Westport - Dec. 4

December 4, 2008
Westport, West Coast, So. Island
current: 60 degrees, severe cloudbursts

day: 58-72, variable wind, sunshine yielding to cloud cover by mid-day

Now that I've got a laptop charger, I can spend more time writing these blog entries. I will try and start with my whereabouts and what's actually going on in each entry, before I delve into self-indulgent banter and esoteria.

I should note that when friends have left SF, I have only been tangentially aware of their efforts, sort of an "out of sight, out of mind" effect. I have no idea if anyone actually reads this crap...but it somehow makes me feel connected.

I reached the West Coast moments ago, amidst the mother of all rainstorms...so much water that all surfaces were sheeets of moving water. there was a not-unsizeable whirlpool at the drain right in front of the restaurant I'm at.

I spent the morning doing on-the-road administrative shit in Nelson, the most exciting of which is that I reserved permits for the Routeburn Track over XMAS. Some believe that this is the finest backpacking trip ON THE PLANET!~ Routeburn or neighboring Milford always make the "Top 10 hikes of the world" list.

now for esoteria:

empty Starbucks -- what few Starbucks I have seen (3) have been empty. I hope to read into this that the kiwi's are conscious enough to be actively avoiding Sbux.

boobie showcase -- the young ladiefolk of this country dress in a manner that would be considered highly tacky in the US; they also do so regardless of whether they are good-looking or not. the ubiquitous presentation of cleavage is almost ridiculous.

Germans --- jesus christ, these fuckers are everywhere! what's the deal with that? they are so damn robotic.

lack of cops -- you just don't seem 'em. by comparison, California is a police state
over the top marketing of outdoor activities-- skydive! river raft! bungee jump! bla bla bla....there is so much shit going on here, it's mind-boggling. this has got to be the outdoor recreation capital of the world. the predominant culture here is tourist/outdoor culture. but what do you expect? you don't come for the culture. all the endless outdoor activity marketing would bug me more if things were too crowded; however, thus far, it's actually been really quiet more often than not. this is supposed to change when xmas break starts in 10 days, and then the countryside fills with kiwis.

"backpacking" -- means something different here....it means "budget traveler", and hostels here actually call themselvers "backpackers hostel". Basically, it's someone schlepping their stuff from the bus depot to the hostel in a backpack. "Tramping" is the act of donning a backpack and hiking into the backcountry.

"freedom campers" -- would basically be considered homeless in california. this is anyone - like me -- that camps outside the designated campgrounds. i tell ya, i did not come this far to sit cheek-and-jowl with a bunch of fools in campervans in some campground/park.