Ben L.

Ben. Let me introduce you. He is quite tall and very handsome. He is quite likable. On Tuesday, I had the privilege of spending all afternoon with him. Let me show you a picture so you can get a better idea of what my afternoon was like.



Ben Lomond (zoomed in picture so doesn't accurately portray the hike)

Ben Lomond Summit from a distance

That’s right, Ben Lomond is a mountain. Quite a large mountain at that, standing at 5,735 feet (1,748m) above sea level. I had a short work shift on Tuesday ending at 10am. After preparing some pasta for lunch and getting myself ready, I headed out the door. The first hour of the trek followed the same path as the Fernhill hike that I had done the previous week. My journey to the top of Ben Lomond continued after making a quick bathroom stop at the top of the first mountain where the gondola ends. Within a few minutes I came across something lying on the ground. Money! $3 to be specific. That now brings the amount of money I have found up to $7. It pays (literally and figuratively) to pay attention to your surroundings. The weather was gorgeous; the perfect day for a hike. The next couple of hours were spent gradually going upwards in the direction of Ben Lomond. When I reached the saddle, I was able to see the mountains on the other side. Boy, were they beautiful! As I stopped for a water break, along came a young Swedish man and we continued on our journey to the summit together. The last hour of the trek was the most treacherous. It was quite steep and the path was a bit rocky. But we made it to the top! What a splendid view it was! Although views from most mountains are wonderful, this was unlike many that I have climbed. Because we were at the very top point of the mountain, we had a 360 degree view. Seriously, stunning. Although pictures were taken, none can compare to the actual view. I sat there, periodically changing positions to get a different angle. I could have easily sat up there for hours but in order to make it back to town before dark, 45 minutes would have to do. Anton, the Swedish man, and I made our way down the mountain. We conversed the entire way down which made time go by quite quickly. Along the way, I came across my second find of the day; sunglasses. They maybe wouldn’t be my first choice but they will do. When we arrived in town, Anton and I parted ways and I walked with legs that felt as stiff as boards back to the hostel. Although sore, it was well worth it. The hike took a little over 7 hours in total. When I arrived back at the hostel, the last thing I felt like doing was making dinner. There were two places in town that were on my list of places to eat; Fergberger and Hell’s Pizza. To Hell’s Pizza I went. I treated myself to a pizza entitled “Lust” which consisted of several kinds of meats. After a long day of cleaning and hiking, I turned in early.

Thanks for informing me

The view that most people get from the top of the gondola.
Great. But it is definitely worth the extra effort to
 go to the top of Ben Lomond.

Queenstown is getting smaller

Ben Lomond Saddle. Stunning.

I made it!

Check out that view

I had a day off on Wednesday so I slowly got ready and bummed around the hostel in the morning before walking into town. I began by going to the European bakery where I purchased a large loaf of Italian bread for $2. What a steal! I then spent the rest of the afternoon in the park by the lake working on uploading pictures to the previous blog for your enjoyment. I made my way to the rugby field where I sat for a short time before I went back to the hostel and then back into town where I met Jenna who took me to Arrowtown. Before Bible study, I went on an hour and a half walk along the river. It was beautiful. The leaves are starting to change colors as Fall is coming and the weather was great. It was a fairly level walk which was quite nice for my still sore legs. I then made my way to Bible study before Raquel brought me back to Queenstown. We ended up sitting in her car talking until midnight. It was so good. I have been so blessed by the people I have met here. 

Need I say more...

After working four hours on Thursday morning, I had chili and bread for lunch before Susanna picked me up. We had made plans the previous night to hang out. It would be her and Alena’s last day in Queenstown. They were staying with another girl from church so Susanna and I watched a movie and than made a cake together. It was a relaxing and enjoyable afternoon. Those that lived in the house and others visiting arrived and Jess cooked up a wonderful dinner. Shortly thereafter, Alena brought me back into town.

Susanna and Alena

It is 9pm at the moment. I have been outside for a total of 5 minutes today. I worked for 5 hours this morning before showering and making crepes for lunch. (I keep crepe batter mixed up in the fridge so all I have to do is heat up a pan.) I then went to sit in the lounge with the intentions of blogging and working on pictures. After sitting there for a short time, the power went out. Quite strange and still unsure of the cause. Apparently, power was out all over town which meant there were people stuck in the gondola going up the mountain. That must have been fun. There were several others in the lounge with me as well. It reminded me a bit of my childhood when it was fun and exciting to have the power go out. I began talking to Edward, a man from Belgium, who is cycling around New Zealand for 5 months. Not knowing when power would be restored, Chris (Scotland), Lizzie (Germany), Edward (Belgium), and I pulled out good ole Monopoly (World Edition). Ironically, just as we got it out, the power came back on. We played anyway. As with most Monopoly games, it lasted a couple of hours ending by me getting the most money and properties. I then heated up some chili for dinner. My supply of chili is quickly diminishing with only one bowl worth remaining.

Kiwi culture: Most people air dry their clothes.