DAILY LIFE OF A NZ TOURIST

Sitting here this am drinking coffee, while waiting for the sun to warm things up. Of course, Mr. "live life to the fullest" man has departed early for a class IV-V river rafting trip, or as I call them: "helmet river rafting". For Steve, this will be followed by the "shotover jet boat" ride with full Hamilton Spins! As in a post a week or so ago, I have had all the Hamilton Spins I want for a lifetime. Then, as that is just a taster for him, he will do more bungy(not bunny) jumping and the Nevis Swing. Don't ask, don't tell. Yesterday he already super seeded the 1st Bungy that he and Bruce did. That 1st one was 43m. Yesterday he did a134m jump! loved it and going back for more today! He also worked in a full day of paragliding with Bruce. Crazy? Nahhhh-- he fits right in with the adrenaline junkies of NZ, only he is about 30-40 years older than most! We hear this a lot: "did you see that old guy do that? Yadda,yadda.
So what do I do when all this action is taking place? Shop and eat.
Oh yeah, drink cappuccinos. Luckily, I have 2 very cool gal friends to share this enjoyment of a much slower pace. It is a quick walk into town from the Blue Peaks Hotel, and we enjoy the parks, walking paths, window shopping, people watching, and as the day drifts into late afternoon...wine time. We have been drinking NZ wines exclusively, and so far, we have enjoyed most of them.
Last night Steve and I walked into town for a light bite. We ran into Dave and
Linda at the same seafood "take-a-way." Linda was enjoying a huge container of NZ green lipped mussels, and it looked so good with hot chili dipping sauce. Being adventuresome AND Norwegian, Steve thought he would try the smoked eel. Imagine our surprise when the cook brought out a
Whole eel, head and bulging eyes, mouth agape with rows of tiny teeth, and tongue sticking out. Even Steve was a tad taken back! You should have seen Dave! Laughing and sticking around for the "Steve eating the eel" show! It was messy, and maybe a bit gross, but after pealing off the black smoky skin, and eating the white flesh, Steve said it tasted like chicken!
I cannot believe I left my camera back in the room!