| Hostels are fun, hostels are cheap, and are so much | | | | utensils for communal use. There were cubicles for |
| more interesting than a hotel! A low tariff per night has | | | | bags containing people's ingredients for their meals and |
| a lot of attraction on a limited budget. Getting back in | | | | stickers for attaching to food items in the fridges. A |
| to traveling mode was not going to be easy for a | | | | comfortable and pleasant lounge complete with a large |
| single old person. Old is just a state of mind, and its | | | | television, a bookshelf with a swap books facility |
| perception, reality. | | | | adjoined the kitchen-dining room. |
| Having reached Christchurch in the South Island " the | | | | Now it is time to go out and check what the |
| Garden City " and delivered safely by a bus driver, | | | | Christchurch has to offer the traveler. The beautiful |
| obviously concerned about a grey-haired someone | | | | square with the Cathedral, street sellers with their arts |
| looking just a bit lost, asked where I was staying? | | | | and crafts. The beautifully restored trams and people |
| Giving him my destination he assured me, it was just | | | | enjoying life. Heading back to the hostel for the night I |
| an easy two-block walk. However, the easy two-block | | | | picked up takeaways for dinner. By now, the kitchen is |
| walk turned into a half hour struggle as total | | | | full of young people all busy chopping up vegetables |
| disorientation set in. Now having acquired a street map, | | | | and generally preparing their evening meal. Some of it |
| things improved immediately and my hostel appeared. | | | | looked very interesting! The takeaway meal stood out |
| The handy takeaway and dairy likely to be very useful. | | | | like a sore thumb! |
| Check in completed easily, and directions given to go | | | | Those who were already eating their meals sat at the |
| through the door and up the stairs. What no lift? Okay, | | | | tables chatting, and laughing over the days adventures. |
| so it is up the stairs, no problem, my suitcase and I | | | | From all corners of the world there were Canadians, |
| climbed with difficulty up the stairs, but turning the | | | | Americans, Japanese,Austrians,Chinese, English just to |
| corner there is another equally large number of steps | | | | name a few as well as Kiwis,of course! Fascinating to |
| to climb, by now it is a problem. Help is suddenly at | | | | watch everything being cleared away by everyone |
| hand from another backpacker, and I finally reached | | | | using the kitchen Evening in the lounge was spent |
| the top. | | | | watching the movies on TV, those not interested in the |
| Down to the room allocated to me, it is a four-bed | | | | movie wrote in obviously well traveled journals or |
| room, and the top bunk is mine. Leaving the trusty | | | | diaries. Bedtime rolled round much later than I am |
| suitcase under the bunk, I sailed out to explore my | | | | accustomed to and climbing into the bunk something |
| home for the next three days. Oh joy, there are toilets | | | | new! Getting used to other people coming in and out |
| and showers are directly opposite the room. Further | | | | was not the hassle I expected Sleep was quick and |
| down the hall a huge clean kitchen with storage, | | | | profound! Tomorrow has much promise; I like Hostelling! |
| fridges and microwaves and all the essential cooking | | | | |