Expensive Taste

Farewell Cherries!

We worked for 2 weeks at an orchard-- Brian picked the cherries and I working inside the packhouse sorting them to be exported, sold to the locals or turned into jam (or basically thrown away). I think Brian enjoyed his time outside in the trees and he made decent money when the trees were good and there were full work days to be had...
I, on the other hand, HATED grading cherries. The packhouse was basically a refridgerator in order to keep the fruit from getting too soft before it was shipped away. So I was cold. Also, I couldn't seem to get the knack of contract work (i.e. speed and not caring about quality in order to attain said speed) so I made less than minimum wage every day but 2-- my first two days of training. So cherry grading was not such a lucrative endeavour for me. Oh well.
We made some really great friends: 4 Americans (Suzie, Erin, Rashida and Charles!) who are studying in Sydney and who came to NZ on summer vacation and worked in the packhouse with me, and Ignacio, a Chilean guy who worked with Brian picking and who we joined on the road after we left cherryland.
We left Alexandra on Monday and headed straight for Queenstown where Brian and I blew most of our paychecks on BUNGY JUMPING! It was the greatest thing ever, ever, EVER! I would do it everyday. It solves all your problems. There was quite an old guy who jumped before us, that was inspiring. Brian jumped before me-- I didn't watch. Ignacio stood on a platform below and got tons of really good pictures of our jumps-- and all the bounces of the rope. Those will be up on my photo site one of these days along with other photos. Anyway:
My jump: They told me if I jumped way out from the platform I'd miss the water and if I jumped straight down my hair would get wet. So I should try to find a happy medium. I don't know where I jumped (they say 3-2-1 and you just forget what you are doing and jump) but before I knew it I was waist deep in the river... with half of the water up my nose. IT WAS SO GREAT!
Then 2 guys in a little raft row out and hand you a pole to grab, I missed the pole but one of the guys put out his had and I caught that and they pulled me into the raft. Then you have to look at your feet while they unharness you... also it probably helps get your brain back in place. It was so cool to see my cute little shoes and the big fat bungy line and the platform from which I jumped 43 meters above me... I got out and walked up the stairs to where Brian was waiting and said "Let's do it again!" But we didn't. Damn.
Oh well, then we drove up the west coast stopping 2 nights on 2 different lakes to camp. I was eaten alive on a late night trip to the toilet-- or rather the nearest tree. I am still suffering.
We spent a night at the best backpackers in Greymouth. It is awesome. It makes me want to run a backpackers. Someday.
Now we are Motueka which is near Nelson which is where Brian and I took our first mini trip in NZ in July or August. Brian and Ignacio started picking apples today. I should be starting in an apple packhouse on Wednesday (for hourly wages... none of that contract work for me thanks!).

We have just over 2 months left in NZ and it kinda scary. The real world is lurking and getting bigger everyday! But I am really quite excited about meeting it. I have had the opportunity to think about what I want to do with my life a lot lately (what else is there to do while looking at cherries?) and I think this trip has definitely changed me more than any other of my travels have. That is surprising to be because of the shock value of my El Salvador experiences and the grandeur of Europe... but because I have been here so long and because I have Brian to talk to and to encourage me and enable me to do things here I might not have done otherwise-- WWOOFing and hitchhking specifically. I sense the endless possibilities for adventures ahead of me and my desire to do them all is growing stronger everyday. I just hope that when I get home I don't turn lame.

CHEERS!