On the plane now, headed from Queenstown to Auckland. Yesterday we wrapped up the final touches - returning the campervan, paying our final diesel tax, checking in for the flights and preparing our baggage at the hostel.
I ventured out on my own to find a good, hot meal yesterday evening. I ended up at Speights Ale House after much deliberation. Once I saw the lamb and venison dishes on the menu, I knew I had found the right place.
I had definitely mis-stereotyped Speight's as "the Budweiser of New Zealand." Although it does seem to be the popular, or at least the most heavily marketed, it deserves its own distinction. They still brew their beer in wooden fermentation vats lined with beeswax, and I was surprised to see the several different styles of beer they brewed. After I tasted the Porter, I decided to venture no further...it was a very nice, full bodied beer. With that, I had an amazing lamb dish paired with a wonderful salad and a side of boiled potatoes. Dinner was definitely New Zealand style, as I sat and watched my first full Rugby game - the Force vs. the Blues (I think). Those guys are massive, even the kicker. I was quite amazed at how sportsmanlike the player seemed - definitely less showmanship than what I'm used to seeing in the NFL.
Late night was not exactly what I had in mind, but after a great trip, I just decided to go with the flow and try to enter the evening with a more open mind.
Jude had previously met our bunkmates, who expressed to him they would be watching the tele in the evening.At first I kind of laughed, realizing that I had no desire to watch television anyhow. There certainly wouldn't be any fights over the remote control :).
I came to find out the girls were from Birmingham, England, ant the television program - the marriage of Prince William and Kate - was culturally, for them, a huge deal. I was a little more humbled once I realized this was the first princess since Dianna.
Nonetheless, after tramping through the country side of New Zealand, watching aristocracy driving Bentleys and Range Rovers was a bit of a bore. I was much more interested in the people around me. Christian was originally from Mexico. He went to high school in Chula Vista (very close to where we live), and he had spent the last 4 years in Austrailia. Christian was kind enough to share his bottle of Stoneleigh Pinot Noir with me after I offered Blue cheese and crackers to the room. Soon, more and more people joined us, and there was pretty good conversation in the room. I mostly enjoyed the jokes and sarcastic comments in between a couple of glares from the Brittish girls. Three people from France joined, a guy from the Phillipines, a girl from the Netherlands, a guy and 3 others also from England, and 3 others at the end of the night that I hadn't met. I left the evening enjoying the company, and had a fair appreciation for what was happening for these lads culturally, even if it didn't touch me in the same way.
Our plane is still on the runway. A good bit of time has passed, and the captain announced that we are waiting for another jet to land. Jude is sitting in the middle, next to the young girl who took his window seat. Turns out the girl is quite an arm wrestler :).
After all the late night noise from the drunken young travelers in the city streets below our hostel, this morning has been quiet. One young gentleman we picked up on the bus ride to the airport. After commuting with him to the airport, I watched him check in baggage from behind the counter as we received our boarding passes. Then later he assisted us outside to the plane and asked me to turn off my camera. You get get the feeling, even at such a micro level, that the locals are much more in touch with the various things going on within their community.
We've taken to the air now. I'm watching as Jude attempts to negotiate taking some video footage around the little girl. It's time for me to wrap up my holiday, and start planning what to do with all the photos, videos and inspirations I've captured from my place of realized dreams.
Cheers,
Ryan
