isobelll - with 3 l

A few months later, just after new years, I ended up in Christchurch by chance while hich-hiking and didn't really know where to stay but I txted (short text message by cell's) the couch surfer that I'd met while staying at my Swedish friend (and oh, after a night of partying on town with the couch surfers last time I'd been in Christchurch I ended up on their floor anyways - even though I was staying at my other friends house (Hmm, did I make myself clear just then?)). He, I'll call him Angel, said "sweet as, when are you coming?". Yay! I stayed only for one night on his couch but enjoyed the company and his veggie food very much. Another box of smiles, Thanks man! Again I liked the people but didn't really care to much about the Christchurch, sadly a rather boring city.

My hitch there, who'd been a quite scary one in the end, where teh truck driver tried to kiss me twice even though he was old enough to be my grandfather, had kindly enough organised the next ride for me within the same truck company the following day. I wasn't sure if I was gonna take him up on his offer after having said no to the one about staying in his motel room but enjoyed the morning checking out some galleries after stying with Angel and meet up with the next truck-driver in the early afternoon anyways. He took me from Christchurch all the way to Palmerston and we got along real well. I even helped him unload and we had almost the same taste in music too, which is really uncommon while hitching.

Palmerston was a small wee town which I only chose cause I could get on the road cutting cross country towards Alexandra the next day. And cause I loved the idea of free camping, this was gonna be my first time. I'd gotten my tent for the new years festival just a couple of weeks before from a friend in Karamea who didn't need it anymore. After looking for a place for about an hour I decided that I was way to shy/scared to put it up in one of the perfect places I found, which all were filled with cows. Grr! So I found a place on an off side road, the grass between the paddock and the road seamed to be "non-claimable" by authority's and my home for the night. I didn't want to be to far off as well, if something was to happen. I'd heard about people getting robbed or raped while free camping at various spots around the country, stories I rather not know about. Or tell for that matter?

But my place was perfect, I again watched the sunset while having my dinner (rice with beans and sweet chilly sauce - my favourite along the road and made as soon as I found a microwave and easy to prepare for lunch/dinners ahead). I fell asleep while listening to the birds.