The Te Anau Chapter
Much has happened since last we spoke. The dramatic and cliffs and blow holes of Punakaiki have been visited (in daylight and by full moon), jungles have been hiked through, cars have been listed for sale (though not yet sold), knives have been made, un-real kayaking trips have been taken, and work has been found (sort-of). The trip is starting to wrap up (6 days left!) and we are starting to work on our next adventure, that particularly dangerous and high-stakes adventure they call the “Real Life”. So…Where to start? With hand made weapons! That’s where! ☺ Kife-making was an absolute outstanding highlight for sure. While we were working at the lavender farm however many weeks ago we heard a snippet on the ever-present National Public Radio about some eccentric guy on the wild west coast who did knife-making as a sort of craft-tourism gig. This, we realized, was a Must DO and it quickly became an item (the only item in fact) on our To-Do list.
Steven, the self-proclaimed ‘grumpy ol’ bugger’ who puts on the event is everything you could want in a weapon-forging instructor: he’s smart, crotchety, and full of all the inappropriate jokes (knife and otherwise) you could ever need. His hands fingers prove his experience. Cracked with use, his digits are like big, thick blackened tools conveniently extending from his arms, and seem to need not of the gloves or protections the rest of us weak mortals require. Combined with his quintessential gnarly kiwi teeth and wild white hair he makes for quite a picture. He posses too though, evidence of a big ol’ heart, and I fell in love with him at once. My knife ended up being a particularly large one with a somewhat garish curve to the tip. He told me that a blade like that ‘can’t have no pussy handle’ so I had better be careful with my sanding. Ha! He’s almost seventy. I almost fell over. The whole process was pretty amazing as well. You start with this really industrial looking piece of steal and stick it in molten hot flames then pound the heck out of it (actually women, according to Steven, always make better knives, because they DON’T tend to pound the heck out of it, but you do have to hit it an awful lot…). Then you take this battered and blacked piece of steal through a series of power sanders and polishers until you have extracted something beautiful. By the end of the day (this is a 9am-6pm kind of thing) you have a very strong, very professional-looking weapon/kitchen knife. It’s magic!
Apparently, though this method makes for a extremely superior knife, very few knives are made this way anymore, and to buy one that’s made like this can cost you thousands of dollars! Ha! So our retirement funds are carefully tucked away in cardboard in our suitcase. ☺ As an added bonus, now all of you will have to be nice to us when we get back because you know we are carrying really big knives! Ha! Since Barrytown and the successful completion of our one-item To-Do list our trip has taken on the disorienting sort of wandering that only comes when one no longer really has any real thing to DO. All of you reading this at home are probably thinking ‘gosh, I’d kill to have one day with nothing To Do!’ and I know exactly how that feels, but that’s just it: one day of nothing to do in a busy and purpose-filled life is great, months and months of it (for the customarily busy and purpose-filled person) can be quite discombobulating. Not to mention a tiny bit stressful on the financials…
Which is why, about a week ago, Will and I took off to the remote town of Te Anau which held both the promise of pristine and dramatic glacial fjords and the slightest whispering chance of work.
Which brings us to now. With me sitting in a rather uncomfortable chair in the Distinction Hotel waiting for Will to finish an hour of hot-stone massage. We got temporary work here through an absolute fluke and a miracle, and though this is only his second client in the last three days, it has been a helpful bit of structure. Thanks to the glorious discovery of free Internet at the local library and the public swim (and therefore showers) we have been able to carve out a little life here these last few days. We have created a routine that goes something like this: wake up, break down camp at the Henry Creek campground, eat rolled oats and rice milk for breakfast (either in the car or at a park), work on resumes, research houses and jobs etc. at the library for a few hours, do a little water aerobics with the screaming happy tots during the public swim hour, cook some sort of vegetable and carbohydrate on the camp stove at night for dinner, and occasionally donate large sums of money to the mechanic in hopes that Susi will both continue to run and eventually sell (preferably before we leave).
The Day Willie and Ranier Loose Their Lunch (almost)
Well folks, the blisters are back. And so are the bug bites. And the sunburn? Sunburn seems to be inevitable. I’ve decided I can get sunburned inside, under the covers, with sunscreen on (thanks to the butchered ozone layer). So, yeah. Lower legs are looking a little rough again.
But… guess what?
Yup.
It was worth it.
Even more worth it than last time.
The 6th of January marked a turning point in our Adventure New Zealand. As of the 6th we are no longer unpaid laborers, or even grateful houseguests. We no longer have anywhere to be or anything specific that needs doing. Yes, as of the 6th of January, Will and I officially became: tourists. Contrary to my preconceived notions about the word, being a tourist is really really great.
About four days ago we met up with some friends of ours from Raglan to go on a backpacking trip through Nelson Lakes National Park. (enter blisters stage left ;). To fully appreciate this adventure, you need a little backstory on the friends we went with. Dan and Jen are a fantastic and hilarious couple from the States who a traveling around New Zealand by bike. Yes, that’s right, no car, no bus, no shuttle, just the two of them and their tent and their bikes traveling from north to south over a period of five months. Pretty cool. What this meant for our hike was that our travel companions had spent over two months honing their cardiovascular and muscular systems into highly efficient athletic machines. We, on the other hand, have spent the last two and a half months doing… squat diddly.
Hmm…
The hike started out with a cool mellow walk through the woods along Lake Rotoiti, an easy three-hour jaunt to our first campsite under big beech trees. Spent the night besieged by sand flies (henceforth referred to as Satan’s Minnie Mnions or SMMs) but otherwise enjoying ourselves and having cricket explained to us by 12 year old kiwi boys on a tramp with their dads (for the record- no, I still don’t understand it).
Day 2 was the Big day, aka, the day Willie and I Almost Lost Our Lunch (had we eaten any). On the map Day 2 didn’t look all that long. There were some impressively squashed contour lines along the route and the signs all warned that it should take about 5-6.5hours, but as the bird flies it really wasn’t all that far. Unfortunately for us however, we are not birds, and flying was not an option.
Day 2 was not long but it was steep. 5,000’ vertical feet steep to be precise. After two refreshing river crossings we found ourselves steadily climbing our way in and up through lush mountain forest until we had reached the top of the tree line. Gorgeous. Across a brief grassy streambed and then up some more. Up, up, and more up. It would appear that our last hour (or ten) of hiking on Day 2 was to be a full body endeavor. Grabbing hold of grass or roots we pulled ourselves up a 1000’ or so feet of mostly vertical rock and skree slopes… up. And then up again.
While Super Man Dan and his trusty side-sick skipped up the mountainside with their super-human quad strength and Lance-worthy lungs, Will and I dragged our sweaty bodies behind them enjoying the hilarious mental commentary that only comes with extreme physical exhaustion and heat. (did I mention that it was the hottest day New Zealand has had so far this season?). Mine went something like this…
“we are meeeeeennnnn….. we are as swift as the mighty river…we are fast as the migggghty tyfoon…” (Disney’s Mulan theme song)
“holy sh*%. Its really hot.
“ok. Just up there. That has to be the top. Ok legs. We can do this. Just get to there.’
‘oh. Not the top.’
‘damn.’
‘where’d dan go?’
‘ok. Just to up there. I can do this.’
‘not the top.’
‘why am I doing this?’ maybe I should just sit down…’
‘who’s idea was this anyways?’
‘no, no. look how pretty it is ranier! Up! You can do this… In fact… you have to do this…’
‘helldamn it’s hot…’
etc.
You get the picture. I have a feeling Dan’s mental dialogue was somewhat different. haha.
Anyway. It was all worth it in the end. Most gorgeous campsite in an area that could not have been more stunning. Had a refreshing dip in the freezing cold alpine lake and chilled out for the rest of the evening. Remembered why it is I do things like backpack up 5000′ and enjoyed a wild night of blustering winds that got me up to see the sunrise.
Spectacular.
The hike back featured the same blustery winds from the night before but amplified as most of the day was along a razorback ridge with steep valleys to either side. Intense but great.
And now I am at a supermarket (the only place in Greymouth with wireless?) and about to run out of time. crap. More details later!!
Lavender, Luggage, and Liger Bay
The Journey continues!!
I write you now from the little upstairs loft in a simple and love-filled home in the wilds of Liger Bay in Golden Bay, New Zealand. Much has happened since last we met and I have lots to catch you up on. Sorry about the absence of communication this last while- reliable and speedy internet connection is not what New Zealand is famous for. However, dramatic and gorgeous landscape is, and now that we have safely (thanks be to the heavens for that part) arrived in the South Island we are starting to see what all the fuss is about. We have just seen the very northern coast line thus far and it is really quite spectacular- big tall hills and craggy coast lines, vineyards, and long white sand beaches. It feels good to be among mountains again. Big mountains, fresh coastlines, and funky hippy towns—warms my Maui soul. 🙂
Lavender Creek Farm
The week before (about two weeks ago now?) we managed to get a last minute WOOFing posting on a gorgeous lavender farm just an hour outside of Wellington. This meant we got to spend a week learning to make soap, distill herbs, and get along with a hilarious crotchety character of an older woman (Susi) and her scientist husband and 27 year old daughter, rather than keeping on lolling about in the city. Really great. Made our own rosemary oil (Will’s favorite) and got to lend our variety of skills and talents to the place (one session and Susi was pain-free I am proud to say!). The house was of a beautiful simple and freezing sort (they don’t insulate here!) and topped with a terracotta roof that combined with the fields of lavender for a very Southern Provence-ial feel. Loved it. In ten or twenty years if you can’t find us it is because we have moved away to New Zealand and are happily harvesting flowers, grapes, and olives on a little farm in Otaki New Zealand. Oh, and did I mention we happened to arrive the week ALL the lavender was in bloom? Yes, apparently life still loves me, and loves me quite a lot. 🙂
The car piled high and three of its passengers... (a la 6am)
Compared with the scent-drenched week of hard work in a beautiful place, the subsequent two days preparation in Wellington and journey down here was a tad on the rough and stressful side. Among its highlights were a 3am ferry ride, a missed alarm, and a Subaru so overloaded with stuff and people it could have starred in any circus. Not my favorite three days ever, but we (Dannee, Dannee’s boyfriend Gabe, the entirety of Danee and Dannee’s boyfriend Gabe’s worldly possessions, plus Will and I) got here regardless and for that I am grateful. The previously-mentioned love-filled home belongs to Dannee’s friend Hannah’s parents who have opened their home up to us with a kindness and generosity that continues to amaze me.
Christmas was wonderful, and though we didn’t open any boxes, I got two things I have wanted for a long time: a puppy and a bareback ride down the
Willie and the puppy take a christmas nap
beach. The puppy wasn’t mine but after months of saying I wanted a puppy for Christmas you had to appreciate the fact that someone just happened to bring an absolutely adorable puppy to Christmas dinner and that I got to hang out with it all day even curl up with it (and its mama!) on my chest for a Christmas nap. So great. Just the right amount of puppy too considering I am not exactly in a position to take on a small peeing and barking creature in my life just yet. The latter, horse-ier, gift was really special as it was the fulfillment of a long time fantasy, and even featured a big white horse (just like in my dreams) who (not quite like my dreams) took me swimming in my jeans and then farted his way up the hill. Hahahha. So so great. Really special to get back on a horse again (haven’t rode in ages!) and I have high hopes of doing some trading for horse lessons while I’m here. Get back to my 8-year-old horsewoman self. Tis the time for it figure. Other than that we had a big wild-hog roast for Christmas (courtesy of Hannah’s very competent hunter of a brother) and did a lot of reading.
The Stevens’ home is a very relaxed sort of place and no one seems to mind (at least so far) if the most productive thing you do with your day is make a cup of tea. This is particularly fortunate for me as it appears some sort of flu/cold type bug managed to get in me and make itself at home during The Stressful Transition and making tea is about all I want to do. However, I can’t imagine anyone can stay sick for very long with this much sun and beautiful beaches about so I suspect I should have the bug kicked out soon. After all, I don’t have time for sick, I have horses to ride and beaches to explore!
It’s a hard life… 😉
A view coming into the sounds on the ferry.
Through Mordor and Back Again
It’s early in the morning and Im staring at my legs. Just below the rather painful and awkwardly geometric pattern of sunburn on my calves, my ankles have started blotching red as well. Im guessing it’s in some overdramatic reaction to a cluster of about 17 sand fly bites in the area though I can’t be sure. Further down on the soles of my feet it would appear the blisters have expanded over night. Uncomfortable, yes, but mostly just unfair considering the whole thing just got a long night off…
humph.
Truth be told, however, it was all very very worth it. 🙂
After a few frantic days of gear gathering and guide book reading Will and I packed up Susie and drove off early last monday morning (before the parking man could come) to the town of Taupo, our base camp before our week in the Tongariro National Park. Actually, our original goal was a smaller town called Tarangi however, Tarangi ended up being two shops and a deserted put-put golf course so we changed plans and moved on. In Taupo we were directed to a gorgeous (free!) campsite right on the banks of the amazingly clear blue-green waters of the Waikato River where we staked our claim and then went off in search of a little hot-springs spot we had been told about (God bless the lady at the information Center) to have a good soak. So great.
Our first night's camp site on the Waikato
One absolutely rubbish night’s sleep on our cheap foam pads and a conflict with Dannee’s bus later (she was coming in from a week in Hamilton) and we found ourselves with a day to putz around Taupo, searching for (better) sleeping pads and eating in yummy caffes. Once we had acquired both good sleep mats and best friend, we blasted out of town and on to our big adventure…
Tongariro National Park has the privilege of not only being a World Heritage Site but also being the preferred stomping grounds of hobbits like Frodo and Sam (from Lord of the Rings) who are needing to dispose of some jewelry. Our first day in fact, was straight up the sides of the legendary Mt. Doom, (otherwise known as steep-ass mountain that never seems to end) and I understood then why Frodo looked so damn tired. That is one hell of a mountain and his legs are even shorter than mine! 😉
Anyway, after the steep black rocks of Mordor, we passed through a flat plain that was essentially leaking volcanic
Will and Dannee cross the spirit plains of Mordor
gasses for a very cool ‘spirit-plain’ effect. Really eerie, warm, and beautiful. Over one final peak and we descended down into an incredible volcanic valley that can only be described to those who know it as Haleakala on steroids. There was rich red soil then streaks of black, huge chasms and volcanic land forms. At the bottom of it all: The Emerald Lakes- two little lakes whose mineral content made the most incredible color of green. Stopped for Snack, then pressed on until finally we had reached our first cabin, ‘Oturere’.
Set down our packs, ate some well-deserved lunch, and laid horizontal for a few and then adventured pack-less to the nearby waterfall and pools for an afternoon dip. After over 6 hour of what even the Kiwis classify as ‘challenging’ hiking, the ice cold water could not have been more welcome. Glorious!
Oturere hut (Mt. Doom looks on)
We pressed further than we had originally planned the first day so the second we got to reap the benefits- slept in (kindof), had a luxuriously slow morning pack-up, and hiked the remaining three hours to the next hut. Day two was kindly mellow in terms of extreme inclines and featured the same remarkable good weather. We crossed over a series of river beds and dry sandy hills scattered with shrubs and the odd batch of trees that went on for a good bit until finally we descended into a sweet batch of cool forrest huddled around a river and our final campsite.
Driven to insanity by the previously mentioned sandflies we ended up closing up shop and getting in the tent close to 7pm just to avoid getting bitten. Despite the early bed-time none of us seemed to get enough sleep but it didn’t matter because the next morning we were up early and on the trail with fire under our heels. Our last day promised to be one of our longest and we all knew that if we didn’t kick it in gear it would mean another night of camping the three of us in a two man tent in some commercial camp site near the park. That said, we managed a “5 and half to 6 hour” hike in under 4.5 hours, stopping once for a fifteen-minute break.
Hazaah!
All in all it was a total kick in the butt, and absolutely incredible. The rout we did is call the Tongariro Northern Circuit and is classified as one of the Great Walks according to the New Zealand department of parks and stuff. Having done it, I would say it was definitely a Great walk. Despite it’s volcanic similarities to Haleakala it was still unlike any place I have ever been. The park is huge and despite the well-maintained trails you can’t help feeling like you’ve wandered into unchartered wilderness. After leaving the popular day-hike portion at the beginning (the Tongariro Crossing is said to be The best day-hike in NZ) we passed maybe two or three other hikers on our entire trek. The constantly changing terrain combined with the near perfect weather made it what I would consider a ‘just-right hike’. Hard, beautiful, and absolutely wild.
And that my friends is what I came to New Zealand for. 🙂
for the rest of the photos: gallery.me.com/williejames
Well oh Well-ington!
A few days ago, after a rather unfortunately expensive encounter with a mechanic, we said our goodbyes and left Raglan to continue our travels. After about 6 hours of driving we made our way to the small (and surprisingly tacky) farming town of Fielding for our next woofing post. Attracted by the description of a large art studio and creative opportunities working with a local artist I had been particularly keen on this woofing assignment but after the fresh air and spirited young company at Raglan, the reality of two weeks in a moldy room with electric blue satin sheets on a plastic mattress from before our parents were born, was not too super exciting. Alas. Two squeeky nights and one butter-sandwich lunch later we found ourselves inspired to politely take our leave and fleeing to Dannee’s welcoming arms and large dorm-like apartment in the heart of beautiful Wellington where I sit and write you now luxuriating in the free and accessible wireless internet. 🙂
And Wellington is… wonderful.
Wellington is a port city and spoons a glorious crescent of remarkably green water full of colorful boats and barges and activity. On the other side, through some brilliant stroke of city planning genius, the city is backed by what’s called the Green Belt which acts like a wild lush cushion keeping the city from falling prey to the temptation of ugly urban sprawl and allowing its residents immediate access to nature. These two features make Wellington just right size. Its a small-big city. It has both the funky shops and eclectic night life of a big city and yet is entirely walkable. You can get everywhere on foot! Glorious. Its like a mini-San Francisco back without the edge. Just right city indeed.
All this is a very good thing as it looks like this is where we will be for the next little chapter of our adventure. Raglan and Fielding were the two main appointments on our four month itinerary, and, having spent both of those options, our schedule has opened up considerably. The next real plan on the horizon is looking like Christmas in Golden Bay with friends on the South Island and that wont be happening till December 22nd so we’ve got some time to kill. But time while adventuring is never killed, it is only… enjoyed. 🙂 So! We have got some time to enjoy and it looks like we might be enjoying it in Wellington. Which suits me right Well…
Which brings us to Mission: Decide What We Want from Wellington (previously known as Mission: Get a Job but changed due to the stress that that mission title evokes). According to the seasoned residents we have been chatting with lately, working in New Zealand can be a very disheartening experience. But then again, people seem to say that everywhere so we will just see. Since we are only here for three weeks we may just do something like ‘temping’ (which I never thought I would consider in a million years but might not actually be that bad…) or just have three weeks to explore and eat more ramen. 😉 Im sure it will all work out either way.
One great thing is that here we may actually have the chance to settle in a bit, find a good yoga class, and a good grocer and get back to the business of being people again– not just travelers (read: prevent the onset of sudden traveler’s obesity). We have only been here for a little over two weeks so far but it feels like much much longer than that. In a good way I think, though we both miss friends and family. It will feel good to stay in one place for a little while I think.
It’s a really cool experience to get to see new things every day that were never part of our reality before. Love that about travel. Going to other countries always amazes me when I realize just how many different ways there are to do things. Simple things like road signs and phone numbers are different in ways I would never expect and I love that. Like in Europe, roundabouts are commonly used in the place of traffic lights (brilliant), and phone numbers are written in twos (surprisingly challenging). Global travel is like an art class critique when you get to see the hundred different solutions to the one design problem, or the twenty different interpretations to the same assignment. So cool.
Anyway there’s the update for now. Last night was something of a late one (Saturday night is apparently a really big deal in Wellington) so everyone around me is a’ softly sleeping. Or, rather, sleeping again- its 2pm but it doesn’t look like that’s worrying anyone here overly much… Willie seems to have succumbed to his second nap on my shoulder and Dannee’s curled up with her sleeping man about ten feet away…
Gotta love sundays.
ps for more photos (like a hundred of them) check out: http://gallery.me.com/williejames
Sleepies, Sheepies and… TeePee’s?
packed up and on the road to Raglan! (sheepies are looking on)
Since our last entry we have accomplished Mission II: Get Out of Crazy City which was accomplished thanks to a long and whinedy road replete with green pastures and baby sheepies. Got a bit lost but eventually ended up finding our way to Solscape Eco Resort and Accommodation Center in the small but lively surfing town of Raglan, New Zealand. Hooray!
Had a little confusion with the boss-man (he forgot we were coming!) but it all worked out and by the next morning we found ourselves sporting new titles: “Stewards of the Teepees” and (for me) “Donna of the Kitchen”. Solscape offers all sorts of accommodations- single room bunkers made out of old train cabooses, parking spaces for van-travelers, tent spots, a spattering of simple eco-houses, and our little teepee village which boasts 5 teepees, and earth oven, covered kitchen and eating areas, and oh-so- eco
the station house- where all the meals and action takes place
composting toilettes. We also have two very ‘eco’ showers that will gently mist you with cold water when you get desperate enough to try and bathe.
There are about 11 of us Wwoofers in total right now I think- much more than boss-man expected, but we certainly get a lot of work done. WWOOF= willing workers on organic farms (aka young broke travelers who don’t want to pay rent). It’s a good group from all over the world, all really nice, helpful, and super fun. The deal is we work two hours to cover our accommodation, and two for our food (unless you’re me in which case you work two hours in the morning and then cook lunch and dinner for 11 people).
I like being Donna della Cucina. I usually end up working more hours than I’m supposed to but I’d take an hour and a half cooking up a big pot of potato leek soup over 30mins of shoveling chicken-poo any day!;) Apparently the food situation was rather bleak before we showed up so the crew is super appreciative of everything I make. The perfect crowd. Mr. boss-man is new to the feeding-of-the-masses thing and tends to be a bit tight with his money (despite the fact that he gets over 40hours of free labor from us every day) so every day is like a creative cooking challenge show. How to make something tasty out of three things in a half an hour… One, two, three, GO! Oh yeah, and make it hearty but keep it vegetarian! GO!
I generally have a featured ingredient (something boss-man has too much of), few scraps from the garden, and some bulk basics like pasta or beans. So far so good. Made a creamy asparagus pasta dish with fennel tops and melted cheese the first night, and the previously mentioned potato leek creation with leeks that were about to go to seed in the garden the next. [clients- omit the cheese!]
As for the work-work portion they generally have the girls on cleaning duty (‘knock, knock! House-keeping!!), and the boys on manual labor. Right now Will is painting a deck and I am sitting on my bum while my beans boil- (it’s the afternoon so did my toilette and kitchen cleaning already this morning). It’s gorgeous outside- lots of sun tempered by regular wind. First time I’ve had free time where I wasn’t completely exhausted all week. Things are looking good (but don’t they always when there’s sun?).
It rained on and off for two days a few days ago and the work got a bit miserable. Everything in the teepee felt damp, and our clothes got covered in mud. Surf’s been messy so the boys were wound up and the work was hard.
a rather poor picture of the beach when we first got into town...
I can’t really imagine surfing here. I want to but it looks so freaking COLD! Holy moly. I’ll get up the balls one of these days… Maybe when it’s warmer… Damn I’m spoiled. Haha.
Ok. Time to check on the beans. Like as not I’ve boiled them to smitherines…
Crap shacks, Subarus, and Sunshine…
WE MADE IT! Good god almighty we are finally here! And that is a wonderful wonderful thing.
After a what felt like a good three days cramped in tiny seats in the back of the plane we stumbled onto a bus (toting the previously mentioned 500kilos of luggage) and somehow made it to our hostel. Which is a crap shack, for the record, but does the trick. At this point it was about 7am and we had about three hours of sleep between the two of us. Oh my. Random bagel breakfast on a park bench then on to the official business of a opening bank account… jointly… (Oh my indeed!). The rest of thursday was pretty much a wash. We were rather useless as human beings though we really did try our best. Probably walked a good 3-4 hours in total by the end of the day on Mission: Buy a Car and Leave Crazy City, yet come night we had accomplished… nothing. Alas.
That was thursday– we left on a tuesday. My oh my…
I am happy to report that after a good nights sleep in the crap shack today is going much much better. The sun is out and it is absolutely gorgeous outside. Went first thing to the Backpacker’s Car Market and found a girl (from Portland) who was desperate to sell her Subaru Legacy before she leaves tomorrow. The car is the ugly lovechild of my first car (a blue ford taurus) and my VW wagon, but it comes with maps and cooking pots and low milage and current registration. I had been eyeing a sexy and rugged looking little SUV I had found on a site online however, the logistics of actually figuring out how to even get ahold of the seller (a process that is unbelievably complicated for those who haven’t lived here since birth) overwhelmed us and in all truth the Subaru is about ten times more practical. Oh, and it was available today. Which was a huge selling point. SO! Mission: Buy a Car has officially been accomplished. It is resting at the mechanics (where it got an oil change) and will be ready for Mission: Get Out of Crazy City tomorrow morning.
HOORRAAYY!!!
Cant even tell you how nice it is to have that handled. Whew. Feels like a whole new city. Bought a floral dress at a street vendor to celebrate. haha.
So there it is. Step one accomplished. All the entries from this point on should be much more interesting and chock full of gorgeous photos starring me in a lovely floral frock and my handsome counterpart in a… towel? Oh my. Ok. Signing off. More soon!
Holy Crap! We Are Going to New Zealand… in an Hour…
I write this to you all as Will and I sit on my mom’s couch in Portland staring in disbelief at the title of this post. It really is true- that is, in fact, the plan- its just a bit hard to believe. We have an exorbitant amount of luggage (two large backpacks, a mother of a duffel bag, and a light weight massage table) that we are praying we wont have to sell a kidney to cover, a minimal amount of snacks (mom gave us a brownie), a jug of water (that they are likely to confiscate), and a belly full of nerves each.
I think we are set!
We just came back from a 5-day last minute jaunt to Maui the day before yesterday and after the 18 or so hours we are about to be sitting I have a feeling we will be pretty grateful for fresh air come thursday (yes- we leave today- tuesday- and get there… thursday?? crazy…). Once we get there we wont have to get on another plane for quite some time however, which is a trippy prospect.
All we need now is for the UPS man to magically deliver my sleeping bag in the next 10 minutes.
Come! On! U! P! S!!
Helldamn.
Ok. I think it’s time to go play duck with Leeloo one last time before we go and double-check that we have some ibuprophin in the carry-on. 🙂 Thanks for joining us on this big adventure! More later…
The Noodles Go Adventuring! 