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So after a month circumnavigating the North Island, we make a welcome return to Wellington in time for Waitangi weekend, a brief stop off before we hit the South Island. A welcome return because it coincided with us leaving Napier, a lovely place but it was time for us to go, for three key reasons:
Firstly the hostel we were staying in was a bit weird. No one spoke to each other the whole time we were there. I know modern backpackers have a tendency to stare at any phone, laptop or other technical device when at all possible but these guys took it to a whole new level. Therefore it was a pleasure to move back into a normal hostel in Wellington where people would look you in the eye, talk to each other and to us and looked like they were not just extras in a badly produced zombie movie.
Secondly because of the mosquitos, or weird phantom mosquitos that would attack me and only me during the night but could never be seen or heard. Donna didn't get a single bite the entire time we were there yet there is not a bit of me that is not covered in tiny little lumps including a rather attractive mountain range across my forehead.
and
Thirdly it coincided with my recovery from a brief but debilitating head cold I have been suffering from which not only caused me to moan and complain excessively but also for a brief time infringed on my steady drinking habit.
We tried to make up for it the first night back in Welly but even after a few days off the wagon were clearly out of practice and fell asleep early enough to not warrant the evil hangovers we suffered the next day. Like all normal people suffering an abnormally bad hangover, this has led us to question the vile and disgusting veggie sausages that we expensively purchased from the organic shop.
As part of a fun new game to pass the hours when we were driving down from Napier, we started making top ten lists of a variety of stuff that has happened to us so far on this trip; for example we have the top ten accommodation, the top ten activity, the top ten meals, the worst place we have visited etc. I find this the funnest thing that I have ever done in my life and the hours of driving just whizzed by. Donna was marginally less enthusiastic, claiming after three hours of this that she had a headache and could we please please stop. She has since started using it as a bribe for example; if you go out to the shops and buy me those nice veggie burgers we had before so we don't have to eat these disgusting sausages then I will do another list with you. Which suits me fine.
So our first night back in Wellington and we had an enjoyable evening getting drunk with the friendly backpackers. I am not sure if it is one of the top ten best drinking nights because we have yet to score that round (will have to wait until the next time Donna wants some burgers) but it would definitely make the shortlist.
Despite having an good evening, I suppose the best achievement has to be given to Donna who after half an hour of trying (when I had long since given up and accepted our fate) managed to work out how to close the blinds in our room, meaning that we could at least enjoy a lie in without being woken up by the sun streaming through our blinds. Honestly, those blinds were the most complicated thing ever and had reduced me to tears before Donna, in all her glory succeeded in working them out; just another reason in a long long list of why I love my wife.
All that effort was perhaps in vain as we didn't account for the roadworks starting up directly outside our hostel at 7.30 in the morning, roadworks which meant that we could only leave our hostel at certain one hour intervals as the road was completely closed. For once, Donna was actually on time to meet up with her friends but had to use the inglorious excuse: sorry I am late but the roadworks are stopping me leave the hostel.
The rest of our time in Wellington has been spent catching up with some rather good old friends; Mandy, Murko, Nina and Camilla who we hadn't seen for years, meeting some rather good new ones, enjoying the sunshine, finding some cool new bars, revisiting old bars, drinking in the sunshine, avoiding being hit by a frisbee, drinking inside because the sunshine was too bright, ticking off Wellington's crazy golf courses, having the longest meal in the world at Ortega Fish Shack and still enjoying every day like it is the first of our honeymoon.
In other news, I was a little disappointed that not one but two people made a comment about two of my t-shirts that I was wearing. Obviously, due to the golden rules about how long it is possible to wear an item of clothing before it needs to be retired, I can't wear either of them again. Which is a shame because I had only just started wearing them and they were a long way from failing the smell test which has put a serious dent in my wardrobe. So far on this trip I have done no washing. This is because I have bought lots more underwear and t-shirts than Donna which means that she has always run out before me. I am going to have to be very generous with the smell test from here to outlast her again.
When you are travelling, you always build up prejudices about different nationallit like; all Swiss people are boring, Germans don't like talking etc. I had always thought that Swedish people were really nice and I always got along well with them. Then I discovered two Swedish girls who didn't like Roxette.
It is the little things in life which can make or break you day, which make all the difference between a smile and a frown. For example, one day at the hostel, the drinks machine very kindly gave me two cans of drink for the price of one, surely a sign that luck was going my way. However, the day after, the drinks machine once again gave me two cans for the price of one. Surely, that day was going to be an extra special, super duper wonderful day. The problem is, by the third day, I was starting to expect the two for one machine to keep giving so when it reverted back to a more normal one can for the price of one can, I was extra disappointed. My expectation had been raised. I had got used to a good thing.
I suppose this is a good analogy for travelling. How, after four months away do you keep your level of excitement up? How do you get excited about another breathtaking view, another sunny day in paradise, another action packed adventure? How do you not keep comparing it to the one before or the one before that? Where can I find a new drinks machine that will give me two cans for the price of one? But then again, maybe it is just a good indication that we should start buying our soft drinks from the supermarket in bottle form when they have a multi save discount.
A lot of people have asked us how we are finding travelling? Are we fitting in or finding ourselves too old or out of practice. While most of the time we fit in perfectly there are some moments when you realise how different we are. For example the other morning we were discussing what we had done the previous night with a young German girl.
Us: We went to the poshest fish restaurant in Wellington and enjoyed Paua and garlic clive dumplings with pickled shiitake, daikon, black vinegar and ginger dipping sauce for starters, pan roasted gurnard with crayfish butter, rigatoni, parma ham, manchego and truffle oil for mains washed down with a couple of bottles of Bodegas Castano Monastrell Rosado 2012.
Her: I went to a house party, learnt how to play flip the cup drinking game and got completely s***faced.
Hmmm
All Our Love
Jim and Donna
P.S. A special mention to Hayley who had the clever idea of combining two of our favourite pastimes; Crazy Golf and drinking into one. Simple but genius.
INTERESTING KIWI FACT OF THE DAY
Young New Zealand men and women lead perfectly normal lives as they are growing up until they reach the age of 25. At this stage, they are forced to make an important life decision: Either go and live abroad, usually in Australia or Putney, or settle down with the first nearest person of the opposite sex they can find and go about having a several children as soon as possible. Cultural spectators and anthropologists have so far been unable to explain his strange phenomenon but suspect it might have something to do with New Zealanders not being able to pronounce their vowels properly.
- comments
Roy Morris Hi Jim - glad all sounds well with you two and that your sense of humour continues unabated. Best Wishes from The Olds xxx
Aaron 'usually in Australia or Putney or settle down' - Hilarious.