Top Speeds and Big Burgers

February 13. I woke up with my computer not working, and I just spent over 2 hours trying to fix it. Ben woke up with me and immediately took up the challenge in helping me fix it. He knows how important blogging is to me and without him I don’t think I could have fixed it. It’s almost been 2 weeks with the group and I can’t believe how close we have become. It’s the perfect amount of people, with everyone contributing in some way or another to make it the perfect group. I also realized I’m starting to run low on money, the $500 I had when the trip started is dwindling, but I think I can make it through the month if I budget correctly. I’m really proud that I haven’t lost anything so far; I used to lose countless items when I was younger.

 We have 2 more nights here in Queenstown, but there is so much to do. Our time here is all optional free time, allowing us to do whatever we want. Everyone here is so friendly, and it is a gorgeous town surrounded by a gorgeous landscape. There is usually live music playing outside our hostel window, and it’s all great music. A bunch of us are thinking about taking a tour of the Lord of the Rings landscape, but it’s expensive and might not work out. It rains on and off here a lot, so that might make for an unenjoyable trip. We might just visit the Lord of the Rings store in town to make up for the journey, but we’ll see.

Today Steran, Caitie, Jade, and I are luging. It’s not like the luging in the states, where you lay on a skateboard with a high chance of a fatal accident. This type is a kind of cart, where you sit in an open plastic seat with three wheels and a steering wheel. You pull the handle towards you to go, and away from you to brake or stop. It’s simple, but so much fun. I’ve only done it once before, at Beaver Creek.

The four of us hiked to the top of the town, where there was a gondola. Along the way we saw a car with a huge lizard on it and we took a picture (click my slideshow if you would like to see it). We took the gondola up to the top. We bought three rides each for only $20. We got on helmets and were instructed that we had to take the scenic track before we drove on the advanced track. The scenic track was fun, and we all raced each other to the bottom. It became more competitive as we drove down, with us kicking each other carts and crashing into each other. Jade ending up winning the first race, but we vowed for revenge.

The next two races were, you have probably guessed, on the advanced track. The turns banked so hard that Steran and I were literally riding on two wheels half to time. There were also huge drops where the cart would leave the ground entirely. The girls took this one a bit slower, so Steran and I were head to head the entire time, crashing into each other to gain a lead. I finally was able to pull ahead after a good shove to the side and come out with a win. Tempers were flaring before the next race. The girls were ready for a comeback. Steran and I thought it would be prudent to team up together. Both girls had lost their fear of the course and sped down as fast as me and Steran. We kept the girls off for a while, until Steran crashed headlong into a pile of tires. Caitie made a break for it and streaked off towards the finish line, bellowing her triumph. It was an exciting race, but the girls got us in the end.

After we gathered up Steran we walked to the photo shop. We saw all of our faces during the race. Steran and I were making ridiculous expressions, more like barbarians roaring than anything else. Jade’s face was screwed up in concentration, but Caitie’s was the most priceless. Her face was expressionless. She looked almost bored. It was hilarious to see how we were all excited and screaming, but her face made it seem like it was just another dull day at the luge track.

 At 3pm we walked home, wanting to take a power nap. We actually didn’t realize how tired we were and slept until 6pm! We only had 30 minutes to get ready for dinner, but luckily we ate in today. We had massive burgers from a restaurant called Ferberger. I could barely finish mine even though I had eaten nothing all day (because I was too busy with my computer and luging). We lay around the lounge of the hostel afterwards, nursing our food babies and laughing about the day’s events. The others had hiked around the landscape all day and they told us of about the awesome scenery. Then Steran popped in a movie (X-men 3) and we all huddled around the TV. Yet again they went out partying afterwards, and yet again I’m here blogging. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not fussed in the slightest. I’m happy to have some alone time after a day with everyone. I’m having the time of my life.

Personalities

February 12. A long drive to Queenstown is what we have to look forward to today. I had to take a hot tub after I woke up this morning because my muscles were still sore. I couldn’t muster up the energy to go for a run so I was forced to have breakfast and pack. At the moment, I’m waiting for everyone to wake up to get on the road. I’m betting that today won’t be nearly as exciting as yesterday, but I want to address a question that readers have frequently asked.

                I haven’t described my group thoroughly enough, nor my relationship with them, which is crucial knowledge for all you readers. So we’ll start with the guy I met first, Andrew. I traveled with him from LAX and I immediately got the impression of a smart, hilarious gentleman. He spits out jokes like quick draw McGraw, but in a subtle, serious manner that leaves you wondering if you should laugh or not. I’ve learned by now to almost never take him seriously. He never makes jokes about you, however, but always at the expense of himself, which makes me respect him more. He’s a nice guy who I talk to frequently and is one of my closer friends on this trip.

                David (we call him Steran) is another of my close friends on this trip. He parties hard, but is one of the nicest guys on this trip. He always makes the effort to include me when they party, even though I can’t drink. He never judges anyone and cracking Family Guy jokes is our favorite past time. Steran and another guy, Brian, were in Australia last month together. Brian is a sport crazy guy. He knows everything about any sport. He is full of testosterone and definitely gets rambunctious sometimes. He does, however, treat everyone fairly and is a great conversationalist. Olivia was with Steran and Brian on their last trip, but she sticks mainly with her other two friends, Claire and Ariana. Olivia is a Cali-girl. She does have an attitude, but for the most part is kind and friendly. She’s another great conversationalist and has a million stories. I haven’t gotten to know much about Claire or Ariana because they attach themselves to Olivia. Even on our long road trips they separate themselves. Ariana, Claire, Olivia, and Elise drive in the car, while the rest of our group follows them in the van. It is somewhat like a high school clique scenario, but I’m not fussed. Our van group is already too much fun.

                So the other David, who we actually call David, is another great addition to our group. He gets a little cocky and has a sarcastic humor, but is always ready to whip out a story about any subject. I’m not sure if they are all true, but he seems to know and have a story about everything. He has a passion for music and is our D.J. for the trip. He never plays the same song twice, yet every song he plays is a good one. He has also signed up for the China trip with me.

                Ben is the oldest on our trip. 21 and in college, he acts like a wise old man, teaching us lessons in life. He seems to yearn for appraisal because he always buys people lunch and drinks or is the first person to loan you money. He’s also the cheerleader in our group, always making sure everyone is happy. He listens to whatever problems you have and either fixes them or erases them from your mind with a few good jokes.

                There are two other girls in our “van group.” Jade, who arrived with Olivia, is a down-to-earth girl with one of the nicest personalities. She’s the person that makes everyone feel good. She always compliments you and spreads herself around the group. Even if you have a terrible joke that nobody laughs at, she laughs just to make you not feel like an idiot. Caitie is the last girl in our group. She finds guy humor hilarious and almost never hangs out with the other girls (except for Jade). She has a quiet, subtle humor that I can’t help smiling at, no matter the joke. She’s another great conversationalist, and it’s always good to get a break from the guys and talk with her for a bit.

                Elise and Erik are great leaders. Erik is a wilderness guy, loves adventure, and meeting new people. He enjoys culture and has been to almost every country. He’s not much of a conversationalist, but when you can get him to talk, he rambles on about every experience he had in some part of the world. He keeps the group in line and makes sure the others don’t blackout from partying too much. Elise is another story. She has a sarcastic humor, with a slight attitude, but it’s all in good fun. She loves to party with the others, yet she doesn’t party too hard. She loves her job and doesn’t let anything come between it and her. I don’t know if she loves culture as much as she just loves traveling and being around younger people, but she does love the experiences.

                So I hope this clears up any confusion in my writing, but if it doesn’t please comment and I’ll be happy to answer any more inquiries. We are almost ready to go now, and yet again I don’t have Wi-Fi, but I’ll post this as soon as I do.

 

From left to right: Steran, Jade, Claire, Olivia, Ariana, David (on tree), Me, Andrew, Caitie, Elise. Bottom: Ben and Brian

A Tint of Blue in the Ice

February 10 & February 11. The 10^th was as uneventful and dull as the last two days. We traveled again, but the 11^th more than made up for the last three days of boredom. I went for a run this morning and was surprised to see that I was stock full of energy. The dullness of the last three days had given me a lust to do something adventurous again. We drove away from the hostel in high spirits, intent on arriving to a glacier that we would be hiking. We stopped along the way for breakfast, but it was a short affair and we wolfed down our food without really realizing what we were eating.

We arrived at a small log cabin, exactly like a Lincoln Log cabin. We stepped inside and were greeted warmly by the guides. They didn’t waste any time, but went straight to the equipment and safety procedures. We slid on hiking socks and laced up the hiking boots we were given. We also received crampons, special foot grips for when you’re hiking the glacier. Backpacks (that smelled like they had never been washed), jackets and, peculiarly, empty water bottles were all handed out before we ran onto the bus. I expected to see a large hill of frost when we came to the glacier, not a 3 mile stretch of compacted, super dense ice moving at 6 meters per day. The landscape was breathtaking. There is no other word for it. It was an enormous valley with massive mountains surrounding the area. I was therefore taken aback when the guide told us we would be hiking one of the mountains in order to reach the glacier. So we set off, trudging through a surrounding rainforest. It wasn’t what I expected a rainforest to be, however. It was humid and desperately quite. The only sounds that broke the monotony of our steps was the faint trickle of a stream or a loud crash as another piece of ice broke free from the glacier. Caitie and I passed the time laughing about the past few nights and quoting Family Guy, but even our joking couldn’t distract me from my rapidly increasing dehydration.

We finally rose to the entrance of the glacier, clutching stitches in our sides. A stunning stream of fresh water flowing through the ice, which gave it a slight blue tint, met us at the base of the entrance. We filled our water bottles to the brim with the ice cold water, bringing them up instantly to our mouths. There is no other water like it. We drank deeply, occasionally coming up for air. I only stopped after 3 bottles full and filled it a 4^th time for the return journey. The guide instructed us on how to put on our crampons and gave us walking sticks. He then hiked off, using his icepick to occasionally carve steps for the more difficult pathways. As we walked I became aware of the immediate climate change. We went from a humid rainforest to a freezing iceberg, and my body was reacting accordingly. I was shivering soon, but the captivating sights of the glacier kept my mind away from my body.  I regretted not taking sunglasses after a while. The glare off the blue ice was blinding. However, the weather turned to overcast after 20 minutes of hiking.

We trekked through crevasses, plains, and even through the glacier. The cracks of time and expanding air were always evident, and some of my group voiced their worries that the glacier might crack under our feet. The guide informed us that the ice was way too thick, but I continually noticed worried looks as the ice creaked under our feet. We came across many streams and ice formations, each more fascinating than the last. After about an hour and a half of hiking, our hands became numb and we were starving.

The hike back wasn’t a long one; apparently there was a 10 minute path back to the bus. We crawled into the bus and savored the pleasure of stretching our cramped muscles. We packed up our gear and handed it back to the guide as soon as we came back to the cabin. We received certificates of survival, which was well deserved, and ate ravenously as Erik and Elise handed us sandwiches. We slept away the long journey to another hostile in ­­Fox Town. We are now stretching on our beds, cracking jokes and playing B.S. We’re going to a pub tonight where we can play some pool. There isn’t any wifi in this deserted town, but we are going to Queenstown tomorrow night. Hopefully I can post this then.

Reflection

February 9. Today was as boring and uneventful as the last. We drove another 8 hours, while stopping occasionally for lunch and to see blowholes and pancake rocks. The south island has a very different landscape then the north island. The south island’s mountainous regions and its rocky coasts give the perception of being insignificant. When you are shadowed by a New Zealand mountain, or look out upon the vast ocean, you feel like a trivial ant trying to safely return to its society. The rolling plains of the north island provide a connection to nature. You appreciate the landscape, cherishing that it has not yet been overrun by civilization.

 During this experience, I was forced to reflect upon myself and how I have grown in the last 9 days. In a little over a week, I have learned more about myself and my limits then I ever had in high school. I noticed that the real world isn’t portrayed well through high school. Being taken care of, depending on others, and being able to blow off work, that is later forgiven, is a luxury. There has been a drastic change in routine in my life. I now have to actually do laundry. I feed myself and plan my day around the necessities. I am a bit more self-disciplined now, making sure that I write my blog every day as well as budget my money and keep track of all my possessions. People steal everywhere. We have already had people’s laundry stolen from the dryer and a few wallets have gone missing. I always know where everything is now, which is comforting. Also, in high school I developed a shell of insecurity, which has now broken. Everyone on this trip is nice, fun, and intelligent, where in high school you are thrown into an environment where people immediately point out your flaws and shoot down your ideals. People who try to make you insecure to bolster their own security are rarely found, and if they are, they aren’t significant to anyone.

I wish I have learned more about myself and the world outside during this trip, but this month is more focused on the fun aspects of life. I wish I could tell you I have learned something from it, but it’s hard to tell at the moment. I’ll keep you updated on my findings, but I’m sure they will become more pronounced as the months progress.

A Break

February 8. This photo was the definite highlight of the day. Today was a traveling day entirely. We woke up and had a great breakfast of bacon and eggs. We packed up and drove another 6 hours to a ferry to the south island of New Zealand. The ferry ride was uneventful, until the end. The sun set and we watched the gorgeous landscape disappear behind the curtain of dusk. We drove literally 3 minutes from the ferry drop-off to a hostel. Everyone is ridiculously tired right now and they are complaining that there livers are protesting the intake of more alcohol. So we are going to pick out a movie and finish up the night.

A Speedy Rescue

                February 7. I was woken by my alarm clock at 8am this morning. We didn’t need to leave until 10:30am, but I wanted to go for another run this morning, because I didn’t know when I would be able to next. So I went for a run and by the time I came back to take a shower, breakfast was ready. Today we finally had a real breakfast. We have been living off toast, jelly, and bran cereal for the past 6 days. Erik cooked us bacon, egg, and cheeses, a much better alternative. Yet again we hopped in the van and drove 2 hours.

                We arrived at a white water rafting facility, which I was pumped about. This was one of the experiences I was looking forward to the most. We were given wetsuits, life jackets, booties, and helmets and we were introduced to our guide. His name was Ben, a really cool and nice aussie. On the way to the river he gave us the usual safety and rowing instructions for rafting. I was too engrossed in my own excitement to hear much of this however. I was disappointed, however, when I saw the river. It looked more like the Lazy River from Splish Splash. The guide seemed to see the disappointment in my eyes because he said “Mate, I can’t wait to see your expression when we round the bend.”

                We were then split up into groups of 7 with 1 guide. My group carried the raft into the calm waters and swung ourselves into the boat. When instructed to, we rowed like a well-oiled rafting machine. Upon rounding the bend I realized why Ben wanted to see my expression. My jaw dropped in exclamation. “We got some class 4 rapids coming up!” bellowed the instructor. Class 5 is the highest class of rapids and is only attempted by professionals (if attempted at all). After all the stuff I had done so far, I wasn’t going to lose my nerve because I was being plunged into class 4 rapids (when I had only been rafting for probably 5 minutes). We were tossed, turned, continually splashed with water, and scraped over rocks. The water soon chilled us to the bone, but we stayed resilient in our paddling. The rapids were 3 minutes long, and it was the longest and craziest 3 minutes of my life. I was soon crying with laughter and everyone was screaming and yelling with excitement.

 After 30 minutes of on and off rapids, we came to a lull in the current. We jumped off the raft and swam through another lazy river, but we were back in the raft after 10 minutes. We then came to another class 4 rapid, but I had a slightly arrogant confidence in me. “This was easy.” I thought to myself. As we came to a depression in the water, the bow of the boat dipped and the stern whipped up in response, where I happened to be sitting. I was launched at least 5 feet in the air, and splashed into the rapids. I panicked slightly as I came up for air and let go of my paddle in my frenzy to reach the raft. I made to wade on my back for the remainder of the rapids, but no sooner had I tried when a hand grasped my life jacket and swung me into the raft. “Alright mate?” asked Ben. I coughed up water, but I had a stupid grin on my face as I stammered my thanks. He waved away my gratitude saying “I haven’t lost a person yet, and I’ll be damned if it happens today.”

We only had 5 minutes left in the trip, but without a paddle I was left to brew on how overconfident I had been. I was that person that everyone talks about who had been thrown off the raft. We came to shore and docked the boat. Everyone was howling with laughter at how I had fell off, which surprisingly made me feel better about the situation. I laughed along and told my story of the experience. We later all agreed that was the best part of today’s adventure.

                We drove another 4 hours to a hostel near Lake Taupo. Everybody was ready for a drink and some dinner after that experience, but after dinner I went back to jot down my crazy day. I’m going to head out and watch the super bowl with everybody now. All the pubs are replaying it at 10:30pm. I’ll post this when I get the chance. Hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!

A Notion

February 6. I was really looking forward to starting the day because we had 3 amazing experiences planned. Elise and Erik explained that Sundays are usually dedicated to having as much fun as possible, so there was little cultural experience today. Upon explaining this to me, I had a realization that I want to share with you. The Rustic Pathways “Essentials” trips are described as deep cultural immersions, but in my experience, that is only half true. The time is split between the examination of the culture and experiencing fun activities that are usually exclusive to the country you are in. If you are looking for more of a volunteer or cultural experience activity, I would go with the “Skills” or “Give.” Many of the kids I’m with gave me useful info on these programs and they definitely tally with my notion.

                Anyway, we left the hostel at 8am and drove 2 hours to a hill where you can Zorb. For those of you who don’t know what a Zorb is, it is a plastic orb 12’ in diameter that strongly resembles a hamster ball. There is a hole in which a person can slide into the center of the Zorb. They put about 10 gallons of water in with you as well. So we put on our bathing suits and were driven to the top of the hill. There was a choice of going in doubles, which most of the girls did, and there was the choice of going alone, which the guys did. The difference was that if you wanted to go tandem, you had to roll down the shorter path. If you wanted to go solo, you could roll down the longer, zigzag path. Naturally, I went solo. I climbed into my Zorb, with 10 gallons of freezing water, and was pushed from the top of the hill. It was chaos. I tried to stand up and run in the ball, but every time I tried I was thrown into the water. The mixture of banking the turns and not being able to see (due to the dirt on the ball) made for a hectic and dizzying ride, but it was part of the fun. I laughed out loud the entire time while the water attacked me from every which way. After they pulled me from the ball I bounced on the balls of my feet, trying to expel the rush of adrenaline. When they took my picture I jumped high into the air in my excitement (which I have posted no matter how embarrassing).

                From there we left to an extreme sport activity center. The two activities they offered today were intense speed boating and free falling. We did the speed boating first, which is the second world class racing boat we have been on in our first 6 days. This was, however, the opposite of a sailboat. This boat, driven by the world class racer, carved the banks with intense speed that caused a 5 foot wall of water to expel from the back. I rode with Dave, who is easily the craziest and most fun kid on the trip. The driver turned out 180s like they were nothing. We lost our voices by the second loop (there were 4). The driver finished big with a legendary 360 into its slot and we stumbled onto the deck, too giddy to speak.

                We headed up a nearby tower to the free fall area. 5 minutes later we were suited up with overlarge suits with large holes cut through them. Calling this experience a free fall is a bit misleading, because it consisted of you being pushed up by a powerful fan which simulates the experience of sky diving. So our group was shown the basic safety tips and silent instructions we would need when free falling. We individually strolled onto the area where you would be pushed up by the fan and laid down on a layer of netting, the only thing separating me from a fan that can lift 1000 pounds. The fan started and I was immediately lifted high into the air, almost hitting the top net. I didn’t have perfect form throughout the entire experience. On the contrary I kept looking down in exclamation and apprehension, taking temporary looks at the enormous blades of the fan. During the periods where I did have perfect the instructors spun me around and flipped me on my back where I hovered ominously. My face felt like it was being pushed into my skull and I would bet that I looked hilarious because my group kept chuckling during my turn. Suddenly the instructor thrust me out of the air and I floated gracefully to the ground. That was an experience that will be etched in my mind forever. Apparently it was nothing like sky diving however, because Dave (who has been sky diving) told me it was completely different. Maybe I’ll try sky diving in the states.

                From there we drove to yet another hostel. I lathered up on sunscreen (hope your proud mom and dad) and went for another run. From there I dipped in the pool to cool off and helped cook dinner with the group leaders, which was a delicious dinner of make-your-own tacos. After dinner I came up to blog, a huge feat in my opinion because of how exhausted I feel. Even now I’m slipping off to sleep so this is where my day ends. Thanks for reading everyone.