FRIDAY THE THIRTEENTH

I needed the new passport so quickly as I was due on the 1.00pm ferry to the south island where my friend was collecting me in Picton. I doubt I’ve seen Ben in 17 years, he still looked the same as at school and so did I. We look remarkably similar in fact. Maybe it was the same postman or something in the Mendip water?
We got on well straight away as he drove from the ferry port to a hostel where he cooked a rather good Massaman curry and we shared a bottle of white wine.

The next day we drove to the edge of the Abel Tasman National Park, changed direction and travelled through the Southern Alps before hitting the Canterbury Plains and finally arriving at Ben’s in Christchurch. Phew! What a drive; well done Ben. The scenery was stunning, we stopped lots for photo’s which I must upload onto FB.

That night after fish and chips (pronounced fush n’ chups) we headed out into Christchurch for a few beers. Ben was tired but a few pints later we were laughing at old names from school. He has almost completely forgotten everything from school, blocking it out which is odd, but then again my memory is quite good. We bumped into a friend of his, but Ben went home leaving me clinging to a window insisting that the night was young. Again somehow I made it home to my bed.

We spent the next afternoon with Ben’s friend Pippa, originally from Exeter. I think they should sort themselves out and get together, but they insist they are just friends. The whole afternoon Pippa was gagging for it as she hadn’t been laid in a while. This amused me Becs, his housemate arrived home and we all drank a little wine. Well, Becs had a bottle while we shared one. She’s from Burnham-on-Sea, next to Weston-Super-Mare in Somerset. It was comforting to be surrounded by silly accents, and the wet weather made it seem like home,

I separated with forty English pounds for my third pair of trainers in ten days (sneaker junkie, moi?) Ben bought me a book called Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance which sounds brilliant, I’ll definitely read it in the USA. Ben had looked after me amazingly well, especially as we hadn’t seen each other in so long and hardly knew each other so I treated Ben to his and my favourite - eggs Benedict before he dropped me at the airport. I wish I could have stayed longer, I hope he finds gainful employment, a great girl (Pippa!) and to see him again. On the plane I was seated next to an American for my flight from Auckland to Los Angeles. Joy. Turns out Mark is a writer, director and performer in New York. Despite his nationality he was really cool. I have to get over this indoctrinated hatred of Yanks, like soooon.

I introduced him to Peep Show on the plane and chatted rubbish as he matched my wine consumption glass for glass with vodka on the rocks. After getting to know me for just a few hours he wouldn’t give me his sister’s number who was sat in the next row as he already labelled me a “scandalous rogue” Another potential travel partner bites the dust…

I waited at the airport for about five hours, had a cream cheese bagel and almost forgot what I was hanging around for. Cute girls walked passed and then I saw one that…