Back in Christchurch
After spending most of Sunday in the kitchen on monday I left the campsite and headed back to Christchurch. Well, kind of, 10 min into the drive I found a cool spot with good view and decided to stop and just enjoy the view, first from the driver’s seat and a bit later I laid down in the bed and ended up actually having a nap. It. Was. Great! Felt like I got nothing to do, nowhere to rush, I could just sleep there on the side of the road with this view. That’s what I call a well spent hour (or two). There is a bit of a gap here, I am not entirely sure what I did exactly, driving, getting groceries maybe and at some point in the afternoon I got to the hostel in Christchurch. I only booked 2 nights at this spot and thank God I only booked two nights. It is probably one of the dodgiest hostel I’ve stayed at in New Zealand. Hard to describe, won’t bother, partly the people staying there, partly the kitchen-bathroom-common area that made me feel that way. BUT to say something positive, I didn’t feel this dread (that I felt at a campsite in Nelson), it was more like “yeah I don’t really like it but I am 80% certain that I won’t be stabbed or shot here so that’s fine”…Oh, also, it was really fckn cold in all the common areas as every window and door was wide open even though it was like 12-14 degrees outside and windy..Fortunately there was a small oil heater in the room where I stayed so it was pretty warm in there. Decided to go for a walk just to get out of the hostel and visit the botanical garden that was only a short walk away.
During the walk I found an enormous eucalyptus tree that was really cool and it seems like I found myself a ride from Nanaimo to Cumberland (in Canada) on the first leg of that trip. I posted it in a few ride share groups that I need a ride and someone texted me, really tight-lipped guy and I am a bit nervous about organizing 3 days around trusting a stranger to take me from A to B but I guess it’s time to take some risks. Also, I talked about this with Andrea a while ago, most of the problems that may arise while travelling around can be solved by throwing some money at it so I try to keep that in mind haha. Anyway, I am stoked to have found a ride.
On tuesday I went for a really nice hike on the southern side of Christchurch, stopped at the bottom of the gondola, went up to a ridge, hiked along the ridge, good views, grey weather, some 2nd world war anti aircraft gun emplacements (spots where they put some big guns to shoot airplanes in case the japanese or whoever tries to attack NZ).Went down on the other side of the ridge to a little town called Lyttleton. I have to say this was the 2nd town where I felt like it actually has a specific vibe and not like every other town in the country.
Walked across town, up on a different path, back to the ridge and back at the car park. The route from Lyttleton back over the ridge was called “Bridle path”, after the first settlers arrived sometime the 19th century this was the route they used to cross the mountain and get from Lyttleton to Christchurch. Props to them, it’s a steep track and their hiking gear was probably not the best..
After getting something proper to eat at the hostel (actually came up with this idea the day before while napping), I visited the local buddhist center and took part in a meditation class. Felt like I haven’t engaged in anything spiritual (besides my daily meditation) and I wanted to kinda feed my soul if you know what I mean. It was a 1,5 hour session with a short breathing meditation in the beginning, a prayer, a teacher from what seemed like a buddhist monk (in person, a kiwi woman) and then some more meditation around the topic of the class (anger, resentment). It was, well. I am glad I went, but the teaching actually triggered me a bit, she said anger is a dellusion and we gotta separate being angry at someone vs being knowing that anger is a dellison and if we are angry we can’t be happy so we should acknowledge anger as a dellison. Have I said dellusion before?…Anyway, there were some things around that which I did not agree with, it seemed like she categorized anger as an undesireable feeling and in my opinion anger is just another feeling like happiness or fear and non of them are good or bad, they are just feelings. Anyway, it was good to engage in something spiritual, found some other spots in town as well, so I may go to a few more group meditations in the next days.
There were two guys at the hostel who were I think construction workers but either they had no jobs or I am not sure, long story short they were the main source of disturbance in the hostel and for the 2nd night I got one of them as a room mate. After having talked to this guy before I knew that he wouldn’t be violent or anything he is just loud (and by the evening was a bit drunk too). Well. At some point in the evening he came in and randomly told me that he just punched someone in the face outside, someone who really deserved it. And now his hand hurts. And whether I wanna see the video where he punched the guy. I passed. So much about not being violent haha. I think, although I have no proof he was also the one who opened the window during the night and that was the point when it got really fckn cold again.(there was an asian guy in the room as well but he did not do much besides being on his phone or sleeping)
Today I had to leave that hostel (thank the maker), got a haircut from a syrian car in a trailer on the side of the street. Took a while to explain what kinda haircut I want and halfway I wasn’t sure if I won’t go for a buzz cut at the next barber I find but in the end it turned out okay. Well that was an experience!
Afterwards I picked up my bike from the shop and went for a bike ride at the local bikepark called Christchurch Adventure Park. The only good think about this bikepark was that it had a chairlift so no pedalling up. The rest, not worth mentioning. Didn’t like the trails plus I lost a glove on the chairlift, the wind blew it from my lap. Went back to look for it but I couldn’t find it. Found some other kid’s glove though haha…not my size unfortunately. Don’t get me wrong I don’t mind I tried this place, it was on my bucketlist since I knew I’d be arriving in Christchurch so it would have annoyed me forever had I not tried it.
I also got a message today from the (at this point) one and only person being interested in my car, that he just bought a van so thanks but no thanks…I am calling the previous owner tomorrow morning and hope for the best.
This really is the only thing to be solved before leaving for Canada, everything else is fixed or organized.
Obligatory song recommendation:
Elliott Brood - Write It All Down for You
Soundtrack from an iconic bike movie (don’t ask me which one though haha), it’s a fast paced folk (i think) song! Give it a go!
