New Zealand - Day 4 - Christchurch

Saturday morning - 7/13/2019 

Yesterday I started noticing all the “Fish & Chips” shops around Auckland & realized that this is a British Colony originally…. I bet they do Fish & chips *really* well…. So I casually asked Tash about it and she said Friday (Your Thursday) is their usual take out night… So… Fish & Chips it was! ❤️❤️❤️🐟🍟 All I could hope for - definitely the best! Always trust your host to choose… If you have no host, then always ask a local.  Worst thing you can do as a tourist is to think you know better… Why you never do.  More likely to be disappointed if you don't take recommendations.  And you are not opening yourself up to the amazing opportunity of vulnerability and chance. 

Wrote out my post cards to the girls last night & dropped them in the mail this morning.  Also discovered mint Flake at the drug store with the stamps - omg… MINT FLAKE! ❤️❤️❤️

Airport ride to Christchurch this morning is with Air New Zealand again.  Self-check in was smooth, though some anxiety because I am not a frequent flier - I am more comfortable with a human being, but the people I ran into at bag check were so abrupt (queuing through a lot of people would do that) I don't think a person could have put me more at ease than the self-check.  In any case… Quick… and no shoe removal at carry-on checks. 

All settled with check through I went looking for my coffee.  Was faced with far too many coffee options at the mini mart in the airport - cappuccino…. Espresso….. - so I just asked “Can I get just a regular coffee?”  Assistant was from India, so she again asked… “Cappuccino? Espresso?” Me:” American coffee?” Her: “Oh yes! Cafe Americano! Black?” Me: “Milk, no sugar.  I have my sweetener.” I realized before leaving the US that since there are so many places that don't carry Splenda in the US I shouldn't expect it to be easily accessible overseas.  Good coffee. Really good. Better than the Duncan's in Canada. 

Waiting for the airplane a group of women from Shanghai sat down around me.  They seemed a bit uncertain about it, so I smiled at them to set them at ease and I received confirmation smiles in return.  The woman next to me applied a cream and powder. I noticed the smell of roses that was very pretty and asked her about it. She called it “Sakura” when I mentioned it smelled like roses.  She told me it was a Japanese word, then also gave me the Chinese word, which I repeated. However, I can ask her again via email - we took selfies together waiting for the flight & shared our pictures of our children.  She was very friendly & patient with me - I do not speak any Chinese, but she spoke some English. She also translated to her friends what In was saying. They were all so very nice & I hope they have a nice trip also. 

On the plane - heading to Christchurch - planning to work on my Princess Leia comic (Thanks Nick!). Awesome read!

Have reached the South Island.  OMG - they were not kidding “The Southern ALPS!”   They are ENORMOUS!! Bestill my heart! ♥️

The tour program set up a ride from the airport. Chris was waiting there with my name on a sign and greeted me with a friendly smile and all sorts of wonderful information as he drove me over to the hotel. He recommended that I signed up on my phone for the Uber app that died at which I have been avoiding in the US. However, sounds like it might be useful out here since not all of the transportation rides have been arranged for optional tours. Most things I can walk to and are easy distance. It's a good to get the chance of getting some extra size since I'm not going to be climbing this week I'm less opportunity presents itself.

The temperature here is a comfortable 18 degrees Celsius. It's quite toastie when you're directly in the sun.

All set up in Christchurch, checked into the Ashley Hotel which is a 1 mile hike to the bus station. From bus station I will take a 45-minute ride to Heathcote Valley which is where I will get the gondola that takes me up to the rim of the Lyttelton volcano. There is a caldera they there that opens up into the larger Bay to the south. So from the rim of the Volcano I'll be able to see the caldera.

When faced with the option I think one should always walk. I see so much more by walking through the spark than I ever would if I was taking the Uber. I'm glad to have the app downloaded, but I wish there were more opportunities to take woks like these - in America with build Oliver things too far from each other. I don't have to drive to get to a park that that that you have to drive to get to grocery store data that you have to drive just to see your friends and Neighbours... If we put aside walks in and all of the little closer wouldn't that make a difference in how we see the world?

Passing by boys high Building, which appears to be cathedral-like. Structural damage appears to be from the earthquake events about 10 years ago.

Got to cathedral square - The damage to The Cathedral is dramatic - entire face has fallen so that you can see inside.  After the Earthquake a Cardboard Cathedral was put up as a temporary place of worship, but now they have been saying it should be left permanently.  It is quite the tourist attraction apparently.

Man in the square singing Irish ditties and playing a tin whistle.  He has a wonderful rich voice. I recorded as he sang and gave him a $2 coin when he was done.  Very social - asked about where I was from and showed me a trick he could do telling the difference between bills in his billfold.  Not sure, but he might have been politely trying to increase his tip.  

Got the bus for Gondola tour - will read a bit along the way.  My tour packet has a book about the New Zealand, so I will track where I go and learn more about each location using the book. 

Basaltic Igneous at top of the caldera rim - that should be surprising to no one.  😉 Lots of lichens - greens, grays, browns, and some yellow - finding some spots where the rock is oxidizing - so, lots of iron. Wish I were here earlier in the day - I would like to stay much longer. I need to see if there's another way back to town….. Yes, looks like a $2 fare gets me back on rt 28.  Let's live life dangerously! 😜

Decided to try out the iNaturalist app on my phone. Looks like it works here too, though I'm not familiar enough with the plants to say how accurate it is. I need to see if I can find a New Zealand project to join so that it will be more official.

Wow… looking over at one of the smaller bays in the caldera and and can see steam coming up off the water. See if I can zoom in enough to get a better view of what it might be. Could be a far more or just something happening industrial near the building.

Walking back to the gondola ride met some folks from Ireland who were here on a work visa.. can always rely on the Irish to be friendly and social. 😊  I have never been disappointed - even fulfilled on the requisite F-bomb in the first 2 minutes! ❤️❤️ Irish💚💚 🍀🍀🍀🍀 ❤️❤️❤️

Waiting for the Gondola back down I was having trouble finding my ticket - found it, but felt bad for the delay.  Woman behind me was also alone, so I invited her to join my ride. Her name is Amy & she's a piano accompanist from Sydney who also works in Secondary.  She is on winter break, visiting her husband's family here. She had walked up the mountain and was just taking the gondola down. We got stuck on the tram for a while because it was stopped for a transfer situation.

Started talking about things, then I asked her if she knew where the bus got on.  She didn't know, but asked where I was going & offered to drive me back to my hotel. I'm so glad she did. Had so much fun chatting with her on the ride back. She was telling me about this web tv show they have - may on Netflix? They have some different shows then what we have. It is a show that projects into the future if Trump wins the 2020… insects continue to die…. European sanctions against America… I don't know… Cats & dogs living together, world coming to an end all kinds of apocalyptic insanity… Except…. You know… Plausible…. Because it's not Handmaid's Tale…. And what folks here on the road (literally… This was something a street man said) are seeing from Mr. Fake news - makes them think women are being oppressed into subjugation and need to be re-liberated all over again. (I did explain to street guy that it wasn't that bad - he also tried to convert me to Christianity… which I also explained he didn't need to do) 

Amy was wonderful, though - such good conversation conversation coming back from the mountain.  Wish we had exchanged info, but who knows? Serendipity.  

Time to find dinner. 

Going to try this… just around the corner 

http://www.volstead.co.nz/menu/volstead_menu-3/

Good food, microbrew, & time for adult conversation.