beach, husked and opened another coconut. I might add I’m getting quite good at it. Wednesday night we went out for mini putt and dancing (island clubbing). Again no cover charge at the bars or clubs here. At the dance was the a german guy, myself, and the 3 english girls. The german young blood didn’t dance though so it was pretty much just me and the ladies. As I was dancing with the girls so A HOLE Australia came up and pushed me as hard as he could. RATTLED!!! I was the bigger man and just walked to the bar while the girls tore him to shreds. They told me later that he asked them why they were dancing around, and with me, like I was so sort of king. He was obv. jeal. He continuously followed me around and when I was at the bar getting drinks he would just stare at me. It was weird and he was being kind of a dick. I may also mention that’s the first time I’ve been pushed at a club. After dancing the night away we got in the back of some guys truck and have gave us a ride back. Again we made another fire on the beach but instead of chasing crabs we just sat and chatted with one another. Another beautiful night. Im really loving Rarotonga.

All the friends I have made here at Raro Backpackers are leaving today (Thursday). We went into town for some milkshakes and souvenir shopping. We spent most of the day there and when we got back everyone was packing while I husked another coconut. 

I don’t think I did anything on Friday... everyone was gone. I just husked and tanned. Saturday was the Rarotonga farmers market. I headed to that with a family that was staying at the hostel. The market was really cool and had the freshest of fruits. They taste much different from back home. They are fresh and delicious and just...ahh nothing like it. Fresh banana, pineapple, coconut, passionfruit, etc. On our way back to the hostel we got pulled over by the police for having 3 people on a scooter. I had to hitch the rest of the way. It wasn’t very difficult. The people on the island are very friendly.

After a few bumps in the road I made it to the airport. I was the first in line and as I was checking in the system crashed. There was a power outage on the island. The flight was delayed by 1 hour. After 9 hours of flying I landed in L.A.

I’m officially on my way home now. My stories here aren’t as good as the ones you’ll hear in person.

"It Is A Strange Fate That We Should Suffer So Much Fear And Doubt Over So Small A Thing!!!

I only have a few more weeks before I head to Rarotonga. Since I changed my flight plans I have decided that I would like to save the majority of what’s left of my cash money for the islands. As such I went grocery shopping. I will tell you that I will be living off of canned beans and spaghetti noodles for a while. This to me is a source of protein and carbohydrates. Really though it is just substance. I also bought breakfast shakes and OJ (don’t worry mom). When I get back home I’ll really be looking forward to SPK’s, KD, and my Babci’s pirogies (and anything else she makes. So get busy Babci. No slacking! I need to keep you busy even while I’m gone. I expect results). If anyone else would like to make me delicious meals that is acceptable. I won’t say no.

  

Saturday night I met some guys from the U.K and Canada. We ended up going out for a bit then headed to the casino. I think this was the first time I’ve been to a casino. The only other time I can recall something similar was on a cruise in the Greek Isles. I played the slot machines for like a minute.

We headed to the casino because it is the only place close-by that has cheap drinks, food, and television. The guys from the U.K wanted to watch the Liverpool  

Chelsea match. With the time difference it didn’t start here until 4am Sunday. For a few hours before the game we went down to the gaming tables and played some roulette.  

At the beginning of the night I told myself I would only play $20 worth because I was willing to lose that much cash. I lost all of it. 20 minutes later I went back. I had a feeling I could win this time and put down another $20. After some intense rounds I decided to walk with $60. First time at a casino coming out with an extra $20 on a backpackers budget, not to shabby.  At 3:30am I was starting to get tired and didn’t really care much for the match, so I headed back to the hostel.

My plan for Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday was to go to the Antarctic Center. I checked it out online and for the full experience it costs $85! I have budget for the next week and $85 for a activity is not in the cards. Instead I spent half that money on 4 litres of O.J, milk, steaks, cookies, and fruit. So all about that stuff up top saying I’m eating substance for the next while is false.

I bought more kiwis and asked if I could eat the skin. I’ve seen some people do it before and I’ve tried before but I just couldn’t. This time I was able to and found a few difference between the kiwi’s we get a home and the fresh ones here. Essentially ours have very thick tough super hairy skin, theirs not at all. I bit into the fruit and the taste of the kiwi over powered the skin and there was no weird texture to it. 

I went out for some Indian food when I was at the library and had the Makhni Chicken. If you like Indian food and are willing to try new things I’d recommend this dish. It was fantastic. 

It’s been a pretty quite week. On Saturday I’ll be heading to the west coast via train. IF I can get decent internet out their I will try to post another entry. If not I’ll have to wait till I get back to Christchurch to post it. Then I’ll be heading to Rarotonga.

Other cool things from my time in CHCH are. 1. That we found a Towers of Hanoi puzzle. The one they make the apes do in Rise of the Planet of The Apes. With 4 disks I can do it in 15 moves. With 6 disks it took me 63 moves. If you ever come across it try it out. See how logical you are!

2. Flip flops, thongs (as they are refered to in Australia) are called Jandals here. The word Jandals comes from Japanese Sandals. Kinda weird name but I guess it makes sense.  

Wake Up Sleepies. We Must Go, Yeeeessss, We Must Go At Once!!

I forgot to mention this in my last post. Everyone knows of six degrees of separation. Well here in NZ it is called two degrees of separation. That’s because the country is very small and has a small population. I think it’s kinda crazy that it’s only two degrees but I guess that is what makes everyone here so friendly and welcoming. 

Sunday night I arrived in Christchurch. We left at about 5:30pm and got in at 10pm. On Monday I woke up relatively early and decided to see the city, or at least what’s left of it. The destructive earthquake that devastated Christchurch happened February 22, 2011. Since then they have had a few other earthquakes. The city center is completely off limits. The Anglican cathedral in the middle of the city is the icon of Christchurch. Unfortunately it is in the city centre, which means I cannot see it or even get pictures of it. I walked around most of the day getting rerouted every few hundred meters from more fenced off areas. Buildings are still being torn down and the rubble isn’t even close to being fully removed. Stores, shops, restaurants, and cafe’s are few in Christchurch now. The information center is simply 2 portable containers put together. I don’t know what the city looked like before the quake so I can’t say how bad it is. What I can say though is that it’s pretty crazy and kinda dead here. I’d consider heading back up to Kaikoura but first I’ll see what I can get up to in my first week here.

On Tuesday my plan was to go to the museum and check out the World Wildlife Photography exhibit. Even though it was cloudy, windy, and cold out I decided to walk to a cafe for breakfast, then continue on to the museum. Unfortunately on my journey I was informed that the museum was recently closed from a building inspector who said it was unsafe. That is closed and so is the art gallery. My options are quickly running out.

Wednesday was another LOTR tour day for this guy. I know I’ve mentioned before that I have been fortunate with the weather and today proved my point. At 9am I got picked up for my Edoras tour. The Edoras location is located on Mt. Sunday, which is in the Mt. Potts area. It is right on the edge of the southern alps and oh boy was it a BEAUT. On our way there we chatted about this and that and got to know each other. Our group consisted of 5 people plus the tour guide. A couple from Adelaide, Australia, a couple from Orlando, Florida, and me. The couple from Orlando got married just over a week ago in Nelson, NZ. They came down here on a two week vacation of the south island and decided to tie the knot. I didn’t ask if it was a random decision but after talking with them I figured out that it was planned and they just wanted something small. Congrats to them. 

The interesting things we talked about before our arrival in the Mt. Potts area were:

1. How the van we were driving used recycled canola oil for fuel. These Kiwi’s and their love for the environment.
2. How 900 buildings were planned to be demolished after the Feb. earthquake with a plan of taking down 50 a month. Do that math and figure out how long it is expected to take if everything goes smoothly. (Hint: It isn’t going smoothly)
3. How the new church for the city will be rebuilt out of cardboard and other recyclable materials. When they finally rebuild a real church they can recycle the old one. SMART!

Our drive through the Canterbury Plains was  full of cow and sheep farms. Nothing too exciting. Once we got more towards the west coast the scenery changed in the most glorious of ways. Mountains shot up from flat lands like it was nobodies business. Usually there are hills and it kinda builds up, not here. That’s why it is so epic. I really want to see what the other side of the alps has to offer but I will be patient and wait until I come back with someone and have a car. I got a little taste of what shall come, and it tasted good..HEY OH!! sorry. 

I want to describe the area but I don’t because this is one place that not even many locals have seen. You can see it when you watch LOTR but even then it’s nothing compared to when you actually see it. I will say that a rich Russian businessman came to the area and once he saw the land he decided to buy the local lodge. He was blown away and apparently it was the only business decision he made with his heart.   

Back to the weather and my luck with it. The area is known to have up to 180km/h winds. Especially at the top of Mt. Sunday. The area is like a big wind tunnel. Today though there was not a cloud in site, the sun was comfortably warm, and absolutely no wind! Our tour guide was stunned. That only happens on 2-3 days of the year and we got one of them. 

I haven’t planned anything for this weekend. Before I leave Christchurch I would like to visit the Antarctic center. That’s all for now.