Glacier hiking and fresh veg.

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Once we'd checked in for hike, headed to supermarket, where I bought fresh broccoli for dinner, as well as rice and a tin of curry beans. I know, sounds pretty special, and healthy. Felt smug after doing this, although feeling of smugness was tempered by the fact that I've now taken 836 photos since i came out (thats going to be a very long slideshow) and didn't have any room left on camera. My camera, which 2 years ago was the business, is now rubbish, and starting to break. It therefore took 2 hours in an internet cafe place to sort my photos out onto CDs and my ipod, which was annoying. However only needs doing once a month or so. Seems quite odd I've almost been away 3 months, feels like no time at all.

anyway, cooked nutritious dinner back at hostel, then bar for one, and just as the other boys embarked on the "Jagerbomb challenge" (Jagerbomb is shot of Jagermeister dropped in redbull, and is both rough and expensive), which involved drinking as many as they could. One "managed" 16, as well as a few quadruple rum and cokes, before projectile vomiting all over his room. Although this is not very nice, his face the next morning was brilliant. I wasn't in his room though so was easier to see the funny side. I, on the other hand was in bed by half ten. Yes.

the next morning was my first chance to wear all my warm stuff I'd packed for south America, which had been untouched at the bottom of my rucksack for 2 months, and smelt a little tiny bit.

Glacier hike was really good- got all the gear there (crampons etc) for walking on the ice, which actually was quite slow, despite being in the so-called fast group, mostly because the guide man was taking us a way off piste, and having to cut steps in the glacier so we could get by. I took a lot of photos of the ice (was very blue in places, and went to a few ice caves too), and one HILARIOUS photo, where I am pretending to climb the ice face by myself, which I of course wasn't , by my goodness it looks like it! Make sure you're sitting down when you see it, otherwise you might fall over laughing.

Was knackered and sweaty after hike, so shower and clean clothes were ideal, followed by a well deserved few beers in the pub, and a few games of pool. I won three of them, and was great.

Next morning felt a little ropey, especially because of the half seven departure, which was annoying.

Spent the morning being nearly asleep, although did take a few amazing photos at our first stop, Lake Matherson, which is the one in all the photos of NZ where MT Cook is reflected in the water (something to do with it being a bit salt water and mostly fresh, gives it mirror effect, and was misty a bit, so got some really nice photos.

Drove up to Lake Wanaka, stopping at the 2nd highest waterfall in NZ, and a lunch spot, arrived at the lake at about 3.

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Comments

[Cousin Cath]

You know, I don't think I have ever known so much about your daily food and drink in take as I do at the moment :-) Fascinating. Well done for eating healthily and being so moderate with the alcohol. Very impressive. So where are all these amazing new photos? The world is waiting with baited breath to see your solo ice climb ;-) Cx