The Acid is Kicking in...

We have just arrived in New Zealand. Its rather nice; Nice food, Nice wine, Nice walking, Nice Scenery, Nice people, in fact everything is just Nice. Very Nice and its rather comfortable. Within the space of 48 hours I've managed to have one of my bestest hiking days ever on the Tongariro Crossing and I also got hit in the face by a spade, but more on this in the next blog.

But I feel that there is something missing ... everything seems to happen as planned ... just like you thought things should. Things just happen to work. You can use Credit Cards. People drive normally. When you buy meat its wrapped in cellophane and more than a minute old. You can change travellers cheques. The roads are in perfect condition (but I cant hire a motorbike, after all I don't have a licence) and its incredibly clean.

I am suffering from a third world hangover. Its really bad. I am expecting some surprise around every corner, yet everywhere I turn I just see niceness, along with some 20 million Sheep. In the past two days, the closest thing to surprising me was a rabbit that ran out in front of the car. Like a good Brit, I hit the brakes. I was however, chastised a little later ... a good Kiwi would have put their foot to the floor to help wipe out another of New Zealand's most unwanted alien mammals.

And for all of this we are spending a fortune for the privilege, at least compared to the philippines.

Anyway in the midst of my hangover I stumbled across a Tarsier on the Internet. I last saw a Tarsier a few weeks ago in the wild, on Bohol in the Philippines. These little critters are one of the smallest primates in the world and have eyes larger than their brains. They are pretty cool and I was lucky to see one.

My shot of a Tarsier in Bohol

Well, during my hangover therapy, I could only chuckle at the satire demonstrated in the latest take on the O'Reilly UNIX book I came across on the internet.

I'll write more soon... once my Hangover is over... after all, New Zealand is the most incredible place. Really.

Comments

[Maria Karen Santos]

Get the hangover out of your head. :-) Just keep enjoying the places you are in now. You're always welcome to come back here. I'm sure you'll get more surprises the next time you visit Philippines. Try visiting this summer.

***Now, every time I hear Poker face, I'm reminded of you. :-)

Merry CHRISTmas!!!

[Tim Morgan]

Thanks Karen

Maligayang Pasko at Manigong Bagong Taon !

[Maria Karen Santos]

Whoah! You know that?!? Maligayang Pasko din sa iyo, kaibigan ko!