Egg, White-Water Rafting & Chips
In which I take in the sulphurous air, cascade down the world’s highest commercially rafted waterfall and regain my appetite.
7 April 2011 - 1120 Rotorua, New Zealand
Just had the best sandwich of the trip. A delicious pastrami, Swiss cheese, salad and gherkin sandwich on incredible seedy brown brown. I’ll be going back there again. Yummers! I’m eating early as I’m getting picked up to go White water rafting at 12. Better get my trunks on!
1152
God it really does stink here. It’s not like Iceland where there was a thin (though noticeable) whisper of sulphur in the air and water. Here, it’s pungent. A thick, eggy smack in the chops the second you go outside. It’s the richest egg smell I’ve ever smelt. Imagine an egg, then wrap it in another egg and then dip it in oil of egg and you might come close to the eggness. Man, it smells like egg here! Like I’m wearing a boiled egg on my upper lip. Like I’ve bathed in egg mayonnaise. Like I’m wearing a shirt made out of egg.
1555
Got back a short time ago from White water rafting down a 7m waterfall, the highest commercially rafted waterfall IN THE WORLD. Made a tit of myself by misinterpreting an instruction and then jumping out of the boat into the rapids. The guy wanted me to sit on the other side of the boat but he used the word ‘jump’. So I jumped. Anyway, great fun, though much more of a workout than I expected and hauling the boat up a hill on my head after an hour of rafting wasn’t fun at all. Can’t see me wanting to do it again, but I’m very very glad I did it today.
1851
Just had my first decent square meal in ages. And in a pub no less. Good old fish and chips! Three fillets of fresh fish in beer batter and good “chip shop” chips, followed by an enormous creme brûlée with cream and toffee ice cream. I’ve been struggling to eat well in New Zealand, a mixture of poor quality food and a mysterious loss of appetite. but tonight, both those things were shunted to the sideline. And to top it off, I was sat square in front of a tv showing French Top 14 rugby.
It’s been a good day. In about 35 minutes, I’m meeting up with a Ukrainian dude I met at the rafting and we’re going climbing at the climbing centre in the basement of the hostel.
Tomorrow will be an easy day I think.
