I just found out that a good friend of mine from Hastings, MN, Eric Rego, passed away tonight from Pneumonia.

Rest In Peace, Rego, you will be missed.

And then Santa Dropped Trou

50 Japanese guys in Santa Suits on a Drinking parade through Tokyo.

Best Christmas ever :)

The day after the fish market, I was supposed to go see Tamao's friend's Japanese Gospel Christmas concert but the train I needed never came! I was frustrated and felt bad, but I decided to not waste my day and go wondering around Shibuya towards Yoyogi park. Throughout my walk, I had seen a few people running around in Santa costumes but thought nothing of it. As I was walking through an outdoor fair trade market, I saw two Americans wearing Santa suits, as well. I asked the guy what was going on and he said " Santa-Con!" He handed me a hat and a can of pineapple cocktail and told me to join. Basically, it was a group of maybe 50 Japanese and 10 American Santas having a drunk parade through Tokyo...amazing. I met a few people who work with digital editing and graphics and actually hung out with them on Christmas (we'll get to that later). I also met a Japanese woman, Shihoko, who invited me to go to a club with her this coming Saturday called "Pop It!" She also asked me if I liked girls or boys (haha ummm boys) and was trying to come up with a single guy for me...uh, that's ok. I had to cut the night short because I was getting on a bus at 10 headed to Kyoto overnight!

Needless to say, I had no problem sleeping through the entire bus ride. I arrived in Kyoto at five in the morning. Unfortunately, I wasn't goiungn to be meeting Tamao's friend, Hiromi, until noon, so I found a 24 hour internet cafe and hung out there until it was light out. Hiromi brought me to see Kinkakuji, aka the Golden Pavilion, which is a temple covered in gold, and to the Kiyomizudera which sits on a high hill and has a beautiful view of Kyoto. It is also for the springs that run through it; you are able to drink the water which is supposed to have healing power. There are numerous temples and shrines in this little area. I went back a few days later when it was early in the day and sunny out and explored a few of them. My favorite which I am struggling to find the name for, bring you into the basement of a temple. You pay 100 Yen (a dollar), take off your shoes, and follow a handrail of enlarged prayer beads through a windy, pitch-black hallway. The experience is very relaxing (it would have been even more so if people weren't disrespectful and immature and giggling); however, I just closed my eyes and walked slowly, blocking out all the sounds and focused. It's difficult to explain the feeling you get (or at least I had) when coming back out into the light. It's supposed to be like entering the womb of Buddha--to be a cleansing experience where you can focus on your deepest desires.

That first night, I stayed with Hiromi in Kobe; she took me out to sushi before heading back to her apartment (basically a small studio) where i passed out instantly. The next day (Monday) Hiromi had to go to work, so I went to Osaka and sat in Starbucks all day catching up on my journal and making a christmas card for my family. I ended up talking to an 86 year old Japanese man named Nakagawa for about two hours. He was very sweet and his English was fantastic. He told me all about his family; old Japanese traditions between men and women and in society in general, and about World War 2. He was born in the states but lived in Japan since he was very young. His father lived in America and sent money home for his entire life; Nakagawa one and only time he saw his father's face when he went back to Japan soon before he left for WWII--sad. This is actually something I heard a lot about in South America. Older women would talk to me on the bus because they liked to practice their Engilsh and would tell me about their lives--their children, husbands, and working. Many of these women had husbands in the States sending money back for their families; I'm not talking about for a few months or even a few years, I mean 10/15/20 years where they never see each other, they only talk on the phone. Anyway, he told me if I was ever back in Kyoto that he goes to that Starbucks every Monday if I want to chat...so cute.

That night Hiromi and some of her co-workers made dinner and had a few drinks. We had Nabe which is a traditional Japanese hot pot. They basically fill a deep bowl with water or some type of broth and add fresh vegetables, meats, noodles, and fish to make a stew that is continuously eaten. Each person purchased one, maybe two alcoholic beverages and were hammered--the Japanese have no alcohol tolerance--within a half hour the room was filled with red faces.

The next day I said goodbye to Hiromi and took a little trip into Osaka to run around the castle for a while and take pictures; then I took the train back to Kyoto for my two days there. I spent a long day walking around the city; I went back to the Kiyumizudera and then went to the Fushimi Inari Shrine, or the Red Gate, where there are 500 Torii gates (basically a tunnel of orange pillars with Japanese writing on them) that represent each of Buddha's disciples. The "tunnel" goes on for about 4km and travels up and down hills through masses of trees and along waterways. I tried to make my way to the Philosophers path up to the Silver Pavilion (Ginkakuji) but I, of course, got lost. I ended up on a windy road which lacked a shoulder and figured I'd get run over if I continued. I turned around and went to the Nishiki Food market instead and wondered through Gion (Kyoto's Geisha district) on my way back to the hostel.

My last day in Kyoto was Christmas day! I met up with the Americans I met at Santa Con, Craig and John, and we went to see the Nijo Castle; it was beautifully decorated with scenic murals and golden leaf squares. When walking around the castle, the floorboards make a chirping noise (it's know as Nightingale floor) as a security system so they wouldn't be attacked by intruders (ninjas, more specifically). After the castle, we met up with Kathry and Soren to take some pictures of the Kiyumizudera temple and then went out to eat for a, um, traditional (?) Christmas dinner. The restaurant is called Okariba. The chef, Aoki, prepared us food that he hunted and foraged himself. We Sat on tree stumps surrounding a round table with a mini campfire in the middle. He then gave us Boar Skewers, Grilled mushrooms and tofu, miso cooked on a tea leaf in front of us, smoked goose, and BEAR sashimi. We had a dessert of bees and grasshopers in a sweet soy sauce and washed it all down with his own house infused alcohols--current, plum, black snake, red snake, and killer bee....mmmm. He even let us go to the tap and refill our own drinks. It was honestly delicious and Aoki was so helpful. He even gave us all going away presents--Kathryn and I both received hand warmers because he said the next day was going to be freezing and he also gave us chopsticks. Craig got a to go box of Grasshoppers and bees for a midnight snack :) Afterwards, I left everyone to get back on my second overnight bus back to Tokyo.

FOOD CORNER

Bees and grasshoppers. The bees tasted and looked like a soft peanut and the grasshoppers really just tasted like the sauce and were crunchy. Once you get over the fact that you are consuming bugs and all that comes with them, they're not too bad.

Taste 3
Aftertaste 1

AKWARD MOMENT

I am too big for this country. I hit my head on things, I feel like Bill Murray in Lost in Translation; the shower heads are at chest height, I have to contort myself in order to rinse soap out of my hair and get the shampoo bottle off of the floor. This country is small and compact and I am definitely not. That being said, let me tell you about the second over night bus right between Kyoto and Tokyo. Somehow, this bus was smaller than the initial one; and it was, of course, filled to capacity. I had a window seat, and a tiny Japanese girl sat next to me. I had my backpack and a shoulder bag with me with all of my important belongings; I bent over to situate them beneath me and when I tried to sit back in my seat, I found that I didn't fit. I tried to squeeze my shoulders in between the girl and the window, but it was useless--I looked like Chris Farley in Tommy Boy. I had to angle my body and lean against the window. I feel asleep for a bit and woke up a while later because the girl next to me had fallen asleep on her side with her bum up against me in my seat (there generally aren't arm rests on public transportation). I was basically plastered up against the wall. Annoyed and sleepy, I decided to just shove her over into her seat until she woke up and finally moved. Bit of a crude move, but she was half my size, she can't have half my seat! This bum battle went on for the entire bus ride......

Merry Christmas!

Takin' over Tokyo

Konichiwa!

I've been in Japan for four days and I think I am finally getting the hang of this country. I got really comfortable and extremely lazy in New Zealand where everyone was accommodating and spoke English. There really aren't many people here that I can communicate with; I've resorted to smiling, pointing, and bowing. Though I do know a few Japanese words, it's hardly enough to get me from A to B. This has resulted in lots of wondering circles, due to my FABULOUS sense of direction. That's fine with me, though, because this place is SO large and there's so much to see on every street and alley way and in every direction--right, left, up, down...everywhere. I seriously feel like I'm on mushrooms (not that I am...or know what that's like...or...don't do drugs, kids) because I find myself sitting and staring at the smallest things due to noises or blinking lights. This isn't just me being easily distracted, either, because no matter where you turn there is audio and visual stimulation.

Ok; backtrack!

After a three hour nap, I achieved the impossible--I hitchhiked from Queenstown, NZ (South island) to Wellington (Southern tip of the North island) in one day. This, in total, is about a 10 hour straight drive and a three hour ferry ride. Being that I am, well, slightly amazing, I had no problem accomplishing this. I started out with an Australian couple that was jetting to Christchurch in order to catch a flight (5-6 hour drive). After that, I caught a few short rides, one of which was with two men and two poodles who lectured me on the safety of hitchhiking. After about 5 minutes I was offered a beer by the passenger and when I got out ten minutes later I realized the driver had a Corona in his lap, as well. Thank God I didn't ride with them longer! After leaving the Inebriated car, I was picked up by the most adorable older gentleman, Graeme Kerr, who lives in Picton which just so happens to be the tiny town where I pick up the Ferry. I slept on the floor of the boat and crashed at a hostel in Wellington for a few hours until it was a safe time to hitch, again!

I did something I said I would never do. I accepted a ride from a trucker. I know, I know, silly. However, I was trying to carry my bag up a massive hill; with no good spot to stand in sight, I figured he was my best bet. He drove me up and over to the closest gas station so he could stop and get lunch and I would have a better chance at a ride. Safe and sound. Phew. A few rides later, a 21 year old local girl picked me up and brought me all the way to Lake Taupo (about a three hour ride) where I wanted to stay for a night. The weather was absolutely beautiful, so we ended up hanging out and lying along the water for a little while. That night, I met three British boys who took me out for my birthday. A little drinking, nothing too crazy. We did break into a McDonald's playground at 2 am, however, I can't resist slides! The next day I got the rest of the way to Raglan where I stayed for a few days with friends until I needed to get to the Auckland airport. I met Jess Weller, a local New Zealander, who brought me all the way to the Airport--we are now Facebook friends :) I got to the airport at four pm, thought my flight wasn't until nine the next morning. I spent my time updating this blog, taking care of errands, and, of course, sleeping.

When I got off of the plane (a ten and a half hour flight filled with five movies and two incredibly filling meals), I had no idea what i was doing. I only wrote down enough directions to get me through the metro system but never had time to download the local map. A Japanese guy took it upon himself to be my guide throughout the subway since I was obviously standing there looking really confused and spinning in circles. He even got off of the train with me to help ask for directions and a map to get me to my hostel! After that, I got lost, again, because few streets are labeled and every road twists and turns over one other. An older Japanese gentleman started talking to me, all of which I could not understand, and had me follow him. I kept saying that I didn't understand but he just kept waving for me to follow and brought me to my hostel! Amazing! I have found that a lot here, that people will lead you to your destination even if it is not along their route. Also, they will continue talking to you in conversational Japanese even though it is obvious that there is no comprehension.

The next day I wondered around Asakusa, the area where my hostel is located. Tokyo is a massive city consisting of 34 wards (neighborhoods) and just as many millions of people. Not ten minutes away, there is a temple called the Senso-Ji which holds a golden image of Kannon, the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy. The entrance to the temple is through the Kaminarimon or Thunder gate; leading up to that is the Nakamise-dori (dori means street) which is an alley with numerous shops selling everything from kimonos to Lamb-raisin soft serve. There are numerous other shrines, temples, and statues in the area, as well. I found it interesting that, while admiring the golden trim of one temple, an amusement park ride was operating in the distance behind it...contemporary amusement combined with ancient culture. The next day there was actually a fair surrounding the temple; Hagoita-ichi...basically a reason to try local food :)

The weather was rainy and depressing on Wednesday. I borrowed (kinda stole) a Lonely Planet book from the hostel and used it as a guide around Shinjuku; basically an area to get the feel of the city in a short amount of time. Once exiting the subway station, I was immediately surrounded by massive video screens and flashing lights. I ended up walking into Golden Gaiwhich is an area of a few winding alleyways with teeny tiny bars that literally only hold a few people. I went here the other night with Fumiki, Paul's friend (the hostel owner in Karamea, NZ) to a small bar that had room for five stools if our backs were all against the entrance door. He treated me to local food and beer. I tried pickled plums which are...sour but not bad in all honesty. I'd never purchase one for a snack, but Im glad I tried it! This area is basically sitting on top of Tokyo's red-light district, Kabukicho, which is an area filled with "performance" shows and Love motels boasting nightly and "rest" rates. Basically, men come here to cheat on their wives.

On Thursday, the weather was bright and sunny again (yet still cold because it is winter here), so I wondered around the Shibuya area, checking out trinkets and apparently one of the busiest crosswalks in the world. There is also a statue of a dog, the Hachiko statue, which people use as a meeting place outside of the metro station, that was erected in remembrance of a dog that supposedly waited there in the 20's for his master after he died. Sad. From there I wondered around the Imperial Gardens, which were pretty, yet I could see how much more impressive they would have been in the summer when the Cherry Blossoms are in bloom. Finally, I found my way to the Ueno park and onto the Tokyo National Museum. There were plenty of street performers with flutes, guitars, juggling swords, not to mention numerous shrines and statues and even a Zoo!

Today, I got up early and went to the Tsujiki Fish Market; the auction starts at five in the morning, but I went at eight in order to check out all of the food stalls and eat some samples. I consumed the largest oyster I have ever seen. It was delicious (Oishi in Japanese)! Afterwards, I took myself over to Ginza, which is equivelent to NYC's 5th avenue (According to Lonely Planet, and once there I saw why!) boasting every high end shop you could imagine from Hermes and Tiffany's all the way to the Gap (and, of course, Starbucks). I went into the Sony Building which is five levels of hands on techy fun! I wondered around a few more shops before going to apply for my India Visa (keep your fingers crossed that it arrives before my flight!) and headed on back to the hostel!

AKWARD MOMENT

It's back! I had to go to the 7-11 convenience store in order to make passport copies to obtain my visa. Everything is in Japanese symbols and I have no idea how to work the thing (so sad). An older woman helped me out and while I was making copies, a Japanese guy started trying to hit on me. He was extremely awkward and I bolted before anything got any weirder. i was told that no one was going to find me attractive here. Blonde girl+getting hit on in Japan by a japanese boy+7-11 convenience store=....


FOOD CORNER

SQUID BALLS AKA Takoyaki! Originally, I thought these were deep fried balls of doughy deliciousness..however, it turns out that they are actually balls of sticky rice baked in a pan with an entire baby squid inside, tentacles and all. They brush soy sauce over the top and sometimes squirt on a dollop of mayo.

Taste- 4
Aftertaste-1

OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD

The other day, my birthday, actually, I got an e-mail from Marathon tours. Apparently, there have been some recent cancellations and I am now off of the wait list for Antarctica!! However, the only problem now is having the money, being that the trip is about $6000!! I originally had a sponsor in Boston, so I am now waiting to hear back from him to see if he is still willing to monetarily support me. Keep your fingers crossed!

PS I'll put up more pictures on my blog soon, promise!

Goodness Gracious, Glaciers!

On my last day at Punakaiki, I had two show one of the new workers, who spoke very little English, how to clean before I took off on my next hitchhiking adventure towards Franz Josef glacier. Hamish, Te Nikau Resort’s owner, brought me to the information center in order to find a ride. From there, a friend of theirs, Brendon, picked me up and brought me into Greymouth; he even brought me to a store, “Warehouse” in order to find a raincoat! We ended up having to sit on the road for 45 minutes because a milk truck had turned over and was blocking the only road (no one was hurt). I found a few more rides that brought me all the way to Wanaroa. It had been raining all day and I had only about 30k left to get me to the glaciers. I started walking towards the corner where it looked like I’d have a better chance of picking up a ride when I noticed about five or six guys staring at me from the porch of the one and only bar in town. The chef, Liam, immediately starting heckling me (in a nonthreatening sort of way) telling me to get out of the rain and get in the bar and have a beer. I figured, why not? He said he’d take me to Franz Josef if I was willing to wait until he got off of work, so I sat inside from 6 pm until almost 11 drinking with all of the young locals (for free). At 11, Liam said he could take me to Franz or I could just stay at his place with him and his cousins since they have a room with beds that they rent out. Free accommodation? I’m there. I hung out with the boys and another girl from Canada, Pascal, for a while and then went to sleep. Pascal wanted to take me on a tour of the town the next day, showing me dairy farms and how cows are milked, I told her thanks, but since I grew up in the Midwest I had already experienced it and really needed to get a move on!

The next day Liam drove me into Franz Josef so I could drop my bag off in a hostel where he knew all of the workers. I quickly took off in order to hike Alex’s Knob…yep, I mounted Alex’s Knob (I love hiking innuendos!). All of my hikes so far have been long but not too taxing incline wise—this was significantly different. Apparently, it is supposed to be a 6-8 hour return trip, however, It took me about 3 hours up and 2 down. The view from the top is GORGEOUS. After going straight up for three hours you finally come to a plateau with a clear view of Franz Josef glacier (assuming the weather is good). On the way down I ran into a mother and son from the states who were on their way to Fox Glacier the next day. I talked to them for a little while and they told me that they would bring me if I could find them, since they weren’t sure which hostel they were staying at. Turns out, my bags were at the hostel they were in, small world, yet again. I rode with them the next morning and they dropped me off in town where I could drop off my bag.

In the hostel, the receptionist told me it wasn't a good idea to hike the Copland track by myself because I might "get washed away by the river." There were four Germans who were doing the same hike that I was (Welcome Flat) and they allowed me to ride with them the 20 k out of town to the start of the track. I hiked with them for a little bit and then took off on my own because I have become a bit of a speedy hiker. It took me five and a half hours to hike up the steep 17 km to the hut that I was staying in overnight. The hike goes over and along numerous streams, so it is impossible to keep your feet dry. I even accidentally stepped in a mud puddle that happened to be deep as my calf…gross. There is also an “active landslide zone” for 500 mteters which is absolutely petrifying to cross. There have been recent slips, so there are few markers displaying the correct path, there are giant cracks in the ground and sand falls away beneath each step—I was by myself and seriously thought there would be a landslide any second so I basically ran across the area to solid ground. At the top there are hot springs that have a view of mountains surrounding the area—the weather was perfectly clear, not a cloud insight!

The next day I got up at 6 am in order to hike back down. I finished in a about four hours and had to hitch back to Franz Josef. Being that I have an awful sense of direction, I walked to the one building I could find, a sheep sheering shed, to ask if I was moving in the correct direction. I really attractive younger guy told me I was, and, once I started walking, an older gentleman told me to walk to other direction (just messing with me, meanie!). Once I got back to the hostel, I found another girl, Luisa from Germany, who was also hitchhiking. She and I teamed up and found a ride that brought her all the way to Wanaka (about 200k) and me about 50 k from my destination in Queenstown. He dropped me off near Cromwell where another man picked me up and brought me to downtown Queenstown where I met up with Marissa and Ryan. They are in New Zealand on a work visa, so they actually have jobs and are living in an apartment in the city. When I got there I was just in time since they were having a BBQ house party. I had a taxi bring me to their place and immediately started playing beer pong…So much fun! The weather was pretty awful the next day, so we just sat around watching movies until it was time to go out! They showed me the Queenstown bar scene and then we went to Fergberger (MASSIVE burgers, so delicious at 4 am after spending hours in the bars).

Land of Pancake Rocks and Blow Holes

The next day Paul, the owner, brought me and three others into Westport in order to catch buses. It was still raining and I needed to hitch another 50 km to Punakaiki, where I would be working in a hostel for the next two weeks in exchange for food and accomodation. One woman from New Zealand brought me part way, telling me I was the first hitchhiker she’s ever picked up (I’ve heard this numerous times, I must still exude “Minnesota Niceness”). After that, two boys from Alaska brought me the rest of the way, entertaining me with crazy stories of their drunken night before with the rowdy Rugby crowd and singing. They couldn’t turn their van off because it wouldn’t start back up, so they were on their way to find a mechanic.

I didn’t end up having to do any work that first day. I just sat in the staff house reading and eating muffins. I started working with four other kids—Theresa and Johannes from Germany, Bastian from Canada (French-Canadian), and Tamao from Japan. We all got along very well instantly, like we’ve known eachother forever. The next day, Bastian showed me the daily procedures. At ten, we meet in reception and find out what beds need to be changed. There are around nine houses with between one and ten beds to clean with their own kitchens and bathrooms. In order to get to these houses, you walk along paths through the bush lined with streams and trees. We finish around two in the afternoon and have the rest of the day to ourselves. The first three days were very rainy so we just hung out around the house. Tamao and I tried to bake cookies, but I accidentally used muffin mix instead of flour so they turned into Mookies (fluffy muffin top cookies☺ ).

The next day was my turn to bake. Everyday one of us gets up at seven a.m. to bake a dozen muffins and four loaves of bread for people to purchase. That night, that same person also has to cook dinner for all the workers. Since it was almost Thanksgiving, I cooked a pseudo traditional meal. I attempted my mother’s cheesy hashbrowns but was missing the majority of the ingredients, they were still good though@ Johannes cooked up some vegetables while I breaded some chicken thighs (with Cornflakes, Grandma Lucius’ recipe) and fried them with a lot of oil—delicioius. There are a few vegetarians here, actually outnumbering the carnivores, so I just did the same with a block of Tofu…I have no idea if that was good or not but they put on a smile for me anyway. I wanted to cut it into the shape of a turkey but didn’t have the time. Also, I baked apples with brown sugar, a favorite fall dessert of mine! The next meal I made was pizza from scratch, dough, sauce and all! Who knew I was so domesticated? I’ve getten a lot better at cleaning, too. The first day consisted of a lot of cussing being that I haven’t made a bed in about a decade. Ask my mom, I’ve been sleeping on the floor since I was 15 so I wouldn’t have to make my bed. On our free time we go on short hikes. Punakaiki is “home of the pancake rocks and blow holes” not as cool or appetizing as it sounds. We went to look at them when the weather was awful..raining with crazy strong winds, but it made the waves crashing against the rocks violent and maginificent. They are called pancake rocks because they develop in thin layers and tower out of the ground. I’ve also been running a lot which is difficult here due to the huge rolling hills. The only other things in Punakaiki are a pub, a café, and an information site. No grocery store, so they buy us food, which I am getting good and fat on:). Tamao has been teaching me Japanese phrases and is putting me in contact with some of her friends in Tokyo. She says my Japanese pronunciation is very cute—Arigato!

My last night in Punakaiki, James took a friend of his, Tamao and I to Murphy’s restaurant and bar in Greymouth where we drank and watched a few bands. The first one was AWFUL (sorry, but I hated it) and the main act was ok. The lyrics were just ridiculous being that they were trying to be serious. "There's a rock in your rockin' shoes" is just the tip of the iceberg. My favorite was the second band called Vorn. It is a one man band (a guy named Vorn) who looks like a life size version of a lawn gnome and plays the accordian and is absolutely hilarious; check out his myspace page http://www.myspace.com/vornmusic!

It's A Small World, After All (again)

Three guys that worked in the Abel Tasman park in different areas brought me into Motueka, a nearby town, one after another (all quite cute, too!). Then, I got two more rides on the way to Westport. The weather was really nice, so I just walked along the road with my thumb out. One car pulled up and asked where I was going; when I told them they informed me that their destination was no where near mine...

" But it's not even in the same direction?"
"No, sorry!"

I've said this before, but there is basically one road going through New Zealand, so they obviously were going in the same direction. Their eyes were so bloodshot though, I'm pretty sure they were high, so needless to say I didn't want to take that opportunity, anyway.

Not even five minutes later, three Irish girls picked me up, who were also heading to the same town (a three hour drive). After riding for ten minutes, two calfs ran out into the street in front of us and down the road, nearly causing an accident. We took it upon ourselves to use the car to guide them back up the road to the farm they left from. When we got to the top a big sign said “BUTCHER,” Oh God, we felt awful ☹

About two hours into the drive, I mentioned something about my blog when one of the girls, Fiona, turned to me saying, “Oh my God! Do you run marathons?” Then Aisling turned around, “ We ate dinner together in Ecuador!” Remember when I said my entire hostel when out to eat in Guayaquil, Ecuador? (You should, being that I’m sure everyone reads each and every word I write….). Well, these girls stayed in my hostel that night; Guayaquil is a pretty random place to be in Ecuador and the fact that we were there together is just crazy.

I stayed with them at a hostel in Westport. The woman gave us a six person suite (with our own bathroom, kitchen, tv and garden) for dorm room prices! We watched tv for a while, which I haven’t done in forever, and then went out to the only open bar which sold pizzas and pitchers of beer for $7.50! When we got there they had already finished serving food, but we were starving, so the bartender gave us leftover pizza and microwaved some single serve meals for us—he even gave us a free loaf of bread! There were only really old men drunk on scotch in the bar; when we were finished eating we left so they could no longer try and hang on us…akward

The next day I went with the girls to do some more underworld caving adventures! We went tubing through incredibly bright glow worm caves and then down some river rapids! The glow worms live on the ceilings of caves; you lay back in your tube and it's like staring at a brilliantly green starry sky.

After that, I left the Irish girls and our guide drove me back to town. I then got picked up two more times, bringing me to Militon. Rosemary, the woman that picked me up, brought me part of the way to Karamea and dropped me off in her town. She then came back about five minutes later and insisted that I stay with her since it was later in the eventing and it might be difficult to get to Karamea before dark. She showed me around the town (Population 27), telling me all about its history with coalmining and showing me waterfalls before cooking me dinner talking with her fiancé, John. They’re quite the cute hippie couple—they are fixing up a house to rent out but live in a a “house-truck” which has gnomes and mushrooms painted by Rose on the sides. The next morning, I was chatting with Rose and John when I started viciously scratching my sandfly bites (47 counted on my feet alone due to the 90 minute beach wait in Abel Tasman); she immediately went into mom-mode and busted out a hot water basin to soak my feet in, as well as disinfectant and anti itch cream. She gave me a travel bottle full, as well as cotton balls to wipe on the liquid. Afterward, she drove me back to the road to continue on my way to Karamea.

The first guy brought me maybe 30km on my way and then dropped me off after a bridge that would be the best spot to get me on the rest of the way. I waited about twenty minutes, playing with stray roosters and waiting for a a friendly motorist. There is very little traffic on this road because Karamea is the last stop. Luckily, a nice gentleman looking for some good fishing was on his way to the same town and brought me all the way to the Rongo Backpacker Hostel. I arrived too late in the day to start hiking, so I hung around the hostel reading for the day. I woke up early the next morning to do two days of hiking on the Heaphy Track. I met a guy, Aaron, from California who was doing a day hike and had a car to bring us to the start of the track (about 16 km from the hostel). I hiked with him and a man from France, Bruno, for a few hours until Aaron had to turn around. Aaron is really into rock climbing, so when he was examining a nice area to climb, I decided to look around and the grass and flowers around me. I bent over and found a four leaf clover! I've looked for one for as long as I can remember and this is the first time I've succeeded! I was really excited, to say the least.

I hiked a total of 35 km along the coastline, across beaches and many suspended bridges where only one person could cross at a time! The trail headed up 300 meters through the bush to the Mckay hut where I slept for the night. I got up early the next day and realized I had finished off my food (a concoction of Muesili, peanut butter, and jelly). Luckily, the other girl in the hut was trying to get rid of food, so she gave me a bag of trail mix for my 8 hour trek back—thank God! The first day was sunny and beautiful, however, my trip back was a consistent cold downpour, which I did without a rain jacket because I’ve been too frugal and stubborn to purchase a new coat after my North Face was stolen in Ecuador. Since I kept moving, it wasn’t too bad. Once I finally got to the end, I realized that I had to keep walking since the weather had refrained people from camping at the edge of the track. After walking about four km, two guys who were doing pest control in the area (possums are a real problem here) drove by and gave me a ride back to the hostel. Horray for a hot shower and warm soup, not to mention, warm clothes!!

That night they were showing a movie in the hostel “Hair” everyone had to dress up in hippie attire. I didn’t really have anything with me, but they supplied many options such as scarves and colorful jackets and flowers to put in our hair (love children ☺ ) . I hung out with four middle aged couples who reminisced about the 60’s and 70’s whicle I sat back and smiled, having nothing to contribute besides the fact that I recognized the songs and read about the scocial lissues of that time in my history books.

So Long Stray! Hello Hitching!

After two days on the phone with the corporate office of Stray (the tour bus company that was the bane of my existence), they finally let me cancel my trip and gave me a little money back--not a lot, but I take it as an accomplishment, regardless. I decided that i was going to hitchhike on the South Island. Now, I would never think twice about doing this in the United States, even in my suburban hometown for that matter, but I have talked to so many people that have used it as their mode of transportation that I figured I should try it.

I woke up at around 6 am in order to catch a three hour ferry to the South Island. Annaliese Rittershaus, my amazing friend from Spot, has family in the city, Nelson that was happy and willing to let me stay with them for a few nights. The ferry lands in Picton, which is about a two hour drive from Nelson. The bus driver from the ferry to the luggage terminal was very excited for me to attempt hitchhiking; he gave me a few tips and then sent me on my way.

I was walking for maybe five minutes when a white car pulled over and waved at me to jump in. An older woman, Katie, was also heading to Nelson and drove me the entire way. Amazing. She’s actually a neurologist from the states and working in New Zealand. We stopped in the town of Havelock, which is apparently the muscle capital of the world, and ate some of the biggest muscles I’ve ever seen, steamed in white wine and garlic. She even treated me—thanks, Katie!.

Once we were about three minutes out of Havelock she looks down and realizes that her gas gauge is on empty. We go back to Havelock and pull into the Shell station only to realize that it was closed. WHAT?? The next petrol station (their word for gas) was about 40 km away in Rie Valley. Luckily we made it there, but we were definitely worried.

Once in Nelson, Lisa Lynch, Annaliese’s aunt, picked me up and I went with her and her husband, Brian, as well as their kids Katja and Karamea to Lisa's friend’s house, Donn and Mary (lots of names in that sentence, I know). They just built a pizza oven in their back yard and Mary painted a giant board white to make an outdoor movie theatre—awesome! When we arrived, it was already cocktail hour—my favorite. We sat around drinking, chatting and consuming hoer d’vours until the sun went down and we could put on some movies. We basically just made our own outdoor concert filled with singing, dancing, and drinking—a few of the headliners were Abba, Bee Gees, and Supertramp.

The next day I went for a run and, you guessed it, got lost. What was meant to be an hour run turned into just short of two. Ugh, leave it to me to get lost when there is only one road. Somehow I missed the house and ran about twenty minutes out of the way—guh!

I stayed at Lisa and Brian’s place that night and they fed me a gorgeous dinner of Lamb steaks, garlic bread, and Greek salad to prepare me for my next day’s adventure—hiking the Abel Tasman Coast track.

Brian brought me to the bus stop at 6:30 am (thank-you so much!) and sent me on my way to Abel Tasman National Park. When I got there I had to repack my belongings, because I have way too much stuff with me to carry on a multiple day hike, and went on my way. I originally booked campsites along the way for a three day hike, however, I ended up walking most of the distance in one day (10 hours of hiking!). At the campsite, I met a German woman who invited me to sleep with her in her tent. Staying in huts costs $30 a night, whereas the campsites are only $12! I figured I’d save money by sleeping in my sleeping bag with a giant trash bags over me to keep me dry—luckily, I didn’t have to test that awful theory.

The next morning, I had to walk through Awaroa bay at a certain time in order to make low tide—otherwise, the water is too high. I had to take off my shoes and socks and walk across shallow rivers between muddy, shell filled beaches. I got to the end a day and a half earlier than I expected. I had to wait on Tontongo beach for an hour and a half for the aquataxi. This would be fantastic if there weren’t sandflies attacking me everywhere they could. I now have a giant scab on my foot from scratching too much—whoops. I’m telling you, these sandflies are more vicious than misquitos and their bite is itchier than the chicken pox.

The hike, itself, is too beautiful for words. Golden beaches and bright blue water--please check out my flickr site for the photos so you can see what I mean!

We rode back along the coast looking at rock formations and seals before finally getting back to Manahu. I grabbed my bags and started hitchhiking towards Karamea to hike the Heaphy track!

Northern Exposure

Busy, busy, busy!!!  I've been on a high-speed tour of New Zealand's North island for the past week and a half and now it's time to play blog catch up!

 I sat around Auckland for a few days, resting up and relaxing in preparation for the Auckland Marathon.  Lots of CARBS and water up until Sunday, November 2nd.  Carbo-loading day is my favorite holiday:)  It's basically an excuse to eat all the crap I usually try to avoid (Dominos, pastries, mmmm).  I had to wake up at 3:30 am in order to catch a ferry across the Harbor into Davenport where the event began.  A guy in my dorm room was gracious enough to play alarm clock and wake me up when he was getting back from the bars.  When I left the hostel at 4:30 am, there were a surprising amount of drunk kids falling all over each other in the streets; some girl incoherently tried to tell me something when I walked into a convenience store for coffee--classy.

After getting myself properly caffeinated, I took the 15 minute ferry ride over to Davenport and wondered around the starting area doing everything that needs to be done before a race--stretch, people watch, chat with strangers, multiple port-a-potty visits, etc.  6:30 am came quite quickly and it was time to start running!  

There were so many people dressed up!  I'm not quite sure what it is about extreme physical exertion that makes people want to look so hilarious, but there were a lot of characters in this race.  A few of the most memorable were two guys dressed up as Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble (WITH a cardboard replica of their prehistoric car), the entire cast of the Wizard of Oz, and, my personal favorite, Borat--IN the swimsuit.

                       Classic

I thought I was CRUISING.  I mean, I had a lot of amazing music on my ipod thanks to Bry Riggs and Bradon Young, I was in a great mood, felt fantastic, there was a really cute guy in front of me that I was following--it was awesome!  The first half of the marathon which brings everyone back into Auckland consists of continuous rolling hills.  The second half is a 6.5 mile flat course along the harbor and back into downtown Auckland.  I thought, I was doing really well;  I hardly even walked which is HUGE for me (only to drink some gatorade at a few water stops).  I even had a new power song to bring me across the finish line--R. Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly."  That's right!  I said it--I WENT there...R Kelly.  It was amazing:)  However.  Not amazing enough to break four hours.  Far from it actually;  the final time was 4 hours and 36 minutes which is actually 30 minutes faster than Guayaquil (I finally found out that I actually ran that race in 5 hours and 6 minutes; weak:( ).  I'm proud of myself for finishing; obviously.  Now time for a little break before training for Thailand!

The next day, I got on the Stray Bus to start touring around New Zealand.  There are numerous different tour busses that can bring you around the country; I am NOT happy with Stray right now, so for those of you planning on coming here--don't waste your money.  Anyway, our first stop was in Hahei which is home of Cathedral Cove and Hot Water Beach.  Cathedral Cove is a beautiful rock formation which can be found after hiking an hour along Hahei beach.  Hot Water beach is quite crowded within an hour of low tide; people come and dig pools in the sand near the rocks which then fill up with hot water due to the areas geothermal activity.  While walking around the rocks, one step could be ice cold and the next within inches might possibly scald your foot--the wonders of nature.

After Hahei I was back to Raglan for a few days.  We arrived just in time to join everyone in the tv room to watch the US Election coverage!!!  There was a group of about 10 Americans there, but everyone, no matter where they were from, was as eager and interested as we were to see the results.  When CNN finally declared Obama to be the 44th President of the United States EVERYONE began celebrating.  The owners of the hostel bought a case of champagne for everyone to share; I was in tears, it was so moving :)  Needless to say, nearly the entire world was hoping that we would elect the Democratic candidate.  I have yet to meet one person from anywhere (other than the United States) who was a McCain supporter.  

I spent the next few days back in the Raglan Backpacker Hostel with Josh, Ryan, and Marissa (American buddies :) ) attempting to surf and reading in the sunshine.  My last day in Raglan I woke up at eight in the morning in order to go for a hike.  On my way out, two of the guys that work there, Thomas and Iain, were on their way surfing and coaxed me to join.  Why not??  The waves were beautiful; nothing like I've ever tried to surf on and, therefor, I was quite scared.   I found Josh on the beach and we let the more experienced guys go on their way.  I basically spent the morning sitting, or lying rather, on my board watching everyone else catch waves.  At one point, I noticed a bunch of people paddling their boards out further.  When I tried to turn around a guy near me points behind me and told me to watch out.  I looked up just in time to see a giant wave (large to me, at least) breaking on my face.  After getting rocked by a few more waves in a row, I decided I was finished for the day.  Josh then drove me to Te Toto Gorge in order for me to hike Mt. Karioi.  The hike takes about three hours; it isn't really difficult, though a chain rope is needed in order to climb up a steep portion of the hike,  but it's fun and has some incredibly beautiful scenic views.  Once I arrived at the bottom, I suddenly had a huge burst of energy (I have no idea how that's possible), so I decided to run part of the way back to the hostel  I ran about 8 kilometers (4.8 miles) and then hitchhiked home because there was a never ending incline in front of me that I was not in the mood to climb.  

The next day Ryan, Marissa, and I got back on the bus and went to Waitomo where we toured some glowworm caves.  This area has between 800 and 1000 caves within a 50 kilometer radius, all filled with glowworms, rock tunnels, and underground waterfalls.  We all donned some pretty sexy wet-suits, giant white go-go looking boots, and helmets.  We repelled down rock walls with waterfalls crashing down on our heads, army crawled through low tunnels with our faces in streams, squeezed through small windy spaces that I have no idea how my hips got through, and climbed up steep rock walls.  We also sat in the dark to watch the neon green glowworms shining above us.  BEAUTIFUL. 

 

The next day we stopped in Rotorua which is known for its geothermal activity--the town REEKS of rotten eggs due to the sulfur, like the entire city decided to eat way too much dried fruit at the same time (graphic but true).  Ryan, Marissa, and I wandered around the town and found the COOLEST park I've ever seen; definitely a step up from your classic swing-set.  Then, I was introduced to Burger Fuel...the biggest burgers I've ever seen--literally the size of your head, with gourmet ingredients such as brie cheese and jalepeno aioli.  Magical.  That night we stayed in Taupo which has the country's largest lake, created from a giant volcanic eruption.  

The next day was phenomenal.  We spent the whole day hiking the Tongariro crossing.  It took me a little over five hours to complete.  You hike through snow, craters, forest, along crumbling rocks, up man made stairs.  It's beautiful.  The colors are stunning, especially the Emerald Lakes and Blue Lake.  There are also waterfalls and hot springs--one stream flows through a Maori private land that is home to hot springs; the stream smells of sulfur and is actually very warm.  This was another one of my favorite days of the trip, so far.  If you are traveling to New Zealand, this hike is NOT TO BE MISSED.

Tomorrow, I get on a Ferry from Wellington to Picton--from the North to the South island.  I am meeting up with Annaliese's Aunt and Uncle who are graciously letting me stay with them for a few days--I love NZ hospitality:)

AKWARD MOMENT

Everyone has to use the restroom before a marathon--at least two times, this is just how it works.  You drink too much coffee, adrenaline and nerves kick in, whatever the case may be, ya gotta get in the EXTREMELY long port-a-potty line.  I saw one line that was moving quite quickly so I hopped in the Q (that's what they call a line/wait list here).  I was just looking around when I noticed that the majority of the line was filled with men; now, I have no problem being surrounded by a bunch of attractive Kiwis, but this just seemed odd.  When it was almost my turn I finally focused on the oddly shaped outhouse only to realize that it was basically just a giant trough-like urinal.  I mean, it was my turn and all, but just imagine the sight if I tried to pee in it; I would look pretty......

New Country: New Zealand

Before I discuss my most recent adventures, my mother wanted me to take a moment to inform my readers of what "passing out" means.  When I use this phrase in relation to an evening of inebriation, I do not mean that I randomly lost consciousness on the street/during conversation/etc.; I am simply implying "falling asleep."

Ok, now that that's out of the way, let's discuss my first week here in New Zealand.  I arrived after what I believe to be about a 14 hour flight from Buenos Aires, Argentina (I fell asleep before the plane doors even shut, so I am not positive of the exact length) and arrived in Auckland at around 8:00 a.m.  My first day in the city was a bit of a waste because I was severely jet lagged;  I attempted to walk around, but I basically just ate lunch in front of the water and then watched hours of Family Guy in the hostel common room.

The next day I went for a run and then walked around the city--central Auckland is small, extremely, clean, and the people are very friendly.  It was a nice change of pace going from being consistently vulgarly heckled in South America, to being completely left alone.  Later that day I saw a familiar face in my hostel.  Josh Koshar, a guy I had met at Boston University a few times through mutual friends, walked by me while I was on my laptop.  I wasn't absolutely positive it was him, so I sent a massage through the ever useful Facebook saying, "This might sound nuts-o, and I'm not even sure if you remember me, but I think I just saw you in my NZ hostel."

He then wrote back saying, "I think I'm looking at you."  A moment later I heard a girl yell my name from across the room and when I looked up he was sitting at a computer near me!  Small world.  He and I then went out for a drink to catch up.  We then met two other Americans from California (Garrett and Bradon) in our hostel and we all decided to drink and hang out in the hot tub on the roof of our hostel before going out.

We first attempted to go to a bar called cowboys and Indians; however, two of the guys we were with weren't dressed properly so we left and went to another bar with live music.  The California boys were making fun of my leisurely drinking pace and told me I had to go to the corner until I finished my drink.  Instead, I saw down with some very attractive locals (for the rest of that story, see my Awkward moment) until it was time to leave.  Next stop, Family, a gay dance club.  SO.  MUCH.  FUN.  We stayed there until around 4 a.m. and then wondered back home.

The next morning, I took a free Auckland day bus tour that showed us parks and volcanoes around the city.  We stopped for some delicious fish and chips (french fries) and when I got back to the hostel it was hot tub time, again!  I hung out with Bradon and two Swedish girls in the pouring rain for a few hours, then went to bed.

The next day, Josh and I left in his car for a surf town a few hours South called Raglan--part of the movie, "Endless Summer" was filmed here.  The first two nights, we slept in his car; one night at a campground and the second, parked on a cliff overlooking the surfing beach.  The view was absolutely stunning;  the sky was perfectly clear of clouds and we had an undisturbed view of the Southern Hemisphere's night sky--I haven't seen that many stars since I lived in the boonies of Minnesota.

We wondered around the first two days; we took some scenic drives, hiked down Bridal falls, and spent way too much time at the local coffee shop, Tongue and Groove.  For the next two nights, we stayed at the Backpacker Hostel--everyone there is very friendly and laid back, "on Raglan time" as they like to call it.  We attempted to go surfing that third day; it was a lot of fun, but I definitely need more practice seeing as how I never stood up for longer than a second.

The next day, I went with another Kelly, from Maine, to visit a local Maori Eco-farm (Maori are the indigenous people of New Zealand).  It was very interesting to see how self-sufficient people on these farms are;  I am currently reading Omnivore's Dilemma; the comparison between the American diet and how it's produced with those on Eco-farms is mind-boggling (I highly suggest everyone read this book to understand what you are putting in your body as well as your family's).

The weather wasn't as cheery as one would like it to be in a surf town, so I hung out with Manon (from Canada) and a few others in the hostel drinking wine and chit-chatting.  The next day, I was on a bus back to Auckland where I am currently sitting, preparing for my next international marathon in t-minus 3 days!

AWKWARD MOMENT

I do not have game (read; any smooth ability to hit on a guy).  Seriously.  I just cant.  While at a bar in Auckland, sitting with extremely attractive local guys, I...God this embarrassing...ask for an e-mail address.  Who DOES that????  In my defense, I thought my phone was stolen from the hostel and i was playing the "oh, you're from here:  Do you have any suggestions for what I should do?" game...but still.  An e-mail address??!!!??  That is so...

Under construction

The previous few entries are lacking in photos right now, which I apologize for.  The internet connection in this hostel is pretty weak--I will add photos soon, but for now, enjoy the stories!

My new favorite city

Buenos Aires, Argentina; oh how I wish I had more than three days here!  I arrived at about 8:00 am and took a very expensive cab ride to a hostel in Palermo ( a trendy neighborhood of Buenos Aires where Erin Kelly told me to stay--thanks, lady) called Palermo House.  Being that I didn't have a reservation, I ended up waiting until around four PM. for a bed.  Sounds annoying, but I had a lot of picture uploading, for your pleasure, being that my computer works again--HORRAY!  I met a guy in the hotel from Sweden, Johan, who was very hungover--I helped him recuperate the best way I know how, to start drinking again:)  We drank a few bottles of the local beer, Quilmes while hanging out and socializing with the other kids in the hostel.  An Irish girl, Mazy, knew some people that owned a local bar; I went with her and a guy from Wisconsin that works at the hostel, Simms for some food and adult beverages.  The atmosphere was really cool, very dark, red lights, and exposed brick everywhere.  At about 11 pm I went back to the hostel and passed out.  

I got up at around 8:30 and went for an 9-10 mile run around the parks.  So many people were out running, roller-blading, biking, dog walking--it was amazing.  I am so moved by a city that is so positively active and social--I couldn't help but smile the whole time and say "hola" to people I ran past.  

When I got back, some girls from the hostel were going to some open air markets in Recoletta and asked me to come along.  It was such a beautiful day; warm and sunny.  Then, I went to the Recoletta cemetary where Eva Peron is burried (think Evita)- it looks like a small town.  Every grave is a large intricate statue with figurines and stained glass windows that are in rows like sreets.  Then I walked back through the city, about an hour, where I met up with two other girls to go to dinner at a fancy restaurant called Sugar--Martinis, wine, and STEAK (Argentina is known for their delicious beef).  We went back to the hostel and all drank for a while and then went to  nearby rooftop house party with about fifteen other people.  We stayed up until maybe 5 am (which is actually early to stop partying in BA).  

I spent my last day in Buenos Aires wondering around a giant market in San Telmo; there are hundred of stands, street performers, food, and dancers--my favorite was a group with three violins, one viola, a bass, one piano, and four accordions, they were amazing!

FOOD CORNER

I didn't consume anything strange, but my steak was TO-DIE-FOR.  Medium rare to perfection, and so tender I could have cut it with a fork!

Taste: 5+++++

Aftertaste: 1

AKWARD MOMENT

The night we all went to the rooftop party, I passed out on the couch in the common room.  I was told in the morning that when they tried to wake me up and put me to bed I kept saying "no, I don't trust the guys that work here."  I have no recollection of this and actually felt very safe in the hostel;  I'm not quite sure what I was dreaming about but the whole thing was pretty...

Lima Bean

After my day o' waterfalls, I had dinner with my dorm-mate, Jenna, who is also from Canada.  We went out for pizza (not quite local fare, but whatever, I can't eat crazy things all the time) and drank some beer until I had to get on my midnight bus ride.  This was the start of my 36 hour trip via bus to Lima, Peru.  I rode overnight to Guayaquil, and changed there for another bus to Piura, Peru.  

On this bus I met a very friendly couple from California who were seasoned travelers and had a lot of advice for me for the rest of my trip and upcoming destinations.  It was a good thing that I met them, because we had to get off of the bus for Immigration twice (once for our stamp leaving Ecuador and once for entering Peru).  I had no idea what was going on, where to go, or even where our bus was once I was finished.  They were very helpful, waiting for me to get everything situated so I didn't get lost.  I also met an older woman from Ecuador, Fanny, who was very eager to talk to me in order to practice her english.  She told me that she has been away from her husband for eight years; he is in New York City working while she stays at home taking care of their three children--he can't come home and she can't visit him due to visa and passport difficulties (really puts our bubbled American lives into perspective, doesn't it?).  

Once in Piura, I got on yet another bus to Lima.  I told the driver of my previous bus that I needed transportation that was safe for a young, blonde, American to ride over night.  He said no problem and put me in a cab.  When the driver dropped me off, I initially didn't want to get out of the car; the area was dark and I didn't see a bus or anyone in a line.  I asked him again if this was definitely safe for me and he assure me it was.  I purchased my ticket and was sent to the back of the office where the bus was loading.  BALLER!!!  This bus was a double decker; my seat was on the top right behind the front window the an amazing view of the drive.  The seats was comfortable and huge (plus no one was sitting next to me so I could lie down), they gave us pillows, AND dinner and breakfast.  Thanks for the hook up!

At 8:00 am I finally arrived in Lima, Peru.  Luckily, the bus terminal had an internet cafe in it, so I could even look up directions to the hostel in Miraflores where I was told to stay at--lucky, lucky me.  I walked in without a reservation (again) and they had an open bed--no problem!  I instantly met a few girls in my room that were heading off to the Inca markets to go shopping and asked me to join; nothing like friendly travelers :).   We wondered around for the day and later that evening decided to go get dinner down by the water.  We went to the Marriott Hotel for drinks, first, because they were told by some other travelers that that was the place to go for some amazing passion fruit pisco drinks.  Now, my last experience with pisco was less than to be desired, but I figured I'd try it again.  MMMMMM, so good!  They had numerous house infused flavors, as well.  I tried one that was infused with hot peppers, celery, and an excessive amount of black pepper--it took the three of us 15 minutes to finish one shot because it was SO spicy (but would make a phenomenal Bloody Mary).  Afterwards we walked along the Pacific Ocean in a failed attempt to find a restaurant.  We wondered for a while and then headed back towards the hostel where we knew we could find some food.

The next day I got up early and went to GOLD'S GYM!!  Sadly, I was quite excited to find a really good gym (which is all over the United states), and I went to run on a treadmill and take a spinning class.  When I got back to the hostel I met a Aruk from London who was taking a trip to central Lima.  I was doing the same so we went exploring the historical sights together.  We walked through the Plaza Mayor, Government Plaza, and through the San Francisco convent where you tour a beautiful church and walk through underground catacombs.  After that, I found a restaurant that served Cuy--I have been looking for this since I arrived in South America.  It was delicious :)  That was basically the end of my short adventure in Peru.  A few hours later I got on my plane to Argentina!

FOOD CORNER

CUY!!!!!!  OK, this is apparently the national dish of Ecuador and a delicacy in both Ecaudor and Peru.  That's right, kids, I ate Guinnea pig!!  The internal organs are removed and everything else remains (head, ribs, claws); then, it is battered and deep fried, served with an ear of moté, salad, and baked potatoes.  It literally tastes like Kentucky Fried Chicken.  I washed it all down with a local beer, Cristal :)

Taste: 5

Aftertaste: 1

#2  For lunch the day before I had what I knew was some part of a chicken and french fries.  Later I found out that it was the esophagus--chewy and a little crunchy but once you get over the texture, not too bad.

Taste: 3

Aftertaste:2 (it was extremely salty and I got a little nauseous, but once I consumed some           chocolate I felt a lot better:))

I need to use the Baños

After I left the Amazon I headed to Baños, Ecuador, which is known for its natural beauty and hot springs.  At first, I was a little bummed because I got there too late to do any of the tours, so I just wondered around the small city for a while eating local food and people watching.  I ran into a couple from Canada that I met in the Guayaquíl hostel and they invited me to join them to rent "quads" (four-wheelers) and drive down the waterfall route.  DONE!  

The next day may very well have been my favorite day of my trip so far.  I woke up at about 6:30 am and went for a run around the small city looking at the surrounding mountains and volcanos.  Afterwards, I went to the Virgin Baths, which is a cement pool where the local hot springs flow into for everyone's enjoyment.  The steaming water was already quite full of people, despite how early in the morning it was.  The water was so soothing (due to the heat and the extensive mineral content) and the view of the Tangurahua volcano and a backdrop of a waterfall falling from the Ecuadorian Andes was nothing less than stunning.

After my quick dip in nature's sauna, I went back to my hostel for a health bath.  For 45 minutes you alternated between sitting in a steam box and cooling your body in different ways--sitting in ice cold water (this part included a bowel massage, not as gross and invasive as it sounds), running freezing-wet towels over your body, being hosed down, etc.  Once I was relaxed and refreshed, I met up with the Canadian couple to rent a couple quads and we were on our way.

I would first like to note the condition of my death-trap vehicle (which would be absolutely unacceptable to be rented by US standards....sorry you have to read this, Mom :) )  The fender was sewn on with plastic wiring, the breaks were AWFUL (especially when it started raining, I was skidding all over the place) the headlights were incredibly weak (we drove through tunnels without lighting and I seriously could not see anything; I could have hit a wall and wouldn't know it until the impact) and the alignment was worse than the '89 Cadillac I drove in high school.  

We traveled down a windy road through tunnels dark as night (literally no lights) in order to find different waterfalls and activities.  We hiked down a few waterfalls, my favorites being Macay and Pailon del Diablo.  At the Diablo, you can climb under a low cave to actually stand behind the waterfall.  We also stopped at a bridge that overlooks another waterfall where you can be attached to a bungee type cord and jump off the bride to swing over the water.  Of course, I can't say no to an adrenaline rush, so I paid my ten dollars and was wrapped into a harness and took the plunge.  

I never knew I could scream like such a girl.

It was amazing!  The jumping is, of course, the most difficult part;  I swung back and forth over the water...the view was amazing.

FOOD CORNER

Yay, street food!  I purchased a plastic bag of Moté, which is basically GIANT corn kernels, that had some sort of meat-gristle-gravy over it....delicious.

Taste: 5 (starchy and salty, can't go wrong)

Aftertaste: 1

AKWARD MOMENT

By the time we got to the Macay waterfall, we had been rained on for quite some time and I was freezing.  For those of you who know me well, you know that when I get cold my fingers and toes instantly lose circulation and turn white as snow.  After we parked our vehicles we sat at a table outside of a house that was selling beverages and food.  The woman who lived there looked at my hands put hers next to mine laughing and saying  "you're so white!  You look like you're dead!"  

Thanks...

Amaz(on)ing Jungle Boogie

The next morning I got on a bus back to Quito in order to catch yet another 8 hour bus to Lago Agrio to start my five day trip in the Amazon Jungle.  My bus out of Quito left at 11 pm.  When I woke up at around 2:30 am the bus was stopped on the side of the road and had been sitting there for quite a while.  Turns out the bus broke down and they were going to just SIT on the side of the road until eight AM when the next bus drove by.  Needless to say, the entire busload of people were not pleased.  I started asking around to find other people traveling to the Amazon; a woman behind me from Spain, Ana, told me to stick with her and her friends and we'll all figure out how to get to the camp.  After the bus broke down THREE more times, we finally arrived at our destination at 10:30 am.  

A van was waiting to pick us up and drove us another two hours to the village of Cuyabeno.  There, we got on a motor-canoe for another two hours that brought us down the narrow, windy Cuyabeno River to our campsite.  When we got there I found out that I didn't actually have a group (thank you, Happy Gringo, for lying to me); so Ana told me to stay with her and her five other friends from Spain.  I ended up staying in a group with them for four days speaking mostly Spanish with them and our Spanish guide.  I had the option, at the end of the first day, to switch to an English speaking group, however, being that I have had about 

six years of education in the Spanish language, I figured it would be a good learning experience to put my rusty knowledge to good use.

That first night, we went for a night hike into the jungle, looking at plants, animals (mostly frogs and birds) and insects.  The next day we went on a three hour hike, fished for piranas, and canoed along the river in search of Alligators (Caiman).  Two of Ana's friends and I jumped into the Lagoon and swam around for a while (I am a pretty weak swimmer, but didn't drown or get stung by Sting Rays so I consider it a successful A + experience).  

Pirana fishing is interesting--you basically have a long thin tree branch,

 like what you'd use to roast marshmallows, that has a string and a hook attached.  Instead of waiting patiently and quietly for a bit like the lake fishing I know and love, you actually thrash the end of the pole around in the water like "struggling prey."  I had no success that evening, but ended up catching four my last day in the Amazon when I paddled around the river for four hours with my own personal guide.  

Afterwards, we watched the sunset and took the boat around the river in the dark in order to search for Caiman and other nocturnal animals.  We found a few, however, they were significantly smaller than anticipated.

The next day we left the camp at 6:45 am in order to bird watch before breakfast.  Afterwards we took the boat back out to visit the indigenous community a few hours down the river.  There, we walked their their "farm" (for lack of a better word) where they grow Yuca, Cocao, and many medicinal plants.  We met a 92 year old Shaman, Criollo, and his wife, Victoriano, who taught us about preparing Yuca to eat.  Yuca is a white root that is g

round up on what looks like a cheese grater.  It is then placed in a giant braid of Palm leaves to ring out all of the excess water.  Victoriano then sifted the ground Yuca into a flour and spread it on a round pizza-like pan over a fire to make Yuca bread.  On this we placed baked bananas (Platinos), honey, and tuna (all separately, of course).  We also drink Chicha, which is beer made from fermented Yuca flour and water.  After we ate, Criollo dressed in traditional, native clothing and gave a small demonstration of a healing ceremony which includes dancing and chanting (this usually takes place for an entire night, but the demonstration was only for five minutes).  Our final event with the Shaman was to try our hands at the six foot blowgun--this time I hit the target!

The final day, I was all by myself .  I went paddling around the river with a personal guide to fish for Piranas and look at wildlife.  Afterwards, I joined the English speaking group (because my beautiful Spaniards left the night before) for more fishing and swimming.  I also saw a lot of snakes, frogs, more bugs, pink dolphins, lizards, and MONKEYS.  I ate my final three course meal of the trip (they fed us like crazy; three, three course meals of homemade food and fresh fruit juice a day) and was on my way back to civilization.

AKWARD MOMENT

The lodge I stayed at has a domesticated six month old monkey named Pancha that hangs out at the camp.  She is there because a group of tourists tried to smuggle her out of the jungle in order to see her as a pet.  Now, she hangs around clinging to whomever she wishes (loves perching on someone's shoulder with her paws dug their hair and her tail wrapped around their neck--this happened to me often), and she also loves stealing food from the dinner table.  One night she decided to try and steal my food; one of the guides went to grab her and instead of fleeing, she wrapped around my arm, clinging for dear life.  He tried pulling her off of me and upon doing so, she started screaming loudly like a four year old girl for a solid minute. Everyone at the camp was staring at this ridiculous sight while I just sat there with a man and a monkey playing tug of war with my arm......

#2  While drinking the Chicha, the Shaman told us a little story about a saying they have in his village.  Chicha is traditional drink to consume on one's wedding night, "Chicha then chucha, chicha then chucha."  Now, I've already told you what chicha means...can you guess what chucha is?  Coming from a 92 year old man this is both hilarious and ....

FOOD CORNER

So, this Chicha, to me, is a bit unpleasant.  Now, everyone has their personal culinary preferences, but to me, it tasted like a very warm, floury, pulpy beverage with a beer-like aftertaste.  Not my cup of tea.

Taste: 2

Aftertaste:1 (no adverse consequences, as of yet)

#2  I don't know the exact name of the insect, but we consumed some ants which crawl on a certain plant that have a sour, lemon flavor.  This flavor protects them and the plant from being consumed by predators due to their repulsive acidity. 

Taste: 3 

Aftertaste: 1

Guayaquil for a Klondike Bar

The day after Cotopaxi I got on 10 hour long bus ride number two between Quito and Guayaquil, Ecuador.  A woman from Colombia, Claudia, sat next to me and we started practicing Spanish and English with one another.  When we arrived in Guayaquil it was dark and Claudia was extremely nervous for me to get a cab and to my hostel safely.  She took off in a cab and waved good-bye while I asked numerous cabs if they knew where my hostel was.  I was having no luck when she showed back up in her taxi and had me get in with her.  She made sure the driver knew where my place was and gave me her number incase of any problems!  

However, the cab driver DIDN'T actually know where the hostel was. 

 We drove around, asking numerous pedestrians if they knew.  After failing multiple times, he pulled over to a pay phone and called the owner of my Quito hostel to get directions.  Finally, about an hour later we pulled up to the door and I was given a room at the Dreamkapture Hostel. 

The next day I met the hostel manager, Isabelle, and we started talking about my trip and what I was doing.  We bonded over the need for charity work; she has been doing a lot with her own organization.  She even put some information about me and a link to this blog on the Dreamkapture website under "friend of the week" :)

Afterwards, I wondered around the city.  Mainly, I walked down the Malecon; it's a long strip along the Guayas river with statues, shopping, restaurants, a botanical garden, and local markets selling everything imaginable.  I then spent some time at their contemporary art museum, Banco Central, where I took a lot of pictures (note: museums don't allow photography inside--whoops).  

After spending some much needed time in the air-conditioning, I ventured back outside to walk up the 500 stairs to the top of the Cerro Santa Ana.  There are bars, shops, restaurants, and historical statues all the way to the top where the Iglesia Santo Domingo sits.  On my way back down I was trying to find somewhere to each with a pretty view of the river and city; however, I tend to be quite indecisive.  While walking up and down the stairs I noticed two guys watching me wonder; one said hello (which happens often) and when he asked where I was from and I said Boston he informed me that he actually grew up in NYC and owns the bar behind him.  I ended up sitting there, drinking free Pilsner, and chatting with him for a few hours, after which he had his personal driver bring me back to Dreamkapture.  When I got back I was sta

rving but was afraid to venture out in the dark alone; luckily, I met some really cool Irish and British boys who made me dinner (I guess chivalry isn't dead!)

Two days later, I had to wake up at 3:30 am in order to get ready for my first international marathon!!!!!  I met another woman in the hostel the night before who was running the half marathon, so we went to the starting line together.  This in and of itself was quite difficult because we were a)walking around in the dark looking for a cab b) no cabs wanted to do work c) we had no idea where the starting line was really located.  Luckily, we finally found a guy to bring us and at 5:30 am the race began!  

The first hour and a half we were running by the light of the moon and sporadic lampposts.  The city was so calm; there was no traffic at this point and all you could hear was the sound of the Guayas River.  Once my running buddy left me, it was time to take a turn out into the suburbs of Guayaquil.  The rest of the course is on a four lane highway; the far left lane is blocked off for runners by a police officer standing in the middle of the road nearly every block.  There was one point where the course turns off to do a 3 mile loop down a side street; I would have missed it completely because one officer told me to keep going, however, I saw two runners in front of me asking the next person and he, after thinking a few seconds and looking around, told us to turn off.  Not the most organized of races, but entertaining, nonetheless!  

There weren't very many people running, only a few hundred--my number was 51 which is crazy being that usually I'm in the thousands--and I'm pretty sure I was one of maybe three Americans.  Random fans were yelling "Go Gringa!" and there was a large group of Swedish runners who embraced me as well, probably assuming I was part of their group being tall, blonde, blue-eyed, and fair-skinned:)  I had my final Ipod song, "Sweet Caroline" carry me across the finish line (Boston love!!) as I finished just in front of two women over twice my age (sad) at a very, extremely slow pace, of around four hours and 40 minutes.  Ouch.  I ran the Boston marathon faster with Bronchitis-like symptoms.  They were already giving out medals and rolling up finisher tents by the time I crossed the finish line...haha.  At least they still had a t-shirt and a medal for me.  International Marathon Number 1= Success!!!

AKWARD MOMENT

After finishing the marathon, I needed to hail a cab to get back to my hostel.  Stupid me, I forgot to bring along their business card with the address on it.  Luckily I had a vague idea of where the hostel was, so I tried to get a cab to bring me.  Now, in Ecuador you have to negotiate a price before you get into the cab or they'll charge you crazy amounts.  I only had three dollars on me (cabs in South America are CRAZY cheap), however, the drivers I was talking to continually tried to charge me around Five.  I almost started crying being that all I wanted to do was lie down in my hostel and no one would take me home.  Finally, I found one man who would take me.  This whole time I was getting a little stressed out in front of a lot of people (there was a carnival going on outside of the finish line)...they all probably though I was crazy because I was walking in circles and pouting which is a little....

#2  The night of the marathon I face planted in my bed for ten hours straight.  When I woke up the next working my eyes were so puffy I looked like Quasimodo.  Isabella gasped when she saw me because she thought I had a local virus called Picha.  Nope, just tired, puffy eyes....

FOOD CORNER

I didn't eat anything too crazy or adventurous, however, I went with my European boys to see "Stepbrothers" at the local mall and afterwards we went to get some grub at the food court.  I found that you can walk around the mall with Pilsner beer, no problem.  I found this hilarious being that you can't walk around with alcohol in malls in the states so I played like a good local and ordered myself a cerveza.   Mmmmm.

Taste: 5 (umm...it's beer)

Aftertaste: 1 (My body knows how to digest this, no problem)

Lazy Lady writes again!

Ok...so it's been a while...and I'm sorry. 

 I'm going to try and recall everything entertaining I've been doing in the last three weeks in some shorter blogs to try and catch up My computer stopped working when I went into the Amazon Jungle (story to come), and I've been taking a lot of short trips and long bus rides.  Now, I am finally in a solid destination for the next 8 weeks, here in the beautiful country of New Zealand, and my computer has resurrected itself from the dead, so I shall commence correspondence.

First off, Cotopaxi!

I took myself on a little day trip to hike the world's highest active volcano, Cotopaxi, which is a few hours bus ride outside of Quito.  And by hike, I mean be driven up part way, walk a little, then get picked up again...

I got on a bus at about 8:00 am to go to the volcano.  Now, I really had no idea where I was going or what I was doing, however, I got on the correct bus and told the driver where I needed to get off in hopes that he wouldn't pass over my stop.  After passing out on the bus for a little while, I woke up disoriented and not quite sure where I was or where I needed to be.  Within minutes an Ecuadorian man behind me tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I was going to Cotopaxi.  I, of course, said yes and asked him if he knew bc I was the only blonde/American on the bus....he laughed and said yes and then made sure I was let off at the right spot.  Thanks, stranger!

I got a little swindled by the shanty that I presumed to be the entrance.  My spanish only gets me so far, but I knew going in that I had to pay to get into the park.  One guy drove me up and I ended up having to pay him and the entrance fee.  I was frustrated so I told him I wanted get out and walk.  After saying this a few times, I finally got my way.  I walked along some valleys and through some paths, trying to find a Lagoon.  After walking a few hours and finding nothing I started to get rained on.  A little while later another car came by with an Israeli couple in it; they asked me if I wanted a ride to the top and I decided that, being that I wasn't properly dressed for poor weather by any means, I might as well get in.  

Good thing too, because that Lagoon was yet another 15 minutes of driving.  Plus, being that I was getting a ride, I actually got to see SNOW!  We drove as far up as possible to a refugee camp.  This is where people usually stay for the night before they attempt to hike to the summit.  Being that I only had this one day to hike, I had to take the lazy man's trip, but I'm so glad I did!!  The Israeli couple was amazing.  We all worked together to find a bus to get back to Quito and they even paid for my taxi cab ride home.  The mother was very concerned for my safety as a solo traveler, but said that she had two kids doing the same thing and understood why I was on this trip.  It was nice to have some parental figures around for a few hours.

AKWARD MOMENT

After we got on the bus back to Quito, we found out that there were no open seats.  I don't really mind standing, but the Israeli couple wanted to sit so two men got up and gave them their seats (such gentlemen).  Then, the co-driver (the other bus employee that takes fares and gets people on and off the bus) told me that there was a seat in the front.  Little did I know, he was having me sit on a bench awkwardly between him and the driver.  This is a piece of wood with a blanket placed over it, no arm rest, no seat belt, not even something for me to rest my back against.   Then, my favorite part of every conversation with South American men....

Do you have a boyfriend?

umm...yes

Where is he?

He's...um...in the hostel...I like my alone time

How do you like Ecuadorian men?

Well, I think you're all very aggressive

YEAH!  (High five)

                ....I personally didn't mean that as a good thing, but then I pretended like I was falling asleep because the entire situation was very.....

Weekend Avengers' Adventures

Every Saturday, a town a few hours out of Quito, Otavalo, holds a giant market full of everything you could imagine.  I mean, everything.  There are endless stands of scarves, blankets, jewelry, toys, art, shoes, ponchos, Panama hats, UNDERWEAR (umm, ew), and electronics.  Then, there are an abundance of stands selling food (my favorite!).  Now, you have your basic fruits and vegetables that anyone around the world can recognize--tomatoes, lettuce, oranges, etc--but mixed in are all the  local fruits and vegetables that I have never seen or heard of.  Juice is very popular here; everyone orders it when they go out to eat or buy a cup from street vendors--my favorite is naranjilla (very similar to an orange).  However, I also tried passion fruit and guava, so far.  Also, there are animal parts everywhere; piles of chicken feet, bowls of lard, and pig's heads are on display throughout the market.  

Some other fruits consumed were oritos (finger bananas,  flavor of a ripe banana with a more solid texture) and gronsella which looks like a mini lime green pumpkin and is SO sour, my mouth and throat completely dried out.

I also ate Yuca bread which was sold to us outside of the car window at a gas station.  Yuca is a white root which is cooked in numerous different ways.  It is very starchy and tastes like a sweeter potato. 

After spending time at the market, Federico brou

ght Paul and I to a few large lakes near the indigenous city.  We ate overlooking the water at San Paulo; no one knows exactly how deep this lake is, yet there is an annual race from one side to another in the freezing water.  This lake also has cabins that are available to rent (CRAZY cheap, around 80 dollars for a family for the weekend, including meals).  There are many beautiful flowers

, horses, and a playground for children where I found this    

------------------------------------------>

                                                     now I know why I came to Ecuador:)   

On Sunday, I rented bikes with a few guys from the hostel and rode around the city for a few hours.  This isn't as relaxing as it seems.  The rental fee was 5 dollars for

 three hour...CHEAP, however, the bike was definitely nothing special.  Though it was supposed to have 18 gears, only two worked, making traveling at high speeds quite difficult; riding with traffic was frighte

ning because A) they drive crazier than in Boston and B) I could only move so quickly due to the lack of higher gears and C) some of the hills are quite large (think almost the level of San Francisco).  I hate to admit that I had to walk my bike at some points--I'll just blame it on the altitude :).  We had a lot of fun though, traveling through old town and new town while looking at significant churches and sights.  Even though I put on a bunch of sun-block, my back was fried and still is :( 

Yesterday,  Michael (a guy in my room from Australia) and I went to the Teleferico which is a cable car that brings you to the summit of  Cruz Loma and to the skirts of the Pichincha

 volcano, allowing you to see 14 peaks of the Andes from a height of 4050 meters.  We hiked about halfway to the summit of Pichincha and decided to turn around--we weren't really dressed for the snow that we were starting to see and dark clouds were rolling in on top of us so we decided to cut our losses and roll out.

FOOD CORNER

Though I talked about a lot of foods, I think the most interesting was the Guava fruit.  This is nothing like what we are used to in the states...what we consider Guava is actually Guayaba.  Guava looks like a giant pea pod and holds white fruit that are furry on the outside yet have a very slimy texture.  There is a large brown seed in the middle that looks like a cockroach.  The fruit itself was mildy sweet and almost milky.  One was ok, but I couldn't bring myself to consume any more; I gave the rest to a little girl running around the market.  

Taste- 2

Aftertaste-1

AKWARD MOMENT

Now, I'm pretty used to being stared at here, being that a tall, fair, blonde American woman sticks out like prostitute in church,  however, this unwanted attention usually comes from overly aggressive men that think my pants will drop if they make kissy noises in my ear or yell "Ay Mami!!"  However, while biking around, children left and right were yelling and pointing "Gringa, Gringa!!"  This basically means, American, usually not offensive, but having so many children noticing me was, well......