Wellington and The Start of My Backpacking Trip

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.

I decided to take the Overlander which is the train that links Auckland to Wellington. The route cuts right down the middle of the north island. The ride would be a long one, but at least I would get a chance to see the scenery. The landscape is green and lush. All of the mountains seem to be covered with grass. There are so many cows and sheep lining the country side that they seem to be part of the landscape itself. I would arrive in Wellington just late enough to grab dinner and check my emails before going to bed.

Maybe it is the part of town I'm in, but I'm getting a good vibe from this place. I found an excellent coffee shop called Fidel's (Castro) which is right across from a giant adult book store. No matter. The place is punky so I immediately liked it (or Ponkhay and Agyness Deyn would say with her Manchester accent). Yup. She's my flavor of the week. It quickly struck me like a Mike Tyson bitch slap that Wellington is actually a mini San Francisco. My friend Peter did tell me this before I left, but I only noticed it in the houses when walking up to Mt. Victoria lookout. The town is brimming with personality and it has a very arty and poetic feel to it.

I spent the rest of the morning and much of the afternoon at the Te Papa museum. There were about half a dozen school groups waiting outside the museum when I arrived. It reminded me of the scene in Ferris Bueller's Day Off when Ferris, Cameron, and Sloan were at the Chicago Museum of Art (Cameron starring at the Seurat painting with the Smiths "Please Please Let Me Get What I Want" playing in the background). I was in luck because the Monet Exhibit just arrived less than a month ago in NZ. The exhibit was slammed with people. There were art students taking notes, collectors, critics, and tourists making their way through the maze of impressionist paintings. I have noticed what I have coined the 'art critic' pose. You should know this one. It's the one where one hand cups the elbow of the opposite arm. The other hand is scratching the chin as the person stares intently at the painting expecting to discover its soul. Chill dude! The painting ain't moving. Besides the Monet exhibit, the other long standing installations were also good. Who can resist the real life giant squid? I wish I had another day in the city, but I must push on to keep to my schedule.

I finished the Alchemist much more quickly than I expected. It took me a while to find a few more good books to read. More weight for the backpack. I'll definitely send stuff home when I reach Sydney.