Acclimation

Finally, after three weeks, we are beginning to acclimate to NZ and living in an RV.

I no longer feel like we are hurtling to our death as we speed through the hilly curves on the wrong side of the road on three wheels as we cross-reference the Department of Conservation campsite pamphlet with the Garmin and physical map book looking for our free or cheap campsite for the night. 

We have learned to take showers that last less than three minutes and to share the thirty gallons of water with each other while saving enough to make coffee and wash the dishes.

Instant coffee is starting to taste good.

The thought of paying NZ$24 for lunch sounds reasonable to us – although I do have to admit that it was a buffet and it was on top of a mountain overlooking Queenstown and that we had to pay NZ$25 to ride the gondola up to the top. I suggested that we walk to the top and save the money. My loyal companions staged a mutiny and we rode up. On the way up the steep hill we were able to see cables fastened into the mountainside that intrepid climbers use to keep from falling off to their death. I guess that was a well-deserved mutiny.

I (usually) remember to lock all the cabinets when I am done opening them so that they don’t fall open en route and spill their contents all over the rig.

Entering a roundabout requires you to yield to those coming from your right. (Remember, that is where the oncoming traffic comes from here).

To turn right out of a roundabout, you enter the death trap with your right blinker on and exit with your left blinker flashing.

Cops will pull you over for not using your blinkers.

The police here are unarmed. They compensate for this fact by working in teams and trying to keep you distracted. One will stand at your window with a flashlight shining in and talk fast asking you to say your address into what looks like an electric shaver while the other runs around the RV shining his light into the windows and shaking it around so that it appears that there are more than one of him.

Now I am a bit concerned that I will have to re-acclimate to the US when we return and that re-acclimation will be a trial by fire in Los Angeles traffic. Maybe I’ll take a cab.