I’ve finally got some quiet time to finish off New Zealand. I’m in a $30 a night hotel in Palau. It’s dirty. Lots of geckos, ants, and cockroaches. But it has a bed, a toilet, and a power outlet and … Continue reading
Mom, don’t read this one. Jennifer, you too. I’m on the flight to Yap right now. I just had a really creepy experience. I’m still kind of spooked. I left the internet café after uploading my last post, and was … Continue reading
I’m in a hotel room catching up on sleep and watching the war unfold while I wait for my connecting flight to Yap. They keep talking about "shock and awe." They throw the term out every 5 seconds. Donald Rumsfeld … Continue reading
Tonight is my last night in New Zealand. I leave tomorrow afternoon, and I have 4 flights before I arrive on the island of Yap. I put together a map of my route through the South Island. I don’t know … Continue reading
Things are getting kind of strange. I just drove into Invercargill and checked into Gerard’s Hotel on Esk street. This is my first time in a real bed with sheets and everything in 6 days and I wanted to go … Continue reading
Quick one this time. I mean it about that Queen thing. I think they have one radio station in New Zealand and it just plays Queen. Tomorrow morning I leave for the Milford Trek. I hope I’ve got everything I … Continue reading
Queenstown. The extreme sports capital of the world. Extreme sports piss me off. Actually, no, the term "extreme sports" pisses me off. It’s a marketing exercise wrapped in a lot of insipid carpe diem platitudes. No, I’m changing my mind … Continue reading
Okay, so I’m not actually in Westport. I’m in Greymouth. Westport is an hour north of here, and I decided not to drive the extra hour in the wrong direction just so I could say I was there. Ya see, … Continue reading
I’m off. Day 1 in New Zealand. The start of the whole huge thing. New Zealand has something Australia doesn’t have: Wind. They also know how to make greasy burgers. And they sell them on the street for $3 late … Continue reading
My last night in Australia. Boy, this is hard. Leaving places is hard. Leaving people is hard. Change is hard. I’m not really thinking about the trip at all. Just thinking about being here, and all I’m giving up. Last … Continue reading