On Sunday I decided to get my Japanese Encephalitis shot on Monday and leave Christchurch on Tuesday.

I think I need to get used to the idea that plans are an airy notion while on the road.

On Monday I made some calls and found out that the only place to get the shot is at the CHCH hospital. I would first have to get an appointment with a doctor who would then have to special order the vaccine. The first appointment was wednesday. Plans: smashed.

I was bummed. I was ready to start exploring this country but I would have to wait some more. As I strolled towards the botanical gardens something interesting happened: I realized that seeing as I wasn't going anywhere far and soon, I might as well enjoy the here and the now. I spent a nice afternoon in the gardens, taking pictures for the first time since I got here. The whole time I did not worry about when I was going and where to. And I haven't let these thoughts distract me since then.

The next day I went to Sumner, a coastal town that is in the suburbs of Christchurch. I initially forgot my guidebook so I backtracked to the hostel and stuffed it in my bag, then immediately took it out again: "that's heavy!" I didn't really know where Sumner was, or what there was to do there, but everybody seems to think it's worth going to. I found my way there quite easily thanks to a well marked bus system.

On arrival I was immediately gripped by the beaty of the place. The main part of town is by the ocean, on the cliffs high above are beautiful houses. Eating my sandwich on the beach I couldn't help but to turn to the west every 20 seconds. The snowy Southern Alps made for a highly contrasted backdrop to the surf-beach scenery at my feet.

I strolled up a steep hill in search of a nice vantage point from which to photograph the scene and found myself on a footpath that looped around the top of the hill. Unfortunately the sun was in the wrong position for a shot so I decided to wait for the evening. With everything being backwards here (cars and drivers on the wrong side of the road, flipping light switches up to turn them off, the sun pointing North at high noon, not to mention the toilet bowl thing) I managed to convince myself that the sun was setting to the East. I was sorely disappointed when I returned to the perfect spot later in the day only to find the sun in an even worse position.

In the meantime I had continued on another path and I ended up in a little settlement called "Taylor's Mistake". This was a very private place with only locals occupying "bachs", or diminutive beach houses. I was very happy that my aimless wanderings led me here.

I grabbed a Pint and took the bus back to Christchurch. I ended the day by going to the movies with a couple of Hostel comrades. We saw "Touching The Void". Highly recommended.

I will try to upload photos soon.