We are starting the final week of our 22 weeks of travel. I have not missed a day of blogging. Admittedly, I did not post every day, but I write even when I had no internet connection.
As a rule, I have avoided writing blogs just to keep the record going. Instead, I want to share something that will amuse or inform.
Today is an exception.
We woke in Queenstown. Today was a day of exertion. In each of our two previous trips here, we did a long tramp called the Ben Lomond Trail. It is a 6 hour walk that climbs almost a mile up and covers over 6 miles. Susie and I call it the Marriage Shaker. We took it 9 years ago and learned an important difference in our personalities. When I experience exercise related pain, I tend to push harder to speed the ending. Susie, on the other hand, does something that is completely bizarre. Track with me on this. When she is tired, she rests. I guess somethings are just too bizarre to understand.
When we came 3 years ago, Terrill had asthma problems, so she Susie and Virginia did not complete the circuit. Since it is a round trip, they just turned back early.
Today, we made the circuit in 3:45 - 4:15, substantially inside the estimate of 5-6 hours. We are all proud of ourselves. Perhaps our Nepal fitness levels have not worn off completely.
We then got into the campervan for a 5 hour drive.
We are still driving and I am writing in a parking lot in an old gold town that has inexplicably provided free internet in its city limits.
It is 9PM and we want to put 50-60 kilometers more behind us, so I will leave you with this important observation from Liam. After covering multiple important topics, he shared an unexpected insight:
"New Zealand would be the perfect place to be during a zombie apocalypse."
I am not saying that we will have a zombie apocalypse, but I must agree with his assessment. It is isolated, full of food and self-sustaining energy. And, as an act of love to our readers, I share this with you.
No, there is no need to thank me!
Steve Sir