sigh, i knew this is gonna happen, have been expecting this day for weeks, not that i anticipated it...yeah, the car is now lying in the garage, waiting to be fixed...just when i thought i would hit the road again...bugger...
i dunno if i would fancy spending hundreds to fix the car brakes, but if i dont, i wont be able to drive it anymore, that means im gonna needa dump it, that means i will hafta hitch hike again...not that im not fond of hitch hiking, it's just that i dont think i can travel without a car anymore, i've simply too much stuffs now, two thick blankets, and lotsa food supplies...
that put me in a real dilemma now...and that's the downside of backpacking, you constantly have to worry about your finances, you needa budget your expenditure and think more than twice before you commit into spending money...but on the other hand, it's a good learning curve, i cant imagine ever have to consider many factors back at home...
I'm actually looking forward to the Australia trip...everything is beautiful here, but damn, i wanna look at something else other than snow-capped mountains and sheeps...you tend to really get tired after a while...hehe...
let's see what happens next...
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Hastings
I've just came back from an amazing praise and worship at the Bay City church here, it was truly awesome, we danced and we sang and the spirit of the Lord was in the midst of us...I've made quite some friends here now and feeling rather comfortable to be in this town...we had a nice lunch in Cliffton earlier and the view of the cape is spectacular...There are a colony of Gannets (some huge birds) here and it's just lovely to see them upclose in the wilderness...
last friday we hung out at a local club here and i managed to pow wow with some influential people in the area...and yeah, i was treated with a sumptuous dinner with an amazing spread of food and of course, freeflow of drinks whole night...it was alot of fun the entire night with games of darts and pools...but not without some consequences the morning after...the hangover...it was really bad, i had to lie in bed the whole day yesterday...
I shall try my hand in Pruning tomorrow, because i heard that the money comes easily...they are paying you sixty cents for every young tree that you prune...i know that sounds like meagre value but imagine pruning some 200 trees a day, it adds up...and im desperate enough to be as hardworking as that, ive really been spending alot of money, like 80 dollars a week for groceries....things are expensive here, and the price of petrol just hiked up yesterday...is 1.88 per litre now...and to think of ppl complaining of expensive petrol back home...
currently sorta hanging around and catching up with some tv programs here...NZ idol is hilarious, and the usual reality tv shows...like TAR, survivor, and project runway...but i really shouldn't make myself so much at home, but should make the most out of this backpacking experience...
having said that, just let me be complacent for a week or two before i hit the roadtrip again...
later...
I've just came back from an amazing praise and worship at the Bay City church here, it was truly awesome, we danced and we sang and the spirit of the Lord was in the midst of us...I've made quite some friends here now and feeling rather comfortable to be in this town...we had a nice lunch in Cliffton earlier and the view of the cape is spectacular...There are a colony of Gannets (some huge birds) here and it's just lovely to see them upclose in the wilderness...
last friday we hung out at a local club here and i managed to pow wow with some influential people in the area...and yeah, i was treated with a sumptuous dinner with an amazing spread of food and of course, freeflow of drinks whole night...it was alot of fun the entire night with games of darts and pools...but not without some consequences the morning after...the hangover...it was really bad, i had to lie in bed the whole day yesterday...
I shall try my hand in Pruning tomorrow, because i heard that the money comes easily...they are paying you sixty cents for every young tree that you prune...i know that sounds like meagre value but imagine pruning some 200 trees a day, it adds up...and im desperate enough to be as hardworking as that, ive really been spending alot of money, like 80 dollars a week for groceries....things are expensive here, and the price of petrol just hiked up yesterday...is 1.88 per litre now...and to think of ppl complaining of expensive petrol back home...
currently sorta hanging around and catching up with some tv programs here...NZ idol is hilarious, and the usual reality tv shows...like TAR, survivor, and project runway...but i really shouldn't make myself so much at home, but should make the most out of this backpacking experience...
having said that, just let me be complacent for a week or two before i hit the roadtrip again...
later...
Friday, July 14, 2006
Hastings
It's happened again...i was supposed to leave for Wellington last Sunday but my travel plan is heading onto another direction now...I've gotten used to the constant change of plan at the very last minute by now...it all just happened so abrubtly that you dont have much to think about...
So last week before i were to purchase my ferry ticket down to South Island, John called up and i told him my itenerary...he was quiet for a moment and then with much urgency said: No, you can't leave hastings just yet...i was like: 'why the hell not?', then he told me that he'd just popped in to the post office and sent me a parcel, and i needa wait for another week in Hastings to receive it...as it turned out, it was actually my camera battery charger that ive left in Te Puke...so, if i want it back, im gonna hafta stay here for another week...
So while spending few more days here in Hastings, i hooked up with Claudia (Germany) again, she came all the way from Te Kaha to Hastings to get a job...so she invited me to work together in the packhouse...and i was thinking: 'hey, i could do that too, money is running low and it wont hurt to build up the bank account again...' to cut the story short, im working again....and with much persuasion from my friends here, im actually gonna postpone my plan down to South Island, everyone's telling me that it is miserably cold down there and it's not a good time to travel, the roads would be icy, and there will be much snow...
Hence ive decided that im actually gonna fly to Melbourne from Wellington instead of Christchurch, and then return to Christchurch from Cairns...that's the plan for now but since ive yet to buy my airticket, it is always subject to changes...
****
Talking about changes of travel plan, i have a story to share...it is a tragic one and i can assure you that there is still sorrow in my heart...
Ive got to know this Korean guy, Jun while i was staying in KeriKeri for six weeks...he was one of my closent friends and we had had alot of fun together...He was supposed to head to Australia in June but he made a sudden change of plan and went on to his south east asian tour of Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam with Kate and Jackie, two sisters from Wales who are also very dear to me...
and yesterday i've gotten news that Jun has passed away...they were tubing in Laos and he fell into the river and drowned...it is all so sudden...i still remember saying goodbye to him few weeks back and promised with much conviction that it wasnt the end, that we are gonna see each other again, he was equally as faithful and was making plans of where to bring me to visit should i go to Korea...it is all so unreal, we talked bout his plans to pursue a career in Silicon Valley, California, and all that travelling dreams....it is not to happen now....
i cant begin to imagine the devastation of his parents...they never even got to say goodbye...it made me think of the worthlessness of life and that we are all so vulnerable and fragile...we could just die anytime...it made me reconsider all that activities that i had planned to do, like extreme rafting and bungee jump...who knows something could go terribly wrong...life is just so unpredictable...
****
Right now im gonna stay in Hastings for least two more weeks, im giving myself much time to rest now and to have all that time to do my personal things and to gather thoughts...like what to do in life and which country to travel next...im thinking Italy...
Im only paying $90 a week now and to have the whole room to myself, there are some really nice people here whom i can really get to know to...will tell you more about them next time...
till then, appreciate life and dont wait to do that thing that you've always wanted to do, JUST DO IT...afterall our days are numbered...you never know...
It's happened again...i was supposed to leave for Wellington last Sunday but my travel plan is heading onto another direction now...I've gotten used to the constant change of plan at the very last minute by now...it all just happened so abrubtly that you dont have much to think about...
So last week before i were to purchase my ferry ticket down to South Island, John called up and i told him my itenerary...he was quiet for a moment and then with much urgency said: No, you can't leave hastings just yet...i was like: 'why the hell not?', then he told me that he'd just popped in to the post office and sent me a parcel, and i needa wait for another week in Hastings to receive it...as it turned out, it was actually my camera battery charger that ive left in Te Puke...so, if i want it back, im gonna hafta stay here for another week...
So while spending few more days here in Hastings, i hooked up with Claudia (Germany) again, she came all the way from Te Kaha to Hastings to get a job...so she invited me to work together in the packhouse...and i was thinking: 'hey, i could do that too, money is running low and it wont hurt to build up the bank account again...' to cut the story short, im working again....and with much persuasion from my friends here, im actually gonna postpone my plan down to South Island, everyone's telling me that it is miserably cold down there and it's not a good time to travel, the roads would be icy, and there will be much snow...
Hence ive decided that im actually gonna fly to Melbourne from Wellington instead of Christchurch, and then return to Christchurch from Cairns...that's the plan for now but since ive yet to buy my airticket, it is always subject to changes...
****
Talking about changes of travel plan, i have a story to share...it is a tragic one and i can assure you that there is still sorrow in my heart...
Ive got to know this Korean guy, Jun while i was staying in KeriKeri for six weeks...he was one of my closent friends and we had had alot of fun together...He was supposed to head to Australia in June but he made a sudden change of plan and went on to his south east asian tour of Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam with Kate and Jackie, two sisters from Wales who are also very dear to me...
and yesterday i've gotten news that Jun has passed away...they were tubing in Laos and he fell into the river and drowned...it is all so sudden...i still remember saying goodbye to him few weeks back and promised with much conviction that it wasnt the end, that we are gonna see each other again, he was equally as faithful and was making plans of where to bring me to visit should i go to Korea...it is all so unreal, we talked bout his plans to pursue a career in Silicon Valley, California, and all that travelling dreams....it is not to happen now....
i cant begin to imagine the devastation of his parents...they never even got to say goodbye...it made me think of the worthlessness of life and that we are all so vulnerable and fragile...we could just die anytime...it made me reconsider all that activities that i had planned to do, like extreme rafting and bungee jump...who knows something could go terribly wrong...life is just so unpredictable...
****
Right now im gonna stay in Hastings for least two more weeks, im giving myself much time to rest now and to have all that time to do my personal things and to gather thoughts...like what to do in life and which country to travel next...im thinking Italy...
Im only paying $90 a week now and to have the whole room to myself, there are some really nice people here whom i can really get to know to...will tell you more about them next time...
till then, appreciate life and dont wait to do that thing that you've always wanted to do, JUST DO IT...afterall our days are numbered...you never know...
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Saturday, July 01, 2006
Napier
It's been a long drive today...some 400 km to reach the beautiful coastal town of Napier...i will stay here for few days to recuperate and to explore the place properly...
the cave adventure yesterday at waitomo caves was incredible...imagine abseilling down steep rocks and crawling underneath walls and columns...and glowworms! it was very challenging indeed, especially the rock climbing part...im glad i was able to perform all the stunts required without needing assistant...
I reeeally need a long rest now...it's been all play and no time to relax...
later..
It's been a long drive today...some 400 km to reach the beautiful coastal town of Napier...i will stay here for few days to recuperate and to explore the place properly...
the cave adventure yesterday at waitomo caves was incredible...imagine abseilling down steep rocks and crawling underneath walls and columns...and glowworms! it was very challenging indeed, especially the rock climbing part...im glad i was able to perform all the stunts required without needing assistant...
I reeeally need a long rest now...it's been all play and no time to relax...
later..
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