21 November 2002
Kim, a Swiss financier, and I, part of the 'Stray' gang basking in the light of a New Zealand sunset. "SWEET ASSSSSS!" we shouted.
Our driver, Damien, 'Veno' used the phrase all the time when satisfied over anything, meaning 'sweet as...' and not sweet ASS. A garrulous 28-year old Kiwi surfer, he'd been our guide to New Zealand for the last 14 days since our departure from Auckland.
I chose Stray's tour bus on a strong recommendation from the hostel staff in Auckland. Backpacking seems to be a cottage industry here as much as sheep farming and cheering on the All Blacks, the national rugby team. There are several competing bus lines with names like Magic and Kiwi Experience, the latter reputed as the party bus; which I carefully avoided.
The Stray company started up just six months ago and they still lease buses. We went through six buses in as many days since our group kept getting bigger or the buses kept breaking down. Each bus sported its own quirks, though it seemed that the door on every bus broke - we kicked one open once. But our last bus has lasted a whole week and we've named her Daisy.
The whole country caters to backpackers, with a focus on the 'adrenaline' sports: bungee jumping (invented here), skydiving, rafting, caving, glacier walks, and the famous 'tramps' or hikes in the national parks. Affordable hostels abound in all the cities, and I quickly learned to 'self-cater;' meaning I dined like a college student, ramen noodles, PB&J's and granola bars - to save money. (And I felt like a 'real' backpacker too!)
A group of us bonded quickly as we stuck together for the first ten days or so. The disparate backgrounds melted away as we found commonality in our adventurous life outlooks and mellow approach to work and life. The group spanned Europe, with several Dutch, Brits, Swiss, a German and an Israeli (yes, they got along). I alone represented America.
This fact was nice as one could sense the slight cringing of the Euros when one or two groups of 'Yanks' would loudly board the bus. You really could see the loud obnoxious side of us sometimes. But in fact, all the other Americans have been very nice for the most part (if a bit naive) and probably even felt a little left out of our tight little group - and maybe a bit intimidated by the multicultural band.
The Americans in NZ seemed to be the ones that prefer travel in more familiar and user-friendly surroundings. Whereas I found that Americans travelling in more 'off the beaten track' places to be much more open to new cultures and much more sensitive to differences in the local populace and a little less brash.
We got used to shouting, "NEW MEAT" as other travellers hopped on the bus, reminiscent of some prison movies. But all in good fun. The buses follow a circuit around the country, north and south island and travellers can hop on or off at any point, giving flexibility to remain in a spot that tugs you. But my lack of time forced me to book a sixteen day minimum trip and remain on the bus for the entire time, though seeing most of NZ.
I spent the first five days in Auckland figuring out what to do, including several trips to the travel agent to plan and sort out my around the world ticket through Star Alliance (US$2000 in NZ but $4000 if purchased in the US - go figure!). That finished, I clambered aboard the bus for the quick tour of NZ, now two-thirds complete.
The weather in the North surprised me with the cold and grey clouds and almost daily rain! I thought that down here it was summer, but its actually a early spring and rain is very common. The skies improved as we moved south and our first sunny day came on a eight-hour hike called the Tongariro crossing, which climbed 7000' to a group of volcanic lakes. Beautiful. I skipped most of the adrenaline sports, having 'been there and done that' in many other places and times.
I even skipped the mellow partying for the first few days as I decided to fast for three days as a way of initiating my travels. It felt great and I a longer fast tempted me, but I relented. I am eating more consciously, little fast food and lots of fruit and nuts; thus I've lost about five pounds already. I also manage to be disciplined enough to do some yoga and my 'prison' workout a few times a week to stay in some semblance of fitness.
The cafe culture rules NZ and I've managed to find good coffee and latte's all over the country - so much for kicking the caffeine habit! Its just like home here, with English spoken (albeit with funny accents and some WEIRD slang), all the bathrooms are REALLY clean, the usual fast food outlets, and nice grocery store with food I actually recognize.
So this place eased me back into the travel mindset after three months of life in America. No TVs and a really crappy newspaper here keep me out of touch with the goings on in the world. I figure someone will tell me when we go to war with Iraq. Its a comfortable way to start off and I am truly enjoying myself, though a little more spare time would be nice. We seem to 'fang' (drive quickly) through to each location, from one bungee jump to another jet boat site, and hardly get time to just sit around and relax.
I now track all my expenses on this trip since I am a bit over budget and need to be more conscious of my travel spending habits. This also forces me to be very diligent in my journaling, which I am happy to report goes very well and I am having some great insights and deep thoughts (more on that later!).
I leave most of my new found friends tomorrow and continue on to Christchurch, skipping the southern-most portion of the country. Its a bit sad since we've become a bit of a family, knowing each other habits and and temperaments. I look forward to transitioning to a more independent way of travel and some time alone; but I'll miss the Stray gang soon.
SWEET ASSSSSS!
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