He…….
Sitting in a camper van with house music on the stereo the air is crisp and clean. This of course, is ever refreshing after 12 years in a Costa Rican rain forest. We were nearing a week in Kiwi-land and most of the kinks have been settled out……making the bed, turning on the gas, using different sources of electricity, storage issues, etc. By no means is living on the road posh but to certain people it sure is liberating. Life on the road it seems is about where you are in your head. If I feel irritated , it’s me, it’s not circumstance. If I’m tired, the world around me may not be. If the day isn’t a lucky one well, that is life, blame the Gods who surely are in charge. Counter to road hardship is the continuing stream of excitement of the unknown. The satisfaction gained by putting oneself “out there”, the spurring on of creativity, and of course the ability to rest and read and laze around if that is your choice. It seems to me life can be more easily shared when one is happy and at peace. Waking in love with the person next to you, whether in a van or a master suit bedroom, is an incoming tide of nutrients and satisfaction.
We had a long day driving and getting semi-lost didn’t help things either. With an hour to go till sunset we finally reached Muriwa Beach. I wasn’t motivated to do anything, and so Miss Sarah went up to a woman sitting in a car in the parking lot. She was waiting for her 11 year old son named Kelly (named after the most famous surfer of all time Kelly Slater) and her 18 year old son Blake. She had binoculars and her husband is an avid surfer too, her fate lead her to the whims of the ocean it seems. She pushed me to paddle out and get wet, which I finally did and although I only snagged 3 waves, I still felt like it was Christmas morning when I returned during sunset. After all these years it still amazes me the fun I get by simply riding a wave. Phillipa (the NZ woman in the car) told Sarah that if your man is surfing, life is easier….I suppose that goes in the line of “a happy wife is a happy life!” While surfing we were invited to their house to park the van. Sarah got directions and although we got lost again, she tracked us down in her car and escorted us in. This was our first “homestay” and we shared wine, stories, pictures, and by the end of the evening we offered them our extra tickets to USA vs. Australia down in Wellington. When talking to them they said they couldn’t afford even to go to one game so we were delighted to hook them up. Wellington is another story but we had a BLAST with them again and look forward to seeing them for the marathon in Auckland late in October again. We got along very well and the morning came around quickly. I headed out for a run and ran down some path that lead to this huge pillar of vertical rock. There were hundreds of birds nesting there that return every spring from Australia. This was our first connection with a New Zealand family but hasn’t been the last. This is why we travel…..to meet, share, and communicate with people from around the world that are unlike us in culture, but are identical as a fellow human.
She…….
After driving for a long time and missing a roundabout turn (won’t mention who was driving!!!) We arrived at Muriwa Beach a bit later than we had hoped. At this point we were tired and slightly aggravated, which I have found being on the road will do to one. We were just looking for a place to camp for the night. Along the way of being lost we ended up at this camp sight. Todd went to inquire about the fees and see what was going on because we noticed that there was a big tent being set up. The little restaurant informed us that there was going to be some type of Maiori treaty being signed the next day and that the road would be closed. So we hit the road in another attempt to find Muriwa Beach. As we pulled into the beach, it was about an hour before, sunset and Todd was not in the mood to do anything, but look at the map and find campgrounds (I told him to just get in the water and surf, there were about 10 guys out there still). As all men seem to not like to ask for directions I made my way over to a camper van and car parked near by. I started up a conversation at first with the couple in the camper van to see if they were parking anywhere near for the night. They informed me that they were going to hit the road after sunset and go to a campsite that was 45min away. Not what we were looking for, so I turned and talked to the woman in the car next to me who was looking through her binoculars at the beach. We struck up a conversation and she then offered for us to stay the night in her driveway right up the road. She didn’t want us staying near the beach area. Todd then came over and she told him to get out there and surf, there was plenty of time for a good little session. I guess since we had a safe place to stay for the night he changed his mind and suited up. I then continued talking with the couple in the van and Philippa (the woman in the car). I found out she has three boys and they are all surfers including her husband (Peter). The littlest is named after Kelly Slater and the two others are Sam and Blake. After todd got out of the surf we headed up the road to find the house (almost got lost again because we couldn’t see their house number). What a beautiful home and family. They had an awesome little dog named woody (after the toy story character) as well as 5 sheep and a beautiful little garden. We cooked dinner (bean and lamb stew) then had some wine and beer while sharing our stories. I showed the boys all my bug photos and we talked about them coming to visit sometime in the future. As we continued to talk we found out they were rugby fans and were not going to see any of the games. We had two extra tickets to the USA and Australia game so we offered those to them, I wouldn’t have wanted to sit next to anyone else! Philippa went online right away to look up the quick flight to the game! The next morning todd went for a run and saw this big colony of birds, so when he got back we went for a walk. WOW!! It was awesome to see that many birds and man were they noisy, but beautiful! They were just coming back from Australia where they spent the winter months. All and All, I suppose that from getting lost and aggravated came something beautiful. Now we have made wonderful friends for life!
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