aptain
pplesauce
Subject: Final Farewell
Date: Sat, 25 Jan 2003 11:43:19 +0000
From: "Allen Rue "
January 26, 2003 . . . Auckland, New Zealand
("City of Sails", 1.12 million people: largest and most ethnically
diverse city, I've seen many cities: I give it a 4 out of 10)
Hello, or as some of the older Kiwis might pronounce it, "Hiel-oww," Nah, actually they'd probably say "Kia Ora," pronounced "Key Ora" which means hello in the Maori language. Maoris are the original settlers to New Zealand before the crown came 600 or so years later and civilized them (a.k.a. ruined their way of life).
NEVERTHELESS, THANK YOU! THIS IS MY LAST EMAIL OF THIS ADVENTURE! WHEW! I hope if you've read one, some, or all of these emails that one or more of the following have happened:
1. they entertained you
2. they broadened your perception of the world
3. they made you learn more than you ever wanted to about me
4. they gave you something to do, throwing them away in the trash
5. they gave you something to talk about with other people
Hiking Hijinks
==============
Maybe you've seen Lord of the Rings? It was filmed here in New
Zealand. In short, Sam and Frodo, two heroes of the story, are
wandering about New Zealand on a mission to destroy an evil ring by
throwing it into a special volcano. I'd just like to say that one
thing you never see in the movies is Sam and Frodo's need for
sunscreen and water. Man, I must've hiked about 45 hours in the last
week and my skin burned everywhere I forgot the sunscreen.
Furthermore, you get very hot and stinky hiking up summits. I'm not
complaining. I'd do it again in a minute. Hobbits though, they must
have incredible resistance to sun. Interestingly, I can go to tour
Hobbiton for $80. No thanks, who'd pay $80 to see a movie set?
Stupid is what Stupid Does Yet Again
====================================
Yesterday I was exploring the Laughing Gas Mudpools and nearby
thermal eruptions steaming and bubbling hydrogen sulfide gas from
below the earth. It was no laughing matter, later when I discovered
a warning sign stating something like, "the rocks here by the thermal
eruptions aren't solid. In fact, at some places they're only 4cm
thick. If one of these hollow rocks crack you could fall into a deep
chasm of scolding water and acid... Oops!
Attacked by Birds Yet Again
===========================
I'm beginning to think birds don't like me. First the magpie, now
the gulls. Last night a black billed gull was about two feet in
front of my face shouting at me at the top of his lungs to get the
heck away. I kept walking and he took another swoop at me and
bellowed again. Like anything that screams in my face, I just
laughed at him and defeatedly, he left me alone.
Made the Newspapers Yet Again
=============================
Yeah! Adele's told me that I've made the Melbourne City paper doing
my swing dancing thing. It's not all that personal or impressive,
but if you'd like to check it out:
http://www.swingpatrol.com.au/showarticle.php?id=412
If you look at the picture, no, my partner is not Adele... it's actually the back of Naomi, the Victoria State swing dance champion.
Got Another Job Yet Again
=========================
I am broke; yet my prayers have been answered. Tomorrow I start a
new job! I'm going to work on a vineyard picking grapes and making
wine on beautiful Whatieke Island. Not only will I be learning a
new skill, but I'll now be able to say I've had jobs in Ireland,
Australia, and New Zealand! Goodness grape-cious!
Back to the USA Yet Again
=========================
Not being shot by another surprise poison dart, this time I'm coming
home mostly willingly to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Although I
pulled the poison fraud dart out of my butt back in May 2002, I still
have to get the poison sucked out. That's up to the Philadelphia
police force and you know how they suck. May - September 2002 at
home and everything with my investigation was accomplished only by
me, myself, and I. I still have a long fraud battle ahead, so if you
see me ripping my hair out ...
I leave Auckland New Zealand, January 30, 2003 6:00PM and return January 30, 2003 10:30PM to Philadelphia International from Phoenix, Arizona. Yup, you read that right - I'll arrive home 4 1/2 hours later!
Once again, thank you for sharing my adventures! Hopefully someday Triple A will wander once more. Until then . . .
Audacious Adventurer Al over and out :)
------------- "Closing time - every new beginning comes from some other beginnings end" - Semisonic "It's a bittersweet symphony, landslide. Gotta make ends meet, you're a slave to money till you die" - The Verve
