Glacier Or Dirt Ditch?

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Or, We Hiked Up Hill For This?

So it's bloody early, and we stopped for breakfast at the Wrinkly Rams. When you're in Omarama, New Zealand, you can't be too picky about the cafe's name. You're just thankful someone showed up to open the doors. Along with some fine looking pastries are some savory items for breakfast, including a delectable pile of fatty goodness called a "toasty." It's a square of toasted, home-baked wheat bread covered with a pile of bacon, which is topped with a melted mound of cheese.

I managed to not drool on the glass case, but I did emit a squeal that frightened several patrons.

At the table, I tuck in (note how I'm picking up the lingo), to discover that the bacon and cheese goodness is concealing a layer of Chef Boyardee-style spaghetti and tomato sauce. Perpetrating such a heinous act on an innocent pile of bacon and cheese should be an international war crime. How could something look so delicious and be so nasty all at once? It was like something Martha Stewart would have cooked up in the big house.

Today was all about making a front assault on Mount Cook, New Zealand's highest peak. Actually, it was more of a side assault, as the summit of Mount Cook is over 12,000 feet and requires professional guides ... not to mention a presumed ability not to hyperventilate at the sight of bacon.

We opted to climb up to the lookout point for the Tasman glacier. And climb is a charming turn of phrase which means scramble up a near-vertical jumble of rocks meant to mark a trail while trying to look like you're not concerned that you might actually be plummeting to your death.

Our numerous breaks to let the oxygen return to our brains afforded us a spectacular view of the glacier's path. Once at the top, however, we were greeted with winds that made standing nearly impossible. This did produce one of the best pictures of my mother ever ... where she looks like she's about to take flight. And the glacier at that point was a somewhat muddy, soupy mess. But we got our exercise in and were still talking to each other. A win all the way around.

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Photos

Glacier Soup
More like a view of the moon. But they swear it's a glacier. They also put spagettios on toast.

Glacier Bed
It's probably sad that this was once all glacier ... but it was truly beautiful vegetation in its place.

The Flying Mother
Not surprising, as I think she also commanded a parachute squadron back in the big war.

Comments

[Ronda]

Giggling!
Kenneth, you're making me laugh out loud on a Monday morning... a win for me too! Picture of Mum hilarious.

[Keith]

Tootsies
I just wanna grab her feet. Or tie a string around her waist and let her take-off like a kite. :-)

[marilyn]

oh heavens
thank goodness i logged in when most everyone is gone from the office for the day, because oh goodness this is good dang blog here. i have been laughing my head off - loudly, are we surprised? - and it's probably for the best that only (apparently) rick sprague is here to hear me. (the doobie sculpture and the spaghettio-grossomatic breakfast really had me going - what can i say? - and i'm pretty sure that suspicious sheep was looking that way because it heard you call it delicious, you evil man) miss you!!! but glad you are having a grand new zealand adventure. i hope you will be coming back with some new STELLAR sheep shagging jokes. no pressure. ha.

[kirsten]

Ah yes.....the toasties. I forgot to mention those to you. Also, don't eat a hamburger unless there is a very LARGE sign posted reading: "We use 100% beef in our hamburgers."

[SFArchitectBear]

Is that a Flying Mum?
I am sad that you haven't found Bob Ross's second source of light, it still baffels me where that is. Sounds like all is well and I am missing a great trip. Keep up the great news... Love Rhonda Ps... Chip was positively beside himself when I left today with my suitcase.