I actually missed my doctor's appointment on Wednesday (actually I was 15 minutes late, but that is too much around here). It had to be rescheduled to Friday. On Thursday it was rainy and cold so I went to the NZ Air Force Museum instead of trying to reach the coast. That night I drank a lot of some obscure local ale along with a couple of hostel mates. Apparently we had a good time, though I would not be able to give you a first hand account of all that was funny.

On Friday I woke up with a nice migraine and set off for my appointment. I had been told that I would not get the shot during the first visit, so I was not concerned with being hung-over. I managed to get there on time and surprisingly the doctor was able to give me my second Japanese Encephalitis shot right then and there. The cost of the shot here is half of the US price which was a good feeling but not enough to counter the effect of the shot combined with the hang-over. I had planned (there is that P-word again) to go to Arthur's Pass in the mountains after the visit and return to CHCH in time to take the shot next week but that was not an option now. I returned to the hostel, paid for the night and crashed into my bed.

I woke up feeling well enough that I went back into the city and did a little bit of shopping. I had been concerned with my ability to withstand the cold while camping so I bought some extra layers as well as some gaiters (I managed to forget mine in California during my packing frenzy).

Last night was very quiet in the hostel. Everybody gave in to some much needed rest. With my shot finally done I took some time this morning to plan (uh oh) my route around the island. Very quickly my thinking bogged down due to vast number of possibilities and variables. Finally I just had to ask myself: "what do you feel like doing now?". The answer was to head for the mountains. I want to see for myself some of those postcard pictures that I have been drooling over for the last few weeks. Arthur's Pass it is.

A few phone calls confirmed that buses leave early Sunday and that there is plenty of room available at the hostels up there.

Arthur's Pass is in the Southern Alps, West Of Christchurch. The area is known for its breathtaking alpine scenery. The town is a tiny and has very limited grocery shopping options. So today I am busy trying to buy food and other supplies for several days. While I am there I hope to do at least one multi-day hike.

I don't know if there is any internet access there, nor do I know how long I'll stay in the area. The logical progression beyond that is to continue on to the West coast and then South towards the glaciers.