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Published: April 24th 2008
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Kilhaven Orchard
This mountain loomed over me nearly daily for 7 weeks. It's not even a mountain, it just rises so abruptly that it seems like one. Once again, it's been a while, and I think I'm going to write a pretty long blog because I'm watching the cubs online right now, although I am kind of into the game so I might lose interest and not write much, we will see.
On April 6, after a night with no sleep, I arrived in Taupo at about 10 A.M. Taupo is an amazing town. It's a tourist town really, with about a 10 block by 10 block downtown area filled with cafes, restaurants, pubs, stores, and shops. The town sits right on the shores of Lake Taupo, the biggest lake in New Zealand, which fills the crater of the biggest volcanic eruption in world history, about 26,000 years ago. The lake is beautiful, and up until 1898, had no fish in it. From the town, you can look out across the lake and see the triple peaks of Tongariro national park on the other side of the lake. The three peaks are Ngauruhoe, Tongariro, and Ruapehu, and you can read about them and the huge cultural significance to Maoris
here. Ngauruhoe is more famous as mount doom from Lord of the rings, but all are breathtaking across
the lake, although I struggled to capture them effectively in my pictures.
I got off the bus in downtown Taupo, and sat down, hungover and tired. However, I was rejuvinated by a feeling which I have felt in different places throughout my trip. It's almost a complete feeling of absolute freedom that is hard to describe. I guess in the lives we live there is always some responsibility, some different thing you have to do, and it can be as complicated as having a 40 hour a week job or as simple as having to do the dishes after you eat. There is always some responsibility in the modern life. Even when I have traveled or vacationed with my family in the past, it often seemed to be as tense as regular life- we were always trying to get somewhere on time. Sitting there, on my army bag, trying to figure out where to go and what to do, I felt a release from all this responsibility- I had no need to be anywhere or do anything. If I wanted to, I could hitchhike somewhere else or I could take a nap right there if I wanted. I started
wandering around, and eventually decided to book 3 nights at a hostel in the "downtown" area called go global. For those 3 days, I kind of wandered around, decided I liked the place, and applied at all kinds of places looking for work. At night, I went out with an american guy I met named Adam. He was working in Waiheke Island, at a restaurant, and was on 1 week mini-vacation from there. On sunday night, I also got to see a puppet show some Americans did in a bar. It was a mariette show or however you spell it, and it was kind of funny because it turned into a huge jesusfest. Whatever your views on religion and faith, I respect them, but don't preach them at a pub on a sunday night to a bunch of drunk kiwis. It's just stupid. The other people at the bar made fun of them so much, I felt bad for them, although their show was VERY STRONGLY christian and wasn't very good anyways.
On tuesday, my final day at go global, I called around and got work at a hostel called the Tiki Lodge. It had stunning views of the
Do we have this in the states?
The can says "Jim Beam and Cola", btw lake from its 2nd floor balcony, so I took some pictures. The work there was somewhat easy, I worked for 6 days a week for 2.5 hours a day and had Thursdays off. It was easy as, but I didn't really like the woman I was working for or ;a oiwefujiasjdio;f a jsipodfj i;aosdifj a;sdofij as;iodf ja;soidf ja;osid fj;asoidfjioawj fasfw89pe fp (THAT WAS MY REACTION AS I WATCHED ARAMIS RAMIREZ HIT A 2 RUN HOMER IN THE 9TH INNING TO PUT THE CUBS AHEAD BY 1).. Where was I? Oh, I also didn't like a couple people I was working with either, although for the most part the group was pretty good. I've become close friends with two Argentinos I met there who didn't like it either, and after a week we moved to another hostel across town called the rainbow lodge. We've been here for a week, and I love it. Same working conditions as the first hostel, but we work 7 days a week, get a half hour break everyday and they feed us. It's nice. I live in a garage in the back of the rainbow complex (they have 3 buildings). The garage has been converted into
Waimarama beach
this island was just sitting out there.. I have no idea what it was named a room with 5 beds, and I live with 3 argentinos and a british girl. It's pretty nice there, and one of the kids from Argentina doesn't speak English so I've been learning, or relearning spanish pretty quickly, and I can communicate decently in it. My grammar sucks, but, so it goes.
I've really just been hanging out here trying to find a job, and I finally got one on Monday washing dishes at a swank restaurant here called Plateau. It's one of the stupid ones which makes really artistic foods, but it's a job, so I don't really care. I haven't done much sightseeing here. I went mountain biking up the Waikato river to a place called Huka Falls, which isn't really a high falls but an explosive on, and I took some pictures there and on the way. I've also went to hot pools that are on the river, and they are relaxing to sit in. Think a natural hot tub. Next week, I'm going skydiving, and after that I'll do the Tangariro crossing at some point. As of right now, I'm thinking that I will stay in Taupo through my birthday, which is May 24th, and
after that I will move north. However, the Argentinos want to move to Tauranga near the beginning of May, so there is a chance I will do that. I really don't know.
Umm, also, the pictures I'm posting are from Napier, Hawkes Bay, and Taupo.
Hope all is well.
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Cyndy Patton
non-member comment
Great to SEE you!
The pictures you included were just beautiful, and it was nice to see YOU in some of them, too. I am totally enjoying the stories about the people you hang out with and live with so it's nice to put a face to the name..or rather the story. I would LOVE to have seen a photo of the kid who threw up on your shoes the whole time he said 'she love you....and the Congawhatever you called them! You look good, Jeremy, and again, I love reading about your exploits!