14 Jan 2013

---

14 Jan 2013
Once I got back from the boat cruise I received a email from an American girl named Anne that I had been emailing with a couple of weeks ago. She informed me that there was a work exchange position available at the lodge she was working at in Milford Sound. After a few emails and phone calls I was able to talk with Anne and make sure that I could have the job. I confirmed that the job was mine and hitch hiked out of Te Anau and toward Milford Sound. I was picked up by a couple of Swedish guys that were heading out my way. The drive out to Milford Sound is stunning. I was in aww pretty much the entire drive. The closer we got to Milford Sound the higher and higher the mountains got on either side of us. These mountains are incredible, they are pretty much just rock with trees and bushes that intertwine with each other and the rocks. The strange thing is that there is not much soil, so the tree's roots just end up holding onto each other. We also drove through some forested areas and since it rains here so much everything is so green and mossy. The moss grows on everything, growing and hanging from trees, growing on rocks and carpets the forest floor. Upon arriving in Milford Sound I was dropped off at the Milford Sound Lodge, where I will be living for the next three to four weeks. The lodge is pretty small for a lodge but still too big to be called a hostel. There are dorm rooms that vary in size, as well as rooms with two single beds and rooms with queen size beds. The lodge even has some pretty nice chalet style rooms available, but of course they are pretty expensive. So where I am living is in the employee portion of the lodge which consists of the main building that is called Saigon, that contains the kitchen and common area/dining and dining room, as well as a TV room and a few rooms for employees. I share a room with a German gal that is also doing a work exchange. We sleep in a portable building that is just big enough for my single bed, her double bed and two closets. My work exchange consist of my room and all the food I can eat for doing house keeping duties, like making beds and vacuuming for four hours each day. I work from 10am to 2 pm. The first day I got here, which was on the 12th, I met some of the other employees I will be working and living with and got settled into my room. Anne and another American named Parker were going to go kayaking so I decided to tag along. We were planning on just taking some kayaks out on our own, but when we talked to a couple of the kayak guides, they invited us to go on a guided tour that was going out. The guides were both New Zealanders, named Adam and Harlem. They were taking out a couple and their son from New York, and since it was such a small group it was no problem that we joined. Since Adam was the head guide he did most of the talking and boy did he talk. I did not mind too much, but I kind of felt bad for the guests. Either way the guests had a great time And I was pretty happy to get out on the water and do some paddling.

---