Remind me never to stay at Mountain View Backpackers in Wanaka again. The queen-size bed is a double, the room not much larger with a low acoustical tile ceiling, bare grey walls and a musty smell, and there are no towels. Outside my door, a group of young people is smoking, drinking and shrilling. The living area is minuscule and inhabited by a sneezing, coughing, nose-blowing young man who is blasting germs throughout the whole […]
Read moreMonth: July 2013
Alpless in the Southern Mountains
I slept till 8:00 this morning, the latest yet. We were the road at 9:15, having wrested the car wheel into my own powerful hands. Light rain turned to hard rain as we wound south, but driving was easy and pleasant. Guidebooks say New Zealand elicits at least one “wow!” a day. The only true “wow” it’s gotten from me is, “Wow, I’ll bet there are mountains under those clouds. Wow, I’m really disappointed I […]
Read morePhysical and Symbolic Glaciers
According to my mother, “Swedes” are rutabagas, so we can stop worrying about the possibility of human trafficking of Nordic peoples in New Zealand. I should never have let Syd had that extra day of driving yesterday. Give her an inch; today she asked to drive yet again. I told her that I’m getting the impression she doesn’t like my driving. Still, I relented, and took my turn at the wheel only for five minutes […]
Read morePossum and Pounamu
Some of you may remember my writing about green-lipped mussels yesterday. I just received this from my sister, Betty Lou Joe Bob. This is so bizarre. Shortly after reading your shellfish entry, I heard strains of Luther Vandross coming from the upper pond. I went down to investigate and damned if this creature hadn’t washed up on the bank. Our lodging last night was surreal. Called Global Village, it was decorated with arts and crafts […]
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