Thank God for angels! So glad that couple came to help you at exactly the moment you needed it! Both of them! One to pick you up from the ground & the other to pick you up & take you to the hostel!
Clarification Commenting on my own post, let me add that I didn't realize I had a space heater until the third go-round of the argument. It had been brought in while I was out. So I didn't realize till then that I had a way to recover if the cold common areas made my room cold. But I didn't adjust to that new reality quickly enough either.
you declined a wheelchair ? All the walking you had ahead of you would have been reason a-plenty for ME to accept the 2nd wheelchair! Aren't you the trooper...
:)
Whew. What a relief! I was on pins & needles waiting to see how TSA would "handle" you (sorry, bad pun), & am SOOOO glad that is all there was to it. God was surely watching over you!
Visitors Centre It's here
http://maps.google.co.nz/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=taupo+visitor+centre&aq=&g=5+Story+Place,+Taupo+3330&ie=UTF8&hq=visitor+centre&hnear=Taupo,+Waikato&ll=-38.685677,176.068954&spn=0.012746,0.023024&z=16
Croque Croque was almost certainly short for Croque Monsieur
It's a French cheese and ham toasted sandwich, except, being French, it tastes a whole lot better than it sounds
There's also a Croque Madam which is a Croque Monsieur with an egg on top
I think Croque means bite as in a snack
Thank God for miracles!! Meredith! Don't know why I didn't get to your blog before now but I am so excited to read it! So glad that God was with you right from the beginning. I will be curious to read about how you avoided these "pat-downs" flying overseas, assuming you didn't swim... :)
Napier earthquake A friend of mine was born in Napier in 1931, a couple of days after the earthquake. She used to love it when people said, "Shut the door! Were you born in a tent?" so she could say, "Well I was, actually."
Thank you very much for posting! As you've probably noticed, the successive difficulties at Kaikoura, Wellington and Napier have been starting to get to me. Though Picton and Palmerston North were in there, and they were fine, and I'm happy now at the YHA Napier. But I greatly appreciate your kind words. It's good to know that people are reading my blog, and that they care.
Another of your blog followers I've been enjoying reading your blog of this remarkable trip. Your courage and fortitude come through strongly. I just wanted you to know that you have a follower in North Carolina who wishes you well. I'll keep you in my prayers and thoughts. Thanks for sharing this extraordinary adventure!
Thanks, Becky! I really appreciate your prayers and good wishes, and I'm delighted that you're still reading my blog.
I'll take a look at yours as soon as I can.
Oh Merideth...my heart was breaking for you as I read this one. I don't know how you have done it so far but I'm glad you are hanging in there. You do have a cheering section at home!! I have so enjoyed reading these blogs and you have inspired me to start my own blog, just about the farm here at home. I am keeping all the girls at Dr. Wolfe's office up to date on how you are doing. Hang in there...I'm praying for you, Becky P.S. I f you have time check out my blog at crossedarrowsfarm.blogspot.com
Teresa, I thought I'd e-mailed you at the time; I have definitely e-mailed you now. In case you haven't received my mail, then, yes, 5-6 Feb. would be great.
Meredith, your trip is absolutely packed with interesting sightseeing and what sounds like quite strenuous exercise/lots of walking in addition to the occasional steep incline. I'm very impressed at your tenacity and determination to see as much as possible, even though you are traveling alone and have several disabilities which make the trip difficult. It sounds like you are enjoying it overall, despite the frustrations you've encountered so far. Hope it continues to be as enjoyable for your whole term, and maybe less fatiguing as you continue!
I tried to e-mail you, and my message bounced. I cut-and-pasted the e-address you gave, too. The error was "Domain Name Not Found." I'm sorry to say it, but this does not improve my opinion of Global Gossip!
I saw your e-mail and thought I had answered it, but I don't see my answer in my sent-mail so it evidently didn't go through. Thanks for trying again. I'll write to you at once; if you still don't receive the e-mail please comment again.
Contact Hi Meredith - I assume you haven't had my email, or haven't been able to reply - I hope this will reach you. I haven't been to Taupo for some time, so I'd quite enjoy going there - I see you're there at the weekend of 5-6 Feb. Does that suit you? And where will you be staying?
Global Gossip I am sorry to hear about your experience with Global Gossip Support. Here at Global Gossip we are constantly striding to provide the best support possible, I am not sure why you slipped through the cracks but if you email me with your YHA card number I will do my best to try and compensate you.
Dave
Global Gossip
BOTANICAL GARDEN THIS BLOG MAKE ME MISS NZ SO SO MUCH. I USED TO LIVE AT NURSES HOSTEL UP HILL AND WORKED IN THE HOSPITAL NEXT DOOR IN 1974. I WALKED THRU THIS GARDEN ALMOST EVERY DAY -A SHORT CUT TO DOWN TOWN AND THE BANK. MARKET... I PLAN TO COM BACK IN A FEW MONTHS TO SEE MY DEAR FRIEND. THANK FOR THIS BLOG.
Loving your blog! My husband and I spent 2 1/2 wks this fall driving around NZ in a Spaceship van (altho' we never could camp b/c of the weather). We went to most of the same places as you in somewhat reverse order (at a faster pace b/c we had 2 1/2 wks in OZ after).
We're laughing as we read your entry bc we drove thru' Donedin 3 times and never could find a place to stay. We ended up driving all the way to Milton, but had an interesting time.
btw, we had a hard time finding the Te Anau Wildlife park too --and we were driving! I'm sort of a birder, so we spent a lot of time there.
We also like your blog bc you're a very good writer --AND you tell the embarrassing/awkward parts as well as the successful times.
"Silent Night," with lighted candles, is the usual end to a Festival of Lessons and Carols in the U.S. I have no idea whether it's usual in New Zealand or not, or whether it just happened so this time. I've noticed that about half the time, customs here are the same as in the U.S., and the other half of the time they're the same as in Britain, and there's no way I know to predict which something will be.
K.Freeman
non-member comment
Thank God for angels!
So glad that couple came to help you at exactly the moment you needed it! Both of them! One to pick you up from the ground & the other to pick you up & take you to the hostel!