nolife

So we’re at the hospital for Rachel to do an interview sort of thing.

Backing up though…

She dropped me back at the Pickled Parrot and [I] headed into my room.  There were two girls and a guy.  They were all together & I chatted with the girls about the [Cape] tour [that] I’d just been on since they were looking the brochure.

I headed to the shower, but only remember to carry my towel.  I didn’t care, though – the water was plenty to clear the sand off.

Once I finished I headed to bed.

Before I continue, I should describe this place.

You walk [in] from the gravel car park into a garden coutryard.  Its about 20ft wide including the deck that 6ft by a good bit long – 50ft?  There was a fire being stoked by the owner, plus music from his radio.  When I first arrived there were tons of people about.

The owner gave me a tour, which must be standard to every hostel of course.  Next to the office was the phone, then the toilets/showers.  Then laundry, then the kitchen.  Breakfast was free from 7-9.  Internet was available.  Then 2 doors down was my room – “Kiwi House.”

It was hot on the top bunk even though I was down to my boxers and a thin sheet.

I made it to sleep eventually, but woke somewhere around what must have been 4am.  I guess I got in around 10.  I tossed and slept a bit.

Eventually I could see some light coming into the sky, so I got up & dressed.  I slipped out with my bag and headed to the beach.

Along the way I met a man and his two dogs.  The dogs were perfectly trained.  They stayed on the sidewalk until he checked the traffic and said “ok, cross now.”  They walked up the beach for sunrise – how cool is that??

It was on a bench at the beach that I wrote this morning.  I watched the sunrise over the Pacific Ocean.  All by myself on a beach in Piahia.  It wasn’t quite a tramping experience, but it was pretty cool.

I took a number of pictures of the sunrise, the tide coming in and people headed to their boats to start their days.

Checked out [of my hostel] & walked to Rachel’s [hostel].

So we kept travelling, talking about all sorts of things – work, life, love, etc.  We swapped long winded tangent plauged stories for hours, stopping often or taking random turns down scenic drives.  I was very happy to have taken up with this stranger!

So we got to Paihia around 8:30pm.  She had booked a room at Capn’ Bob’s and when we arrived they had no vacancies.  The lady at the desk was nice enough to call around and find me a bed – at the Pickled Parrot!

So we drove to the other end of town and secured my room for the night.  $24 for the last dorm bed.  i told the owner my the story of my missing pack and got a sheet & towel from him.

Back to the car for Fish & Chips that Rachel was craving.  Unfortunately, being just after 9pm, everyone was closing up, so we weren’t able to get any.

Ran off, made some calls, showered.

Anyway, we ended up at the Kaori Kingdom again so Willie could wash the bus.  There was a restaurant beside it so I grabbed some water and watched the Brit have Cornish tea.

A biscuit covered in cream & jam plus tea with milk.  We chatted at a table.  [I] found out she was a midwife on a 6 month holiday.  She was close to 3 months in NZ and leaves Thursday for Vietnam, then Thailand.

We headed out from there and I figured I’d catch her before we all parted ways and exchange email addresses.  Maybe I’d even ask her if I could tag along.

That was all foiled when she and the Dutch lady got off before me, 5 minutes [drive] up the road [from my hostel].

I got off the bus at the hostel and nearly immediately headed up the road.  A number of times I gave up and ended up spinning around in circles.  I watched every car go by thinking she might pass me, but no luck.  Finally I committed to giving up, and headed toward the hostel.

Just before I got there, she pulled up beside me!  I told her that I had been going to look for her to see if she had wanted a companion for her travels.  Without a pause she said yes.

I went back to the office and checked to see if my pack had showed up, which it hadn’t.  Then I grabbed my little bag and my box, I told Kerry’s [(the hostel manager)] daugther that I was leaving town and to tell the airline to keep my bag at the airport.

Then I jumped in the car with the Brit girl.  A minute in, I introduced myself!  She was Rachel.

We turned right onto [State] Highway 1 and drove off.  Up a bit then right on 10.  We saw Cable Bay and then went to Coopers Beach.  She took a swim to get rid of sand she’d collected on the dunes.

There were tons of trees along the beach and she explained they were NZ Christmas trees because they bloomed a red flower at Christmas time.

I’m in Pihia.  That wasn’t on my list originally!  I guess I should catch up first.

The tour was fun.  Willie [(the tour bus driver)] drove us on the small bus.  [(A minibus, as opposed to a full-sized coach bus)].  1 older dutch woman, an older British couple, an American man, four Japanese twenty-somethings, a British 20ish [woman], and me.  First to the Kaori Kingdom where we saw furniture made from giant trees.

Then with another little stop to buy postcards, we stopped at a bay to eat lunch.  Tapa-something.  This was meant to be my final campsite on the tramp so I asked Willie about it.

He gave me great information.  Where to buy clothes if my bag didn’t turn up, where to buy the stove fuel, and stuff about the track.

After lunch came the Cape. (more…)