Ruminations

I went snowboarding today. I must be getting old, because I don't do any of the slopes, jumps, or tricks I used to do. Despite sticking to the bunny slope most of the day, I managed to have two spectacular and very humbling crashes...

I turn my rental car/motel in tomorrow. After two weeks, 2,000 miles, and many chilly nights, it will be a little hard to part ways with my Daihatsu (I swear it is a real car brand; I looked it up). I'll let you know if the rental company charges me for the overwhelming hints of lavender, juniper, margarine, and whatever else Glade puts in its "Garden Bliss" air freshener.

I thought I would share a few lines from a British friend I met traveling. He is describing Australia, but the same could be said for New Zealand:
"...great 5 weeks here but its not been travelling, its not been backpacking, its been a holiday like I would take in a European city. It lacks the adventure and the rugged appeal of a place like Cambodia. For example, since I've been here I've drank my weight in beer...but in Cambodia I'm told there is a place where you can pay 30 sterling and fire a heat seeking rocket at a cow. As I'm sure you'll all agree, both are equally valid activities but one of them just cries out a bit more than the other. This is obviously partly because I can drink at home but somehow I can't see myself being able to fire a bazooka at a poodle on Wimbledon common."

I go to Fiji on Monday (in three days). Today, Fiji imposed martial law. Great.

If you want to see more pictures of my final days in NZ, including ice-climbing and snowboarding photos, click on the footprints below:

New Zealand III--Nature, Ice Climbing, and Snowboarding