Coast-to-Coast...to Coast: ChCh

Next on the adventure...Christchurch! No great adventures are without bumps and unexpected (both good and not-so good) happenings along the way, as you've read from my previous post.

Let me begin with this: I am a very frugal person, sometimes to a fault because I miss out on amazing experiences because I don't feel like I should spend my money on something. That being said, I did a lot of research on places to stay in ChCh, and my stinginess (is that a word?!) got the better of me; meaning that our accommodations were a bit more dodgy than I would have liked. I'll have you know that since the earthquake in 2011, hostels and places to sleep are a bit harder to find as there are fewer now. Most travel sites recommend booking days in advance to ensure that you'll have a bed. Anywho, I found place on AirBnB that from the outside looked like it could have been okay...the renter had no reviews and very few photos of the place but I figured I'd give it the benefit of the doubt, since of course, it was pretty much a steal being half the cost of a hostel bed in ChCh.

We walked in the house and just in the front entryway, the floor was absolutely filthy, garbage everywhere...only a path cleared to walk from room to room. Cat vomit, dirty dishes, oddly colored stains, the list goes on. It was more what I expected from couch surfing than from AirBnB. I was less than thrilled but traveling is all about adventure and adjusting to whatever comes your way. Our hosts were four younger men and one woman, all of whom were extremely friendly and kind to us, so that helped us to see beyond the filth of the house. We stayed there for three nights and tried to spend the majority of our waking hours away and outside of the house seeing the city.

We spent our first day wandering mostly around the CBD (central business district, pretty much what they call what we in America would think of as the downtown and city center area) and also around the botanical gardens and in Hagley Park. The Re:Start container mall, which is an outdoor shopping center made entirely out of huge metal shipping containers, was much more impressive than we had both expected. Not only did they have an amazing wood fired pizza eatery, but the stores were very funky and interesting. Both Don and I picked up a few odds and ends to use as Christmas gifts later on. We continued on to see the damaged cathedral and surroundings where a lot of up-cycling has taken place. Not only are there murals everywhere, but there were gardens on roofs, quirky statues and all kinds of artistic oddities that were interspersed throughout the city center.

Our second day was very chilly, windy, and wee bit rainy, so we did a good deal of planning for the rest of our time in the South Island. Next stop: Dunedin.