Land of the Rising Sun

Harajuku, Tokyo.

Approaching my two week stay in Japan, I must say that, like nearly all places I've been so far, I have had an incredible time.  I'm particularly happy because I have had the opportunity to see a couple different friends in Japan since being here.  So far, I've spent the majority of my time in Tokyo.  I'm not going to write a whole lot at the moment, but I will mention a couple things that have stuck out so far.

1.  To generalize, Japanese people are extremely polite and friendly.  I'm amazed time and time again by how helpful everyone is.  One of my first times riding around on the trains in Tokyo I realized that I was on the wrong line.  Using the 3-4 pages of Japanese phrases in the back of my travel book I was able to fumble the words "excuse me" and "where is X?" out of my mouth.  Almost instantaneously after asking one person on the train, a group of people descended upon me, each offering up their assistance with their varied levels of English proficiency. 



My first Bento box.  Delicious

 2.  Japanese toilets are amazing.  You've probably seen pictures, or even heard about the toilets that come with all the bells and whistles, BUT until you get to use one, you have no idea what you are missing out on!  Heated seats (useful during winter), built in air fresheners, and a water facet like device on top of the tank.  I've even encountered a toilet where the lid automatically goes up once it detects motion.  Somehow, I need to figure out how to get one of these toilets back home.

3.  To generalize (again), Japanese people are dedicated in anything and everything that they do.  I went to the grocery store one day and I observed a man "directing" traffic near the entrance to the parking lot.  I say "directing" because in reality, he didn't need to be there.  Clearly, people could have figured out how to avoid pedestrians and other cars without him.  Despite the pointlessness of his position and the fact that he was wearing a long sleeved uniform in 33 degrees C heat, he did his job with a seriousness and dedication that I'm not sure I can quite describe.  What I can describe is the lack of a look of frustration, tiredness, and just over all feeling of dismay in disliking his job.  Upon watching him, every movement he made, every expression made it seem as if this job was the most important thing and that it was his duty to serve the people as best as he could.  I was stunned.  For a job like this, I would expect most people to do it with no enthusiasm, no care, and a huge sense of apathy.  This is just one of a million examples I could run through.  My favorite thing in relation to this subject is walking into stores.  When you walk into a 7-eleven for example, one worker will shout out "welcome" to you, and a milisecond after that all the other workers will shout out "welcome" as well, even if they are hidden behind a row of goods stocking the bottom level of a shelf.  If one didn't know better, you might think that they were sounding off an alarm that a white-redheaded foreigner had entered the place.  Haha, as you leave, the alarm goes off again, only this time they are saying "goodbye."

A scene from Nikko and the burial
site of Tokugawa Ieyasu
(important historical ruler of Japan)

4.  Japan is a mixture of the old and the new.  I got a real sense of this when I went from walking around the electronic district (akihabara) in Tokyo where I got to play with all of Sony's newest toys and inventions, to hopping on the train next to some sumo wrestlers.  Ok, so maybe this isn't the greatest example of "old vs. new", but I suppose I'm trying to portray the idea that for all of Japan's modernity and seemingly "western" style, there is still a very distinct element that makes Japan, Japan.  No where else have I viewed people bow to each other with such respect and normality.  It is a part of Japan.  Something you don't really see anywhere else. 

I have much more to write about Japan and what I've been up to, but I need to keep this one short for the time being.  My actual main goal of this post was to make sure and pin up September's Speedo Picture before the month ended!  If you've seen my photos on facebook, you've already seen this one.  It is an oldie, but goodie. 

September:  Great Wall of China

Post-Post

I just discovered the "caption" button to add to pictures.  So of course, I had
to add one on a photo that doesn't really need it.

Greetings from within the Silk/Iron Curtain! I'm currently writing this on Sept. 11, but since the Chinese government blocks youtube, facebook, and common blog websites (like the one I use), I'm writing this now with the intention of posting it later. All of this being said, let's get to it shall we?

I've been in Beijing for almost a week now. Where to begin? I've pretty much seen and done the major highlights - Forbidden City, Tiananmen Sqaure, Summer Palace, Lama Temple, Temple of Heaven, Night Markets, and of course, the Great Wall. The Great Wall was by far my favorite and most spectacular. It was everything that I hoped it would be and more. I actually got to hike around on it for about 3 hours. Quite pleasant. The most interesting part, in my opinion, was looking along the horizon and seeing it snake along the ridge for as far as you could see. Also of interest, in the distance (where you weren't allowed to walk) you could see the wall in its more "natural" state of being (hadn't been repaired or reconstructed). Trees and plants were practically growing through and on top of the entire thing.



One of many special items to eat
 at the night market.  yummy!

As for other things in Beijing....let's talk about squatter toilets (somehow I always manage to relate something in posts to bathroom/bodily functions). I don't know if you've ever used one, but a tip to potential future users (especially males), make sure to move your wallet to your front pocket before attempting to use it. Believe me or not, this sort of accident didn't actually happen to me, it happened to a friend of mine I met at the hostel. Haha, whether you choose to believe me or not is up to you, because I know how "friend of mine" sounds. In all honesty, as much as I'm up for trying and wanting to do new things, I haven't had the courage to use the squatter toilet yet. I intended to, but lately I've had some travel sickness issues (no more details needed). Using a squatter toilet would be weird enough, but doing it while not on the most normal of circumstances, well forget it. Maybe my last day here I can make something happen, but I'm not holding my breath.

By the way, did I mention I'm famous? At least that's how I've felt in going to many of the tourist places here. At Tiananmen Square for example, I had several people (families, kids, couples) come up to me and ask to get a picture with me. At first I was a little weirded out, but eventually I kind of went with it and took some pictures myself. All these people asking to get pictures with me were more than likely other Chinese people from outside of the big city. A white foreigner, let alone with red hair, is not something they see all that often. According to a friend I've made who has been living in Beijing for the last 7 years, my face is probably on a dozen different mantels now. Haha. The weirder thing was when I walked around with a shirt tucked under my hat to protect the back of my neck from the sun, people were literally pointing, taking pictures, and laughing with their friends. This too, attracted several people in getting a picture with me. I just smiled and went along, but I never thought something so simple could seem so weird.

Another new favorite topic of mine, mistranslations. These can come in several different forms, but my two personal favorites that I've seen in Beijing are technically correct...they just don't sound right. My newest favorite T-shirt (a very common one) reads, "I *heart* (the symbol) BJ." Of course, BJ is short for Beijing, but for nearly any English speaker, you can't help but laugh at how well such an abbreviation works out. 2nd correct, yet odd translation, is found on several menus - "Beef with Rape" Now, rapeseed, also referred to as "rape", is indeed a real thing (I checked up just to make sure), but seeing as I had barely heard of it, let alone never seen it on a menu (which I admit, may simply be a part of my own ignorance), one can't help but think of this as a mistake. After piecing it all together (that it was referring to rapeseed and that it was a legit thing), I remember thinking, "wow, rape isn't what it used to be." Never thought I'd hear myself think that. But now that I think about it a little more, which word usage do you think came first? Rape (in reference to the seed), or rape (as the crime)? Anyone who can figure out the history of these words and if they were at all related in some fashion or another at one point gets major bonus points and maybe even a little Red book, or if it's your sort of thing, an "I *heart* BJ" shirt. Seriously though, I will send a gift to the first person who is able to solve this life-mystery for me. I did a little research on my own, so I have my own theory, but I want to see if anyone comes up with the same answer.

At the Temple of Heaven -
trying out to be
Hu Jintao's new dancer.

Aside from the fun of languages, I did get to ride one of the fastest trains in the world a couple days ago. I took a day trip to Tianjin, a city on the coast, east of Beijing. The ride takes about 30 mins and tops out at a speed of around 330 km/h. Pretty impressive. Not a whole lot to see or do in Tianjin, I mainly went to see the country side a bit while riding the incredibly fast train.

What else was I going to say? Oh I know. Back to the subject of the Great Wall. While walking around it, one can't help but think about how ludicrous a 1,000 km length wall really is. I suppose in theory it would deter a person or two from crossing, but if someone REALLY wanted to get over it, it probably wouldn't be all that difficult. 1,000 km. You would have to have sooooo many people standing watch to cover that distance, and then they'd have to be diligently watching at all times. Do you think that really happened? Of course not. As insane as the wall is, I had to wonder, who's more insane though, the people that spent years and years and years and years building it, repairing it, etc., or us, for trying to build something similar along the Mexican border? Hahaha. I'm not trying to get political on you here, so I apologize if this last statement offended you. I understand the reasoning behind our "wall", I'm just saying, when thinking about the Great Wall of China, you can't help but think about our own "wall" in our country. No matter which side of the "wall" you stand on (see what I did there?!), you have to admit, there is an interesting parallel between our modern day wall and the Great Wall of China.

Ok, enough tip-toeing around potential political issues. Let's wrap this up with a quick update on the "list" of things I was supposed to do while travelling around the world. So far, these are the items I've completed....

Got A Byron Bay T-shirt (for Byron)

Went to the top of Victoria Peak

Tried Dim Sum in Hong Kong

Tried Kangaroo, but not Kangaroo tail - does that count?

Tried some crazy, local food

Some items I've failed to complete...
 
Throw a boomerang at someone
 
Find out what "fire and ice" was in HK
 
Visit Steve Irwin's grave


When in Rome/Beijing



 

Does anyone have anything else to add? Sleep on it and let me know. By the time I post this, I will be in Japan. I arrive(d) Sept. 14th in Tokyo, and will be in Japan until Oct. 21st. Long time. Who's ready for sushi?

6 out of 7

                                                             Bruce Lee at Avenue of the Stars

I've reached Hong Kong and that means I've officially made it to 6 out 7 continents of the world. After almost one week of being here I can honestly say that Hong Kong continues to impress me one way or another each day. A small area that is highly populated. Yet, for all the people and lack of space, HK runs with amazing efficiency and is one of the cleaner cities I've ever seen, especially when you take in the number of people that live here.


Since the place is so small and easy to access, it took me only about 2-4 days to cross off the major things on my list. Victoria Peak, Ferry across the Harbor, Avenue of the Stars, walked in and around several large bank buildings, jade market, night market, various parks, Big Buddha on Lantau Island, Po Lin Monastery, yatta, yatta, yatta. You get the idea. One of the more interesting things they have in HK now is a light show every night at 8. The show consists of select buildings on both Hong Kong Island and Kowloon that flash lights in particular patterns and some have lazers on top shooting into the night sky, all synchronized with music. According to a couple different sources, that may or may not be credible, the show costs a million dollars (HK dollar, US dollar, I'm not sure which) each night. The show lasts for about 15 mins. and to be honest with myself and HK, it's not all that impressive. While I sat and watched the show, I couldn't help but think I was at Disneyland. It was actually kind of sad.

View of HK Island from Kowloon


In other news, I officially surfed on my first couch with couchsurfing.org. I'm not sure if all of you who read this are aware of the site, but it's a social networking thing that allows travellers to meet up with like-minded travellers. You can either offer up your couch for a traveller where you let people stay for free and help them navigate around the area, or you can surf couches while travelling. My first surfing experience went extremely well and it looks like I will be doing it again very soon in Beijing. Of course, this time around, I stayed with a girl close to my age and, as a bonus, was fairly cute too.

I surfed for 4 days and then moved so as not to over stay my welcome. I took up residence in a hostel in the infamous "Chung King Mansion." This place deserves a quick explanation because in my mind, it is one of a kind. The Chung King Mansion is a fairly old building in Hong Kong that is very diverse in its purpose and people. On the bottom 3 or 4 floors of the building, you literally have your classic organized Black Market type shops. Cell phones, toys, clothes, food, whatever. The remaining 14 odd floors above are essentially guesthouses or hostels. Probably doesn't sound all that crazy, but imagine yourself walking in a market while people from all different corners (mainly India, Africa, and other areas of the Middle East) of the world beg you to come into their shops. You're caring a large pack so obviously you are coming to one of the hostels. Several people approach and claim they have the cleanest and best deal HK has to offer. You are being attacked. You just want to find the elevator to "Block A" and find the hostel you booked. Haha, the hostels in themselves are fairly amusing. One of the tiniest places I've stayed in, most of the rooms at Chung King Mansion do not actually have a window for outside light. It's like a dungeon of small rooms that have space for one (which is actually an upside because then you don't have to share). The bathrooms are even more entertaining. The bathroom literally comprises a space that allows you to sit on the toilet, stand up, take one step forward and wash your hands in the sink on the right, and then step out. Pretty small. However, the catch is that this space is also your shower. There's a water heater on the wall with a shower-hose. Essentially, you can s**t, shower, and shave, all at the same time. Incredible. I've been told that this bathroom arrangement is actually quite common throughout a lot of Asia. Shows how much I knew.

As of right now, I'm actually spending my time on Lamma Island ( a 30 or 60 min. ferry ride from HK Island). The place is gorgeous and not as frequently travelled by tourists. With a beach and walking trails around the island, it's the perfect get away from the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong. As beautiful as the landscape and alley-way like paths that snake through the houses is, there is also one thing here that sticks out like a sore thumb. A giant coal plant with 3 huge towers. The irony of the situation is somewhat amusing, but also sad in way. I suppose we all have to get energy somehow. Your interesting lesson for the day, in WWII, Japan occupied Lamma Island. Before leaving, they let loose a variety of venomous snakes on the island. I've done some hiking around the island, but let's just say I've restricted it to daylight hours.

Well this has become quite the novel. My apologies. I'm gearing up to go to Beijing very soon (Sunday, the 5th) so don't be surprised if I have to write you another long entry explaining all the new and cool things I will see there. Before I go, I have to say one more thing. My amusing story for the day. The topic: shirts with statements. I myself have never really been interested in t-shirts with statements (i.e. "I'm with stupid -->" ), but in HK, they seem to be fairly common. I don't know if it's the fashion or trend, but a lot of people have these type of shirts with English statements written on them. Some are not that far out, some don't make any sense, some don't seem to be translated correctly, and then there are those that....well....speak for themselves. The shirt I am referring to was worn by a middle-aged woman who looked like your everyday person. In bold, capital letters, her shirt read, "WILL F*** FOR COKE" I about died laughing. Clearly this person had no idea what they were wearing. I attempted to chase her down and snag a photo without her knowing, but it was in the middle of the metro and I lost her in the throng of people. As astounding as the shirt was, I really feel the situation begs a couple questions. 1) Where the heck did she even find a shirt like that? 2) Who, in their right mind, designed it? 3) Did that designer really think they'd make any money off the shirt? 4) If so, did they?

Alright, this is quite enough for now. I'll write again from Beijing. Stay tuned.

Lantau Island:  Bikes, bikes, bikes

Leaving Home

It is a night of mixed emotions.  Tonight is my last and final night in Australia.  Tomorrow morning I wake up nice and early to catch my first flight to Sydney in order to make my way to Hong Kong.  While I am anxious and excited for the new and up-coming adventure, I am a little sad to say goodbye to what I consider to be my newest family and home.  Although they might be relieved to finally see me go, the last 3 some odd weeks here in Adelaide have been incredible.  A vacation from vacation, I've gained another window into Australian life and culture, in addition to making some incredible friends that I will never forget for the rest of my life.  I'm a very fortunate traveller, continuing on my way.

Besides saying my goodbyes to the people and country of Australia, there isn't too much new to report in this post, other than I will be back in the Northern Hemisphere very soon.  2 hour flight to Sydney, and 9 hour flight to Hong Kong.  I'm looking forward to the summer heat and sunsets that aren't as early as 6:30.
 
Since I don't know how long it will take me to get my bearings in China, it's probably best to bring you August's Speedo Picture!  In honor of my new home and family, I proudly introduce them to you in this fashion.  Yes, the Speedo is family friendly, but only for the coolest of families. : )

Judging by my weight, home with the family did me a little too well.  I'm sure the traveller's diet will help soon enough.

Adelaide and the Red Center

Part of Uluru (Ayers Rock) - sorry folks, it turns out it may not be the largest rock in the world.  It can't be confirmed as they are not 100% how far down it goes, this is according to a tour guide.  Apparently the largest rock is located in Western Australia.

Looking at my calendar, it would seem that I'm about due for a nice little blog.  Hopefully I can keep it little so as to not bore you to death.  As usual, I'll give you a run down in chronological order, as opposed to Tarantino style.

A couple weeks ago I arrived in Adelaide where I've been staying with some amazing family friends of mine.  Out of the hostel, and into the home, I've been enjoying my time here immensely.  Showering without sandals, eating proper meals, and reading by the warmth of fire, my time here has been very relaxing.  After a week or so of being here, I made a journey to the center of Australia in order to see Uluru (Ayers Rock), Kata Tjuta (the Olgas), Kings Canyon, and the huge mecca of Alice Springs.  I rode the Ghan line train up (25 hours) and took the bus back (20 hours).  On my trip, I met some amazing people, as is almost always the case, saw some amazing rock formations, and even some wild camels, although I don't know if I would refer to them as amazing more so than just "camels"

I could explain go into a lot of stories about my trip to the red center, but I'm going to limit it to what I feel is most important to know, and that concerns the aboriginal people of Australia.  If you ever go to Uluru, you will be presented with the opportunity to climb the rock.  Although you are allowed to climb it, the aboriginal people do not want you climbing it as it is a sacred site to them.  Unfortunately, they can not stop you if you want to.  Although the National Park and land is owned by aboriginals, the Australian Government has a 100 year contract (starting in 1985) that allows visitors and tourists to come onto the land.  Sadly, the original contract restricted people from climbing, but at the last minute the government said it would not agree to the terms unless people were allowed to climb on it.  Before I advance any further, I want to be clear that I am not condemning Australia or its people for their treatment of the aboriginal people.  Although much of the historical treatment of the native aboriginals in Australia is quite saddening, the same can be said for American treatment of our own Native Americans.  Either way, I bring all of this up because I felt it was a good time to incorporate the idea of respecting other peoples and cultures.  Seeing the aboriginal history in Australia only made me reflect more on the history of the U.S.  I myself have dabbled in a book or two concerning the trail of tears and battle of bighorn, but I know that I am naive to a large portion of the history.  I encourage you to check out this part of our past.  Maybe it will change you, maybe you already know about it, but I strongly believe it's something maybe we should all know a little better.  I chose not climb the rock, and if ever presented with opportunity, I encourage you to do the same.

Now...on to more uplifting things.  My journey to the center took about a week, upon which I have returned to Adelaide.  I  am sticking around here until the 26th of August.  The family friends I am staying with are not all home at the moment.  The parents are travelling and don't return until later, so in order to see them, I have opted to stick around a little longer.  To fulfill my time, I nearly found the perfect job.  I applied for a research study at University of South Australia.  I applied as a participant for a sleep study.  The study required me to stay at the university for 12 days in row where I would be subjected to different sleep patterns (they wake me up at odd times and tell me when I can sleep, etc).  This is all done with no daylight and no clocks (i.e. - no concept of time allowed).  Essentially, 12 days in a room and living room area with 2 other participants being tested on my cognitive skills while being sleep deprived (along with a bunch of other things).  I thought I was perfect for the position.  12 entire days with no communication allowed - who has time for that besides backpackers?!  Well, I got my hopes up to0 high and could not be a part of the study because I had travelled through timezones in the past 3 months.  I looked at this question on my survey and knew that it would hurt my chances, but I knew, after doing research, that I would not jeopardize the integrity of their data.  Honesty killed the cat and I lost out on an opportunity to free meals and lodging for 12 days in addition to $1500 in pay - oh ya, and not to mention potential mental and physical pains.  : )  I told my family about this whole ordeal and was amazed they weren't as excited as me.  After all, who can say they've participated in a sleep study, let alone in a foreign country! 

In Adelaide I will remain until the end of the month where I will be moving on to my first destination that does not speak English as its first language (Hong Kong!).  The remainder of my time is divided up between reading, relaxing, driving around one of my family friends (she's elderly), and occasionally attending classes with her.  I'm usually on-line to skype most evenings (US time), but on Monday evenings (Tuesday morning for me), I have my Spanish and Shakespeare classes, so you probably won't encounter me on that day.     

Nara, my new Japanese friend, and I at Kata Tjuta

Sydneysiders and Germans

I was recently asked the question for what primary purpose I travelled?  Was I interested in the places, the culture, the museums, the history, people, etc?  What interested me most?  Inevitably, I replied that it all interested in me.  But in thinking about it more, I can fairly confidently say that it is the people that I meet and see that make the most lasting impression on me.  It is also the part that makes me the happiest.  Relationships and human contact is extremely important, and in light of all the aforementioned, today I want to introduce you to my 2 Germans friends I made while travelling in Sydney.  Patrick and Philipp.  Two guys aged 20 years or so, they stayed with me in my hostel for 5 days or so.  Despite our cultural differences, it was amazing how easily we got along and understood each other.  When I say "understand each other,"  I'm not referring to the differences in language because they spoke perfect English.  We shared meals, BBQ 'd together, and had a good laugh when we realized that we were brought up watching many of the same cartoons (Darkwing Duck and Chip-n-dale sounds pretty amusing in German).  We also exchanged several nuances of language.  I learned several German words and sentences in addition to learning to the first line of the German national anthem.  Haha, I made a point that from now on whenever I make some good German friends, I will insist they teach me a new word as well as the next line of the National Anthem.  All of these things probably sound a little childish, but when you travel on your own and meet some people you click with, well, it's simply hard to describe.  It's almost something you have to experience.  It's amazing how in such a short amount of time (5 days), you know you've made a friend(s) for life.  I can be pretty certain of this because my friends, Patrick and Philipp are the ones who are providing you with this month's Speedo picture!  It takes a brave man, comfortable in his own skin, to take a picture of another pasty-white man in a Speedo amongst a throng of people.  Even more so to pose with him.

Mr. July.  This was just one of many photos taken.  It was hilarious to see the heads turned in the photos afterwards.

Patrick, me, and Philipp in front of the Sydney Opera House.  I believe this picture is now Philipp's facebook profile picture.



The best part about this whole experience is that while slightly embarrassing, something special also happened.  The Speedo brought people together.  After I got a plethora of pictures taken, a group of girls came over to us and asked me if I had lost a bet.  I unfortunately had to explain that I was simply doing it as a calendar - haha, but the best part was, they then wanted to get a picture with me as well.  A group of 6, 16 year old Germa girls, thank goodness I wasn't sporting my mustache as I surely would have been arrested.

    Other than this amazing experience, my time in Sydney was also highlighted by hearing the Symphony play Beethoven's 5th and walking across the Harbor Bridge.  I spent about 5 days there and now find myself in Adelaide, Australia.  I'm staying with some family friends and am enjoying it immensely.  What many of you may be particularly excited to discover is that I am now in the possession of small, travel lap top.  Thanks to my parents (mainly worrisome Mother), I can now stay in contact much easier in addition to potentially setting up some Skype dates in the event anyone wants to talk.  j.meyer72 - I'll be on from time to time, so throw the dice and sign on.  Maybe we talk and catch up!  Also, seeing as I have easy, free access to internet, I will be putting up a couple albums of pictures from Australia and New Zealand, so make sure to check those out.  If we aren't friends on facebook yet for some reason, make sure to find me on the TCU network.  I'll keep this one a bit shorter as I suspect I'll potentially have more exciting news in the next couple days. 

The Opera House by Night

The inside of the Opera House (also technically by night).








Oh, and one last picture.  This picture was originally going to be July's Speedo picture, simply because it is breathtaking.  You never know, if you end up ordering the calendar at the end of my travel you just might get this photo as well as a bonus shot!

Above the clouds on the Kepler Track in NZ.

Photo by Jordan Boustead   --- : )

Happy Hour!

Above the clouds on the Kepler Track in NZ.

I know, I know, it has been way too long since I last wrote.  It has also been too long living out of a van.  Fortunately for both you and I, I am back to a semi-normal lifestyle, and back to a hostel.  Even better, I am at an Internet cafe that has  "Happy Hour" - happy indeed as the rates are much much cheaper validating enough time to update the blog.  Today I find myself in Christchurch, New Zealand after travelling around for almost 4 weeks.  Today is important for two reasons.  1)  It is my last official full day in New Zealand 2) It is my first official day to be travelling on my own.  I dropped my friend Jordan off at the airport yesterday.  After 2 months of exploring Australia and New Zealand I will (and already do) miss him.  Jordan, assuming you read this eventually, thank you for everything.  I couldn't have asked for a better or easier way to plunge into my world journey.  We had some trying times in sticky hot vehicles, in frozen ones too, and let's not begin to discuss how much I slowed you down on the hikes - but through it all I know it couldn't have gone any better.  An adventure neither of us will ever forget.  Unfortunately, only 2 cave pictures were saved from my blunder in copying those photos over.  They aren't the best ones.  :(  But they will do.

The fire Jordan and I built while spending the night in a cave at the beach.  It took two hours to convince me to do it with him, but after I got over fears of horse flies and who knows what else, I can say it was well worth it.

     So what have I been up to and where have I been?  Well, I won't dwell on every single destination I've been in NZ as I'm sure most of you won't bother to look it up on a map (I wouldn't either, so I don't blame you).  So let's get into a couple nitty-gritty stories.  First off, let's discuss driving on the right side of the road.  After two months or so of handling a rented vehicle in the land of opposites, I feel like I should explain a couple caveats I hadn't given much thought before the experience.  (I should say half a  month of handling, Jordan did most of the driving in Australia and more than me in NZ as well).  What I hadn't really given much thought, when it came to driving on the opposite side of the road, is how much further those same rules apply to other circumstances.  Example #1: Walking on the sidewalk.  It's natural to walk on the right side for us as that's the steady flow of traffic.  They do the same thing, only you'd walk on the left.  At first I couldn't help but become a little disgruntled in thinking why the hell everyone was practically running into me.  Eventually it dawned on me that it was me who was running into everyone else.  By the end of 2 months, I've pretty much gotten than hang of it, not to mention looking right before looking left when crossing the street.  But the problem with walking is that it comes naturally and it's an act you don't really give much thought.  When your eyes start to wonder, taking in the sights and sounds of a new city, you eventually realize your body has naturally drifted towards the "wrong" side of the sidewalk.  Luckily, I never ran into small children or old people, just your average Joe's that were probably used to getting hit by tourists.  The funniest part is that in an area like Queenstown (which has a Kiwi population of probably less than 10%) that is very, very touristic, you find people walking on the right side all the time.  By the time I got to Queenstown I had pretty much gotten the whole left side thing down.  Ironically I couldn't help but think to myself - "geeze tourist, get it together!"  Haha - only jokingly of course.
   Let's also talk about wits and resourcefulness (which is very much needed when you live in a van).  I mentioned we had to stop at a "gym" facility to shower.  What I forgot to mention is that we didn't bring in our towels. "How much for towels?" we asked.  $5 and another $5 deposit you get back after turning it back in was the reply. What?!  You've got be kidding me, I thought.  What the hell is the $5 deposit for if you already have to pay to use it?  Isn't a deposit supposed to work as insurance to pay for the cost of replacing the towel in case I walk off with it? "Want one?"  ---  "No, I think I'll be ok."  I showered to my hearts delight and afterwards walked around the locker room a bit, air drying out.  Not sure how "acceptable" that is in NZ, but most humilities are thrown out the window when you live out of van.  Eventually, being the genius I am, I discovered the hand dryer.  I dried off my legs and arms and kind of bent over a little awkwardly and even got some of my shoulders before I climbed another rung of the intelligence ladder.  To my delight, my eyes spied a hair dryer.  Hahaha - I spent a good 10-15 mins drying off with it and couldn't help but feel victorious.  Not only did I not pay for a towel, I managed to run up their electricity bill a tad bit more in the process.  A small victory, but a victory none the less.  Kris, I couldn't help but think of that classic Chappel line I yelled at Jeff while in DC.
     Now let's discuss the beauty of New Zealand.  You really can't go wrong in this country unless you spend too much time in Rotorua or Taupo (those are hot spring towns in the North Island that reek to high heaven of Sulfur.  That stuff will get to you at some point I'm convinced).  For you Lord of the Ring fans (Mike), you'll be happy to know that Jordan and I hiked around the Mt. that inspired Mt. Doom in Tongariro.  An amazing hike that had it not been for Jordan, I probably would have not experienced.  We hiked for an entire day to reach a Mt hut that we stayed in with approximately 15-20 other people.  We were fortunate enough to be blessed by a clear and glorious day the next morning.  The night in the hut I was near certain that we would have to turn back as a huge storm rolled through and howled against the hut all night.  Other amazing hiking trips included the Kepler Track on the south island near Te Anau and Milford Sound.  Jordan and I spent the night in another hut that night and on that particular hike, we got above both the tree line and the clouds.  Truly amazing.  As for wild life, we saw a couple Kea (decent sized parrot that loves to rip apart rubber lining on vehicles when left unattended), but nothing else too note worthy.  No Kiwi, no Tuatara (sorry Kris), and I didn't bother to pay $40 to see the albatross colony in Dunedin.  I thought pretty hard about it, but when it came down to it, I couldn't help but think that my life would probably continue without seeing a glorified seagull.  Ok, so they're cooler than that (they can fly some 1200 Km in one day, have one mate for life, and are excellent treasure hunters when it comes to finding plastic pieces in our oceans  - that last part is sarcastic as it typically kills them).  Trash in our oceans is actually one of their main killers and isn't helping their endangered status.  Back to the decision not to see one though... I also had to consider my local dining options and how much happier I would be to sample the delicacies of the local cuisine.  My stomach won the war on that decision.

Jordan and I near the top of "Mt. Doom"

     As for my future....I'm headed back to Australia for Round 2 tomorrow (July 20th - Happy Birthday Deborah!).  The intended plan is to see Sydney and all it has to offer for 5 days or so and then fly to Adelaide to visit some family friends and somehow make my way up to the biggest rock (Ayers) in the world!  Get excited people!  With any luck, I'll be at my next scheduled destination (Hong Kong) by mid-August.  Although it's the 19th of July here, if you read this now (or soon) it would be the 18th back home, meaning my two month anniversary!  So tip one back to me being gone and send me an e-mail or two and let me know how happy you've been since I've been gone.  : ) Scratch that, just did the math, it's already just barely the 19th back in the States (unless you are in Hawaii or some part of Alaska).

                                                                        

The setting sun in NZ; it will be missed.