Machinery and Mishaps

I arrived in Kaikoura yesterday. The drive from Blenheim was along a coastal highway and was absolutely beautiful. The water was varying shades of blue broken by jagged rocks and boulders. I couldn’t take my eyes off it, which isn’t very conducive to driving. It seems strange to me that water can inspire such awe. We won’t watch water flowing from a faucet but we’ll happily watch waves lapping on a beach for hours.

The hostel I’m staying at is livelier than in Blenheim. I opted to stay in a 4-person dorm, which I don’t usually do. As of yet, I’ve been sticking to singles but as I travel farther south to smaller towns, fewer places offer them. Besides, I figure I should start saving some money by staying in dorms, and I do have the advantage of keeping my valuables in the car rather than in the room. However, after one night I’m already not too keen on dorms. Yeah they are a great price, but privacy is sometimes worth the little extra.

I ended up with the top bunk, which I swear gives me an altitude headache and is the closest to the overhead light so I get hit hard when someone unexpectedly flips the switch. The Swedish girl below me all but threw a tantrum last night when another girl entered the room and started rustling in the dark. The Swede huffed repeatedly, then flew out of bed, switched on the light, and swiftly got back into bed leaving the other girl sitting surprised on the floor. Mind you, the Swedish girl was the only one who had hung towels and blankets around her bed to keep out the light. She should have been the least affected by anyone else entering the room. I think if you’re going to have a hissy fit every time someone makes a little noise, don’t stay in a 4-person room.

I was awoken this morning by my bunk bed vibrating to the lovely sound of jackhammers and drills. They are doing major construction on the road the hostel is situated on and it’s right outside my window. I hear engines rumbling, concrete being split apart, and foremen yelling all day long, which doesn’t make for a very pleasant atmosphere. I wish I had known beforehand – I would have stayed at another hostel. When I arrived yesterday, I asked the receptionist what they were doing out there, gesturing toward the machinery. “Oh I think they’re doing work on the road,” she replied dryly. Thanks Einstein, that was truly a helpful explanation.

This morning two of my roommates left and as soon as the Swedish girl removed her sheets and left the room, I claimed the lower bunk as my own. Rather than transfer sheets and pillowcases, I lugged the entire mattress with sheets, pillow, and duvet off the top and switched it with the one on the bottom. I thought it easier than actually making the bed, something I try to avoid.

I went for a nice two-hour walk today on the peninsula near seal colonies. The first hour was a cliff top walk along the water, which made its way down to the beach and met with an hour-long shoreline walk. It was a great hike, barring a few mishaps. Along the cliff top, I took a wrong turn and ended up in a manure field with cows frolicking around. I thought I was going in the wrong direction but wasn’t sure where the right direction was. Finally, I saw the track and I had to climb over two fences, one barbed, to get to it. Then as I was walking along the shore I was excited to see a seal lying in the water. I whistled at it to get its attention until I realized it wasn’t sleeping or ignoring me – it was dead. I saw part of its flesh had peeled back to reveal jawbone. It must have been there for a long time. Of course the first seal I see up close is dead and decaying. Soon after, I almost stepped on a seal – a live one. I was walking along, concentrating on my footing because the rocks were slippery and wet, and I looked up only because I heard a growl that startled me. A sunbathing seal was only a few feet away. I heard someone laugh behind me and say, “I didn’t think you had seen him.” I turned to see a man readying his camera and thought, Thanks for the warning, ass. “Were you getting ready to take a picture just in case I stepped on him?” I replied. “Would have made for a good one, eh,” he said. Yeah at my expense, I thought but just smirked. He then offered to take my picture with the seal, probably in hopes that it would attack me in which case he’d switch to video, but I thought it was a nice gesture and consented. All in all it was a great walk, and I was happy to get out of my hostel and bask in the sun and fresh air of Kaikoura.

I went to a café for a small lunch after my walk and ended up in this adorable little café with an outdoor seating area overlooking the mountains. When my food arrived I realized I probably should have asked what kind of toasted bagels they served before ordering because the one set before me had toasted pumpkin seeds attached to it. Toasted pumpkin seed is not a normal bagel flavor. I suppose it hadn’t occurred to me to ask because I was just happy to see bagels on the menu. I used to eat a bagel as part of my Sunday morning ritual, but I hadn’t had one in New Zealand yet. I also ordered an iced coffee thinking it might be normal but it was an ice-less frothy drink. Both were decent and I was hungry.

I had the outdoor area to myself until an older woman joined me. I heard her laughing to herself as she read, which is something I do often as I’m now in the middle of a Bill Bryson book, so I looked over to see what she was reading. I caught a glimpse of “Adolph Hitler” in the title. Who laughs out loud while reading a book about Hitler? Definitely strange.