Raglan-Hamilton-Taupo. 10/23 & 10/24
Early morning bus with sleepy school kids. More rolling velvet greens rising up electric and sweeping down regal, fissures and folds, valleys, streams, naked and knobby little newly shorn sheep…This landscape is so sexy !!! Closer to Taupo the idyllic and bucolic hyper-green scenery gave way to a more grim scene; the fields flattened out as if they had been razed so, and the geometry of the timber industry and agri-business imposed itself on the land as far as the eye could see. It was a sad quilt indeed - whatever forests there were were not old growth, but carbon copy stands of equally spaced future paper products, punctuated by huge brown scars of clearcut and jumbles of dried out, bulldozed stumps, and pasture lands that looked thin and poor and incapable of sustaining life at all (there were, in fact, no living creatures anywhere to be seen). Truthfully, it was pretty depressing, and a humbling reminder of our effect on this earth. Taupo itself is…kind of squat and sprawled and, at least the slice of it I am seeing, full of big box stores and streets that are entirely composed of mini-malls. Lonely Planet recommended this hostel in particular, boasting friendly staff and “super-comfy beds”. This much is true, and I am very appreciative of it, particularly the beds… but that is ALL the place has to recommend it. A kind of dingy, pretty charmless cinderblock compound (think barracks or even The Projects), flanked by a busy thoroughfare, the massive Pak’n’Save monstrosity, and…not much more. yeah… dunno how long I’ll stay in town - probably just long enough to see Susan for a day or 2 and then split. Early this morning I went to the farmer’s market (bought some watercress) and then continued, in the pouring rain, wandering along the river. I ended up on a 3 hour trek up to Huka Falls. It was very gorgeous - I think my pictures quite fail to capture the intensity of colors of the river valley, and the river itself, but trust me - stunning! Wild riots of birds and, at least on the way there, hardly a soul on the “track” (kiwi for path). Came back to the barracks starving and tired, et voila - here I write, and eventually, gods willing, to read. There is a cackling (truly) “Hen Party” right outside my window/door, so it’s hard to concentrate on reading at the moment. They are celebrating the imminent marriage of one among them, and are dressed up super-bizarrely, like cheap clowns with over-sized bras and underwear worn over their clothing and goofy hats!!! I thought it was perhaps an amateur clown convention or something, so went out to ask and say “cheers”… nope - just a whacky kiwi “Hen Party” (bridal shower)…fun fun fun… Apologies if the blog seems bogged down… been cold and damp for weeks, it feels like, hormonal to boot, and today, feeling a little sad and lost. It’s all part of the rich tapestry of La Vie Humaine, not to worry, mates :)
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