Monday, February 02, 2004
Today I spent all day working on a problem set for an electrical engineering class called Spectral Analysis of Time Series. There were 6 problems with about 10 parts to each problem. I think I may have gotten half of one of the parts to one of the problems correct. I've spent about 20 hours working on this. I didn't go kayaking this weekend. I didn't go skiing this weekend. I didn't drink a beer. I paid bills. I made spaghetti. I took about 8 ibuprofren for my neck pains that are probably stress related. I did see a movie about climbing on Saturday.
the excitement of my weekends are now revolving around movies about what other people are doing. What have I done to my life?
the excitement of my weekends are now revolving around movies about what other people are doing. What have I done to my life?
Friday, December 26, 2003
Alright.
Back in Seattle.... with a blue kayak :)
Getting out of Queenstown was about as difficult as possible. I managed to sell the van for $150 and a six pack of beer. I highly reccomend adding the six pack of beer to any deal you may make in the future where you are taking the short end of the stick. It gives a bit of satisfaction and if the deal is particularly bad, see if you can get a case of beer to help drown your losses.
The $150 disappeared surprisingly quick as I had to use it to pay excess baggage fees to get the kayak to Sydney. Going from Christchurch to Sydney had a baggage limit of 20kg (TOTAL!). My backpack alone weighed 26kg. The kayak and gear weighed an additional 26kg. Not to mention all the weight I had in my daypack that I was taking onboard. Through much begging and pleading I managed to get the nice lady behind the counter to get the bacpack to go through without any excess fees and have the excess baggage fees for the kayak to be counted at 20kg... I couldn't even imagine how much it would have had to cost if they counted the real weight.
Arriving at LAX wasn't too bad. Using the kayak as a human snowplow I managed to get to the Alaska airlines ticket counter and luckily I had my bags already tagged for Seattle I "accidently" checked them straight through without having them weighed or charged for oversize and excess weight. No... really... it was an accident ;)
After all that travelling and finally getting back to "my" house I unpacked, did a little laundry and slept till 1:30 in the afternoon. spent the day getting my car, sorting through mail, paying bills, blah blah blah...
This will be the last entry for this journal. From the e-mails that I've received, it sounds like many of you have enjoyed reading about my adventures and mishaps. I'll see you all soon and don't worry... there are still many more stories to tell that didn't quite make the journal...
-Bryan
Back in Seattle.... with a blue kayak :)
Getting out of Queenstown was about as difficult as possible. I managed to sell the van for $150 and a six pack of beer. I highly reccomend adding the six pack of beer to any deal you may make in the future where you are taking the short end of the stick. It gives a bit of satisfaction and if the deal is particularly bad, see if you can get a case of beer to help drown your losses.
The $150 disappeared surprisingly quick as I had to use it to pay excess baggage fees to get the kayak to Sydney. Going from Christchurch to Sydney had a baggage limit of 20kg (TOTAL!). My backpack alone weighed 26kg. The kayak and gear weighed an additional 26kg. Not to mention all the weight I had in my daypack that I was taking onboard. Through much begging and pleading I managed to get the nice lady behind the counter to get the bacpack to go through without any excess fees and have the excess baggage fees for the kayak to be counted at 20kg... I couldn't even imagine how much it would have had to cost if they counted the real weight.
Arriving at LAX wasn't too bad. Using the kayak as a human snowplow I managed to get to the Alaska airlines ticket counter and luckily I had my bags already tagged for Seattle I "accidently" checked them straight through without having them weighed or charged for oversize and excess weight. No... really... it was an accident ;)
After all that travelling and finally getting back to "my" house I unpacked, did a little laundry and slept till 1:30 in the afternoon. spent the day getting my car, sorting through mail, paying bills, blah blah blah...
This will be the last entry for this journal. From the e-mails that I've received, it sounds like many of you have enjoyed reading about my adventures and mishaps. I'll see you all soon and don't worry... there are still many more stories to tell that didn't quite make the journal...
-Bryan
Friday, December 19, 2003
Last day in NZ. I feel like I should write something really profound and meaningful. Maybe go on and on about how much I've learned and how I've grown and all that stuff, but I don't think I will. It is just too much to go into and write about in a Blog of all places.
I'm certainly not going to talk about my van.
I will say this though: I wouldn't take back this trip for anything... despite any obstacles that came my way (seems like every day had something to dish out to me), despite bad decisions and missed opportunites, despite the bruises and scratches and lost kayak paddles, despite the occasional jerk that I run into, and despite the fact that yesterday I began scratching the VIN off of my van and trying to find some pliers to remove the license plates... This trip has turned out exactly how I planned it: an adventure.
oh wait... what the hell am I doing starting to wrap things up? I still have to fly out of NZ and get to Sydney and then get to Seattle with a kayak and a pile of gear. There are SOooo many more opportunities for things to go wrong.
It ain't over yet.
I'm certainly not going to talk about my van.
I will say this though: I wouldn't take back this trip for anything... despite any obstacles that came my way (seems like every day had something to dish out to me), despite bad decisions and missed opportunites, despite the bruises and scratches and lost kayak paddles, despite the occasional jerk that I run into, and despite the fact that yesterday I began scratching the VIN off of my van and trying to find some pliers to remove the license plates... This trip has turned out exactly how I planned it: an adventure.
oh wait... what the hell am I doing starting to wrap things up? I still have to fly out of NZ and get to Sydney and then get to Seattle with a kayak and a pile of gear. There are SOooo many more opportunities for things to go wrong.
It ain't over yet.
Wednesday, December 17, 2003
oh my god! Why!?!?! WHY OH WHY OH WHY!?!?!?! Why am I here in Queenstown writing in my journal instead of in route to Christchurch getting ready to sell the van? Why did my van start making that god awful familiar sound that it did 2 months ago when the gearbox was grinding down to nothing? Why did I turn around and head to Queenstown thinking that I would be able to find an honest salvage shop to sell it... driving in 4th gear the entire way because that was the only gear that didn't make children cry when I drove by? Why did the lady at the hostel tell me to move my van immediately from the front of her hostel? Why did the two mechanics next to the salvage shop tell me to "fuck off" when I parked in front of their place because there wasn't any parking in front of the salvage shop? Why did they start walking at me with large heavy tools in their hands when I told them they were being ass-holes? Why did that guy call me a septic tank? I mean... of all the insults... a "septic tank"? ("you are a septic tank!" was what he said... I am not kidding.) Why was the salvage guy only willing to give me $250 for it? Why did he say then that he wasn't even willing to buy it for another week?
Why are YOU laughing at my MISFORTUNE!?!?! Don't worry, I know why you are laughing and once I get a few beers in me I'll be laughing too.... And crying... and then back to laughter (perhaps followed by some more crying and daydreams of throwing a rock through the window of the salvage place. In fact I might as well push the van into the river to create a new feature on the river. Perhaps the perfect playwave? Perhaps a gnarly hole/sieve? Oh the possibilities are endless...
ahhhh New Zealand... it weren't for the sandflies, shitty backpacker cars, and threats of violence... I would love this place.
Well, Its time to leave Martha... Hereafter named The Shitmobile. A day to enjoy Queenstown, a day to get back to Christchurch, and then I'm outta here.
Now if you'd excuse me I have to go make a "FREE VAN" sign for the Shitmobile. OY!
Why are YOU laughing at my MISFORTUNE!?!?! Don't worry, I know why you are laughing and once I get a few beers in me I'll be laughing too.... And crying... and then back to laughter (perhaps followed by some more crying and daydreams of throwing a rock through the window of the salvage place. In fact I might as well push the van into the river to create a new feature on the river. Perhaps the perfect playwave? Perhaps a gnarly hole/sieve? Oh the possibilities are endless...
ahhhh New Zealand... it weren't for the sandflies, shitty backpacker cars, and threats of violence... I would love this place.
Well, Its time to leave Martha... Hereafter named The Shitmobile. A day to enjoy Queenstown, a day to get back to Christchurch, and then I'm outta here.
Now if you'd excuse me I have to go make a "FREE VAN" sign for the Shitmobile. OY!
oh man... My last real entry was the 28th!?!?!? I feel like I did at the end of the semester when I had a huge pile of problem sets and essays that I kept on putting off till the end of the quarter and then I had to sit down and do all of them all at once. Yep. The stress that I feel all for the entertainment of my faithful (and unfaithful) readers out there. Well, let me see what I can do, I think I have something like 20 days to recap.
29: Went to paddle the Routeburn & go canyoneering on Bridal Veil creek
30: Back up to Wanaka, tried to go canyoneering up there
K1: Citroen rapid (Kawarau river)
2: Drove from Wanaka to Franz Josef to Hokitika
K3: Paddled the Upper & Lower Toaroha (!!!CARNAGE!!!)
4: Rest day! Went to the hot springs then drove up to Murchison
K5: Buller river (earthquake section)
K6: Lower Matakitaki + Buller earthquake
K7: Glenroy river
K8: Middle Matakitaki & Dr.'s Creek section of the Buller
K9: Lower Matakitaki + Glenroy
K10: Buller Earthquake run
11: Drove to Arhur's pass to meet up with Ma & Pa Cunitz at the "wilderness" lodge
12: Took Ma & Pa out for a hike up to Devil's Punchbowl Falls. Realized my mother's fear of heights & took plenty of video footage of it as well!!! oh yeah... sheep sheering & mustering. (yeah... look up mustering before you start making jokes you sickos!)
K13: Lower Kokapatahi river
14: PUZZLING WORLD!!! (In Wanaka)
K15: Drove (like, forever) to Milford sound. Kayaked the Falls Creek section of the Hollyford river.
K16: Went out on a cruise in the Milford sound with the Momma & the Poppa and then paddled the Arthur river.
17: typing up this journal instead of driving to Christchurch to sell my van.
Well, I know I left out a lot of details, but let me just say that I though I was done boating on Dec. 3 when I lost my second paddle, but through the kindness of friends (I think they just needed someone to boat with) I borrowed a paddle and got in 9 more days!
My last two days were probably the most spectactular. The rivers weren't anything particularly difficult though we were in our playboats for both of them. Falls creek was class III+ with a couple of IV's but very continuous and all of it was roadside. The last river was the Arthur river. After 45 minutes of hiking with the boats to the put in. We paddled across a lake down to where the gradient starts. the run was mostly class III with a couple of class IV+'s the last one had some serious gradient to it and was filled with pinning potential in the beginning and then a bunch of holes at the end in case you made it that far. Finishing up in the remote Milford sound with huge mountains with cascading waterfalls around us was the perfect way to end my NZ kayaking... and also not swimming on the last river also helped :)
So now it is time for me to drive back up to Christchurch and sell Martha and pack up my stuff and then on the 20th I will head to Sydney for a few days and then fly back to good old Seattle where I will drown my sorrows in double latte's and Red Hook ESB beer. Oh yeah, and spend whatever money I get back from selling Martha on a new Creek boat and some new paddles :)
29: Went to paddle the Routeburn & go canyoneering on Bridal Veil creek
30: Back up to Wanaka, tried to go canyoneering up there
K1: Citroen rapid (Kawarau river)
2: Drove from Wanaka to Franz Josef to Hokitika
K3: Paddled the Upper & Lower Toaroha (!!!CARNAGE!!!)
4: Rest day! Went to the hot springs then drove up to Murchison
K5: Buller river (earthquake section)
K6: Lower Matakitaki + Buller earthquake
K7: Glenroy river
K8: Middle Matakitaki & Dr.'s Creek section of the Buller
K9: Lower Matakitaki + Glenroy
K10: Buller Earthquake run
11: Drove to Arhur's pass to meet up with Ma & Pa Cunitz at the "wilderness" lodge
12: Took Ma & Pa out for a hike up to Devil's Punchbowl Falls. Realized my mother's fear of heights & took plenty of video footage of it as well!!! oh yeah... sheep sheering & mustering. (yeah... look up mustering before you start making jokes you sickos!)
K13: Lower Kokapatahi river
14: PUZZLING WORLD!!! (In Wanaka)
K15: Drove (like, forever) to Milford sound. Kayaked the Falls Creek section of the Hollyford river.
K16: Went out on a cruise in the Milford sound with the Momma & the Poppa and then paddled the Arthur river.
17: typing up this journal instead of driving to Christchurch to sell my van.
Well, I know I left out a lot of details, but let me just say that I though I was done boating on Dec. 3 when I lost my second paddle, but through the kindness of friends (I think they just needed someone to boat with) I borrowed a paddle and got in 9 more days!
My last two days were probably the most spectactular. The rivers weren't anything particularly difficult though we were in our playboats for both of them. Falls creek was class III+ with a couple of IV's but very continuous and all of it was roadside. The last river was the Arthur river. After 45 minutes of hiking with the boats to the put in. We paddled across a lake down to where the gradient starts. the run was mostly class III with a couple of class IV+'s the last one had some serious gradient to it and was filled with pinning potential in the beginning and then a bunch of holes at the end in case you made it that far. Finishing up in the remote Milford sound with huge mountains with cascading waterfalls around us was the perfect way to end my NZ kayaking... and also not swimming on the last river also helped :)
So now it is time for me to drive back up to Christchurch and sell Martha and pack up my stuff and then on the 20th I will head to Sydney for a few days and then fly back to good old Seattle where I will drown my sorrows in double latte's and Red Hook ESB beer. Oh yeah, and spend whatever money I get back from selling Martha on a new Creek boat and some new paddles :)
Sunday, December 07, 2003
Yes, I'm still alive.
Friday, November 28, 2003
The 27th & the 28th...
THANKSGIVING IN NEW ZEALAND!!!
Well, after wandering the streets of Queenstown I ran into Dan & Julie and they showed me a couple of brochures for canyoneering. Canyoneering is the act of traveling down a river canyon by jumping into pools, abseiling down gorge walls, and the occasional ride through the rapid or down a natural rock water slide. The guiding companies sell this trip for about $100
--HOW TO GO CANYONEERING FOR FREE IN NEW ZEALAND--
1. Find brochure for canyoneering trip.
2. Scan brochure for key words that indicate the whereabouts of the canyon
3. Drive to general vicinity of said canyon
4. Look for the company's vehicles to find the start of the hiking path to get to the gorge start
5. Gear up. Wetsuit or drysuit, helmet, lifejacket, throw rope, harness and rappel device
6. Follow path occasionally taking a peak into canyon below
7. Follow sounds of glee from canyoneering clients
8. Watch and see which drops they do and how they do them
9. Follow their lead. Don't do anything stupid.
So the international kayaking team became the international canyoneering team
After the trip yesterday we went into town to gather some food for the thanksgiving feast. We met back at the campground, gathered wood for a fire and started sorting out the food situation. With some Bob Dylan playing in the background we prepared a fine thanksgiving meal of mashed potatoes, gravy, vegetables and cheeseburgers... mmmmm... Along with some $7 wine and we were eating like kings. Stuffed to the gills I climbed into my van and let the food coma gently carry me off to sleep.
Today Jamie and Dan paddled the Nevis river. A continuous class V river with the occasional class VI for about 5 hours. I'm sure it was a crazy time and there is probably a good story about it, but since I didn't paddle it, I have to tell stories about pies and getting my van stuck in various locations to keep y'all interested. Such is the path of the non-class V boater. Yeah... I think they probably got a first descent on one of the drops as well, but who cares because we went on an alpine slide today... How's that for a daring adventure?
Happy Thanksgiving!
THANKSGIVING IN NEW ZEALAND!!!
Well, after wandering the streets of Queenstown I ran into Dan & Julie and they showed me a couple of brochures for canyoneering. Canyoneering is the act of traveling down a river canyon by jumping into pools, abseiling down gorge walls, and the occasional ride through the rapid or down a natural rock water slide. The guiding companies sell this trip for about $100
--HOW TO GO CANYONEERING FOR FREE IN NEW ZEALAND--
1. Find brochure for canyoneering trip.
2. Scan brochure for key words that indicate the whereabouts of the canyon
3. Drive to general vicinity of said canyon
4. Look for the company's vehicles to find the start of the hiking path to get to the gorge start
5. Gear up. Wetsuit or drysuit, helmet, lifejacket, throw rope, harness and rappel device
6. Follow path occasionally taking a peak into canyon below
7. Follow sounds of glee from canyoneering clients
8. Watch and see which drops they do and how they do them
9. Follow their lead. Don't do anything stupid.
So the international kayaking team became the international canyoneering team
After the trip yesterday we went into town to gather some food for the thanksgiving feast. We met back at the campground, gathered wood for a fire and started sorting out the food situation. With some Bob Dylan playing in the background we prepared a fine thanksgiving meal of mashed potatoes, gravy, vegetables and cheeseburgers... mmmmm... Along with some $7 wine and we were eating like kings. Stuffed to the gills I climbed into my van and let the food coma gently carry me off to sleep.
Today Jamie and Dan paddled the Nevis river. A continuous class V river with the occasional class VI for about 5 hours. I'm sure it was a crazy time and there is probably a good story about it, but since I didn't paddle it, I have to tell stories about pies and getting my van stuck in various locations to keep y'all interested. Such is the path of the non-class V boater. Yeah... I think they probably got a first descent on one of the drops as well, but who cares because we went on an alpine slide today... How's that for a daring adventure?
Happy Thanksgiving!
Thursday, November 27, 2003
23: Queenstown - Paddled the Roaring Meg section of the Kawarau river
24: Wanaka - Hiked up Mt. Roy
25: Queenstown - Paddled the Citroen Rapids on the Kawarau & the Roaring Meg section again
26: Queenstown - Paddled the Upper & Lower Shotover river
27: had coffee... Staring at the thick overcast sky wondering when it is going to start raining
The 23rd: So I never found Jamie the other morning and ended up just driving over to the Roaring Meg section of the Kawarau river and saw a bunch of local boaters getting ready to start paddling so I joined them for a run. The water was pretty high and although it was only a class III+ run at the level we were paddling at, all the boils and whirlpools kept your attention fixed on the river. A good play hole and just the fun of getting spun around and around everytime you hit the swirly water. After that I went to the bungee jump site and watched a bunch of people hop off a 43m bridge into the Kawarau river (with the bungee attached). Hmmm.... Maybe I'll wait until I get my video camera charged up.
The 24th: Drove back up Wanaka the night before and slept in. Had a big breakfast and hiked up Mt. Roy. Yeahhhh... I don't really know what to say about this hike. I mean the name of the mountain alone really does nothing to inspire or add an element of surprise or danger. Roy. Mt. Roy. Well, after two hours of switchbacks I was at the summit and had a great view of Wanaka and the mountain ranges surrounding. I took a moment with good 'ole Roy before descending back down.
The 25th: So Chris and I were going to head from Wanaka back down to Queenstown and try to find Jamie, Beks, Dan, & Julie. We drove into town and woahhhh... look at the time! I think it is time for pie!
--MY TRIBUTE TO PIES--
Crispy, flakey, Buttery
You can hold them in your hand
Mince or Steak or Chicken or Lamb
Vegetables Galore
Oh savory pie why do you tempt me so?!
One bite and I cannot stop
I must eat all of you and all of the other pies
Pies, PIES, PIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEESSSSS!!!!!!!!
So good, so yummy
------------------------------
Basically these are just like the el cheapo chicken pot pies you can buy at the store, but they really seem to be everywhere here in New Zealand. Chris and I have managed to spend (waste?) hours of time talking about pies, and when he didn't get his job in the bakery, we were both greatly disappointed. The idea of free leftover pies was a dream that would never be.
Anyway, we searched Queenstown high and low for pies, but alas, none were found. What we DID find still haunts me and makes my stomach ache. We went into a small corner supermarket/deli in search for pies and after not finding any, we spied the yesterday's bread bin. After sifting through the options we left with three items.
Bryan & Chris's Class V Lunch
-------------------------------------
1- Heavy bread thing: I should have saved the ingredients list for this one, but it was basically 6 big rolls all baked together loaded with tomatoes and bacon and cheese and garlic and chili sauce and all sorts of other toppings
1- 'Chewy American' The most dense brownie I've ever eaten. Graham cracker crust with heaps of brown sugar and chocolate and caramel. Oh yeah, the size that we bought was pretty much equal to 4 big brownie's worth.
1 - Liter of water
ALL FOR ONLY $10!!! That's only $5 each!!!
After we ate the bread I was ready to pass out. I laid down on the grass for a moment waiting for the blackout take me away from the pain that was growing in my stomach. I was almost out when Chris asked if I had anything to cut the 'Chewy American' with. My stomach was telling me no, my brain was not speaking to me, yet somehow I saw my had reach forward to take my share of the brownie and start eating it. Soooo goood.... must keep eating... owww.. my stomach... but sooo good.... just a few more bites.... nooooo..... can't eat anymore.... owwww.... almost done... ahhhh.... kill me now.
Eventually I awoke, oh yeah. we were supposed to go paddling today.
The Citroen is described as just 1 big class IV rapid. At 320 cumecs it is rated as class IV+ to V. We scouted it out and even though I couldn't quite see the proper line through, I figured it was just due to my eyes watering from the stomach pain I was enduring.
"looks good!" I say. (WHAT? Why did I say that?) "let's do it!"
right... back on the horse... goddam class IV+ horse
Well, we got on and as we started paddling I used the realization that if I was to get worked in one of the holes I would probably throw-up and possibly asphyxiate on the vomit. Since I am not a rock star, I decided that this was not the way I wanted to leave this world and paddled into the start of the rapid with confidence and gusto.
So everything was going well as I passed the first move on the rapid and a quick glance saw a breaking wave spanning the 25' in front of me. From this point till the end of the rapid I don't really remember much except for getting back surfed flipped, worked slightly, rolled up and popped out, flipped, rolled, paddled five strokes, dropped into a huge standing breaking wave, though for a moment that I would be able to surf it, flipped, rolled, and then I was out. I paddled up to Chris whose expression I read as "uhhh.... that was an interesting line through that".
"That was a nice rapid, wouldn't you say?" he asked.
"I wouldn't really know... I think I ran most of it upside down." I replied.
So my efforts to get back on the horse ended up with me sort of being dragged along by the horse. Well, you take what you can get.
26: Yesterday we drove forever down a dodgy dirt road and paddled the upper and lower shotover river. The upper section was only class II-III , but had plenty of good play holes & waves along the way and was a good run for Julie & Beks, both of whom were having some confidence issues at the time.
After some van shuttling, Chris, Myself, Dan, & Jamie went and ran the lower section. Several Class IV-IV+ drops that ends with the Oxenbridge Tunnel. to quote the description in the guide book: "Once inside [the tunnel], aim for the white blob of light and brace on the right... keep in the back of your mind that the light at the end of the tunnel might be an oncoming train!" After popping out of the tunnel there is a class IV+ drop right afterwards that was formed from the pile of debris leftover from making the tunnel. Sharp rock that you don't want to flip in. Luckily, I only "kinda" flipped and scratched and bruised my thumb after I braced off of a rock to keep myself up.
27: Staring at the cold dark sky. will it rain? will it shine? what should I do? hmm... only a few weeks left here, maybe it is time for me to send a few postcards?
24: Wanaka - Hiked up Mt. Roy
25: Queenstown - Paddled the Citroen Rapids on the Kawarau & the Roaring Meg section again
26: Queenstown - Paddled the Upper & Lower Shotover river
27: had coffee... Staring at the thick overcast sky wondering when it is going to start raining
The 23rd: So I never found Jamie the other morning and ended up just driving over to the Roaring Meg section of the Kawarau river and saw a bunch of local boaters getting ready to start paddling so I joined them for a run. The water was pretty high and although it was only a class III+ run at the level we were paddling at, all the boils and whirlpools kept your attention fixed on the river. A good play hole and just the fun of getting spun around and around everytime you hit the swirly water. After that I went to the bungee jump site and watched a bunch of people hop off a 43m bridge into the Kawarau river (with the bungee attached). Hmmm.... Maybe I'll wait until I get my video camera charged up.
The 24th: Drove back up Wanaka the night before and slept in. Had a big breakfast and hiked up Mt. Roy. Yeahhhh... I don't really know what to say about this hike. I mean the name of the mountain alone really does nothing to inspire or add an element of surprise or danger. Roy. Mt. Roy. Well, after two hours of switchbacks I was at the summit and had a great view of Wanaka and the mountain ranges surrounding. I took a moment with good 'ole Roy before descending back down.
The 25th: So Chris and I were going to head from Wanaka back down to Queenstown and try to find Jamie, Beks, Dan, & Julie. We drove into town and woahhhh... look at the time! I think it is time for pie!
--MY TRIBUTE TO PIES--
Crispy, flakey, Buttery
You can hold them in your hand
Mince or Steak or Chicken or Lamb
Vegetables Galore
Oh savory pie why do you tempt me so?!
One bite and I cannot stop
I must eat all of you and all of the other pies
Pies, PIES, PIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEESSSSS!!!!!!!!
So good, so yummy
------------------------------
Basically these are just like the el cheapo chicken pot pies you can buy at the store, but they really seem to be everywhere here in New Zealand. Chris and I have managed to spend (waste?) hours of time talking about pies, and when he didn't get his job in the bakery, we were both greatly disappointed. The idea of free leftover pies was a dream that would never be.
Anyway, we searched Queenstown high and low for pies, but alas, none were found. What we DID find still haunts me and makes my stomach ache. We went into a small corner supermarket/deli in search for pies and after not finding any, we spied the yesterday's bread bin. After sifting through the options we left with three items.
Bryan & Chris's Class V Lunch
-------------------------------------
1- Heavy bread thing: I should have saved the ingredients list for this one, but it was basically 6 big rolls all baked together loaded with tomatoes and bacon and cheese and garlic and chili sauce and all sorts of other toppings
1- 'Chewy American' The most dense brownie I've ever eaten. Graham cracker crust with heaps of brown sugar and chocolate and caramel. Oh yeah, the size that we bought was pretty much equal to 4 big brownie's worth.
1 - Liter of water
ALL FOR ONLY $10!!! That's only $5 each!!!
After we ate the bread I was ready to pass out. I laid down on the grass for a moment waiting for the blackout take me away from the pain that was growing in my stomach. I was almost out when Chris asked if I had anything to cut the 'Chewy American' with. My stomach was telling me no, my brain was not speaking to me, yet somehow I saw my had reach forward to take my share of the brownie and start eating it. Soooo goood.... must keep eating... owww.. my stomach... but sooo good.... just a few more bites.... nooooo..... can't eat anymore.... owwww.... almost done... ahhhh.... kill me now.
Eventually I awoke, oh yeah. we were supposed to go paddling today.
The Citroen is described as just 1 big class IV rapid. At 320 cumecs it is rated as class IV+ to V. We scouted it out and even though I couldn't quite see the proper line through, I figured it was just due to my eyes watering from the stomach pain I was enduring.
"looks good!" I say. (WHAT? Why did I say that?) "let's do it!"
right... back on the horse... goddam class IV+ horse
Well, we got on and as we started paddling I used the realization that if I was to get worked in one of the holes I would probably throw-up and possibly asphyxiate on the vomit. Since I am not a rock star, I decided that this was not the way I wanted to leave this world and paddled into the start of the rapid with confidence and gusto.
So everything was going well as I passed the first move on the rapid and a quick glance saw a breaking wave spanning the 25' in front of me. From this point till the end of the rapid I don't really remember much except for getting back surfed flipped, worked slightly, rolled up and popped out, flipped, rolled, paddled five strokes, dropped into a huge standing breaking wave, though for a moment that I would be able to surf it, flipped, rolled, and then I was out. I paddled up to Chris whose expression I read as "uhhh.... that was an interesting line through that".
"That was a nice rapid, wouldn't you say?" he asked.
"I wouldn't really know... I think I ran most of it upside down." I replied.
So my efforts to get back on the horse ended up with me sort of being dragged along by the horse. Well, you take what you can get.
26: Yesterday we drove forever down a dodgy dirt road and paddled the upper and lower shotover river. The upper section was only class II-III , but had plenty of good play holes & waves along the way and was a good run for Julie & Beks, both of whom were having some confidence issues at the time.
After some van shuttling, Chris, Myself, Dan, & Jamie went and ran the lower section. Several Class IV-IV+ drops that ends with the Oxenbridge Tunnel. to quote the description in the guide book: "Once inside [the tunnel], aim for the white blob of light and brace on the right... keep in the back of your mind that the light at the end of the tunnel might be an oncoming train!" After popping out of the tunnel there is a class IV+ drop right afterwards that was formed from the pile of debris leftover from making the tunnel. Sharp rock that you don't want to flip in. Luckily, I only "kinda" flipped and scratched and bruised my thumb after I braced off of a rock to keep myself up.
27: Staring at the cold dark sky. will it rain? will it shine? what should I do? hmm... only a few weeks left here, maybe it is time for me to send a few postcards?
