Crossing the Strait with Cows...Leaving the Bull Behind

Today I was transported form the South Island to the North Island with cows. The Interislander ferry, Kaitaki, transported multiple cars, cargo trucks, tourists, residents, and wide-eyed cows.

I said goodbye to the South Island with the desire to come back. Why did I plan such a short vacation to New Zealand? I left Watson’s Way in Renwick in the morning and drove to Picton.

At Picton I drank a flat white at Cortado Restaurant and Café overlooking the water. The velvety coffee slowly woke up my taste buds and made me realize that I am already more than halfway through my trip. Two weeks is not enough, this place is truly amazing. Maybe not even a lifetime is enough to see everything in this wonderful country.

I feel very blessed to be here and have truly enjoyed every second of it. I’ve been meeting people and a few have become friends. I’ve even been reaffirming what I like and what I don’t like. I’m even realizing how I have deprived myself from doing what I love.

I love outdoor activities and even though I live close to National and State Parks in Los Angeles, I don’t spend enough time enjoying the outdoors. I love hiking … in other words I adore walking. I can walk for hours and not get tired of the slow changing scenery. Walking (unless I’m on a hurry) makes me truly enjoy the journey to my destination. I love kayaking and spending time at the beach, yet in LA I continuously limit myself to walking on the beach because “the water is too cold.” Yet here I am in New Zealand, swimming, kayaking in water so cold that it makes Manhattan Beach feel like a nice lukewarm bath.

I know I love food and wine. I know I like beer, but I definitely prefer wine. I’ve gone to tasting rooms in Argentina, France, Switzerland, New Zealand, and California…but I have yet to spend a weekend in Napa – I always stay close to LA and I don’t go out to wine country often enough.

Why did I ever stop doing some of the things I love? Why do we as humans constantly conform to doing habitual things, hating our every day boring lives, if often we are the ones to blame for not doing the things we love?

On this trip I’ve learned that I’m done with that and I’ll do what I love to do, even if sometimes I’ll have to do it by myself – like this trip.

I got on that plane by myself. I traveled through the South Island by myself. I signed up for kayaking trips by my self. I signed up for a wine tasting trip by myself. I got on that ferry today by myself. I got off the ferry by myself. I drove myself to the Wellington Botanical Garden and walked around the scented garden, the rose garden, and the cable car area by myself. I drove myself to Cuba Street to have dinner at Fidel’s by myself.

And yes, there is a road called Cuba Street in Wellington. This colorful street has everyone buzzing on caffeine and vintage shops. Fidel’s Café wall is decorated with the Cuban flag and pictures of Fidel himself along with Che Guevara. I asked the coolest server in the history of servers if the real Fidel ever found out about this place and he said, “Señorita bonita, he’s son ate here once after visiting the Cuban Embassy.” No, the server was not Cuban; he was a kiwi from hop country who tried to speak a bit of Spanish.

After Fidel’s I walked to Habana Café, another bar owned by the same owners of Fidel’s, Habana Café plays live music and sells Habana Club. I walked in there, but was too full to order anything and couldn’t drink because I had driven myself to Cuba Street. The drinking limits in New Zealand are so low that with my body and height one beer is already too much. I walked around the bar a bit, couldn’t’ find a place to sit and the jazz band had not finish setting up. That was the only place so far where I truly wish I hadn’t been at by myself.

#nelson #wellington #fidelscafe #interislander #kaitaki