Hitching and hostels

Depending on the people I talk to about hitch-hiking, I tend to get either an excited interested response or a worrisome reprimand.   In other words, I either get a “wow!  That’s really awesome, I’ve always wanted to do that!” or conversely “You’re going to get yourself killed because there a lot of psychos out there”.  Neither stance is correct or better than the other, but it does say a lot about a person.  I will say this: My future life partner is going to have to be the former.  I will also propose that there are a lot less psychos in the world than the news would lead us to believe.  For the most part, there are tons of genuinely kind people that go out of their way to help a stranger, and there are also tons of assholes or distrustful people who would do no such thing.  Either way, both parties generally don’t plan to cut me up into pieces for their own sadistic pleasure.    While hitching, I have been re-reading a book by my favorite author Tom Robbins called “Even Cowgirls get the blues” which is about the best hitch-hiker that ever lived (fictional); she has ginormous thumbs.  Although I can’t hope to reach that type of aspiration, it has provided me with a certain inspiration, when I’m standing there like an idiot in utter desperation.   There’s your poem for the day. 

Wellington from on top of a hill

Another angle of Wellington from on top of a hill

Wellington ampitheater

Wellington bay area

My sign on the ferry ride.  No takers.

Ferry fun

Pulling into the South island port

some cool flowers

this moth was the size of a pea, but was so intricate

The porch of my 'private room' at a hostel in Motueka

I don't know why this picture is standing on end.  Its stupid. 

I’ve been staying at several different hostels over the last few days (once again, not scary at all like the movie ‘hostel’ makes it seem).  The good ones are like B&Bs where you stay in a cute Victorian house, but you share a room, bathroom, kitchen, and lots of germs.  I’ve met a lot of really interesting people who are all backpacking like me, although some of them do it for years!  They simply travel and when they like a place they stay for a while and find a job.  Then they move on when they’re ready.   Sounds like a good time to me, but I think I would miss all of my friends and family too much, and I would be even more of a derelict than I already am.