Dunedin (Zero Day)

Nice zero day for me. It relaxes and regenerates me, and sometimes can make it hard to get going again the next day. I was planning to sleep in as I went to be late but woke up at my usual 6:00 since my internal clock is already condition to that time.

I laid around and enjoyed the morning and finally went out around eleven. I went to Jizo for lunch again and spent the rest of the day walking around just sightseeing. Even though it was a zero day I almost walked six miles.

I can see way people love this little town, and I call it little since it only has 118,000 people, which is smaller than several of the cities where I live. Though it’s smaller, it has the feel of a bigger city because it has a lot to offer as far as culture, history, services, etc. The temperature is cooler than just over the hills because it’s on the water. This morning when I look out of my room at six I could see a thick layer of fog and I could smell the ocean air. Again, it reminds me of San Francisco.

As is obvious, meeting people is one greatest things about traveling for me and being on foot seems to increase the experience, even on the streets of a city. I had just come out of a store after looking for some drinks and food for tomorrow, and I was just standing there. An older gentleman came up to me and asked if I was lost or looking for something? I said no, just getting ready to have lunch. I detected a rather strange accent that seemed more Scottish than Kiwi. I had heard that the Scotts had settled here and people here still have a strong link to that heritage, so I didn’t give it much thought. The longer he talked the funnier his accent seemed, so I asked him where he was from? He said, I am a New Zealander, but I came here sixty years ago from the Netherlands! Wow, funny thing, I am America and I came to America sixty years ago too! So, we both immigrated from the Netherlands at the same time, but he was sixteen years older than me.

Of course our conversation turned into Dutch. He had the loudest whistle I have ever heard when he whistled to his wife across the street. You have to meet my wife who was born here and speaks fluent Dutch since my whole family moved here and she had to learn it. Funny and a delightful long conversion about our journeys to the countries we call home now and are proud of. But, both of us being 150% American and New Zealander are proud of our Dutch heritage. I hated to say good bye to him as it was a pleasant surprise, and again, because a nice person stop to help me. I can’t wait to see who I meet next!

I walked around after lunch and didn’t stray to far from the city center because all the streets looked steep, and on my zero day it is not what I want to do. Honestly, on my regular trekking days I’d rather not walk uphills!

I sat in the park with a beautiful memorial to solders lost in the Maori War, Boer War, The Big War (WW1), WWII, and Afghanistan.

I then wandered by a barber shop, The Bloke, and suddenly had an urge to get a hair cut as it was time. My barber was an interesting man, as I probably think ever human being on earth is, as he had come from Sri Lanka. He had only been here about three years and had been a hair dresser in Sri Lanka. He, his wife, and three year old son, felt blessed to have come to such a great country. He spoke perfect English, and probably better than many people back home, and said he learned it in the few years he had been here. He also told me of some hardship back his country, which I think was funny because it’s usually the customer telling the barber their story. It had a nice chat and I think he did a great job on my hair cut. I’d go to him again, but it’s too far to come back, and I have a good barber back home.

I went to the supermarket and got three liters of carbonated water, one liter of orange juice, one liter of grapefruit juice, and of course filled all my other bottle with water for my uphill trek out of Dunedin. I also grabbed some fruit and snacks, and will get sandwiches, since I don’t think I’ll get to a town tomorrow.

I am back at the hostel to wash my clothes and write my blog for the day. I plan to go out to dinner tonight and hopefully will start at a good time tomorrow. I like it here and as always it will be hard to leave tomorrow, but if I stayed at every place I like I’d never make Cape Reinga.

Best wishes to all,

Ted

Please excuse the typos, spelling, grammar, etc., as I am typing this on my phone, and I am probably pretty tired.