I am back people.

Sorry about the absence. Brianna and I have been hitting up Thailand and Cambodia! Now...back to New Zealand :) (I hope I took terrific notes!)

After our hike, we were back off to Nelson!
We found a hostel who was willing to let us park Leslie in their lot and use their facilities to shower for $14 each...oh yea and breakfast was included too! Done. The hostel was full of eclectic people...travelers from Israel, England, Holland, Wisconsin (!). They worked as a big family and we came to understand that the majority of them had made this their home away from home....having lived there for months and a few now working for the hostel for free accommodation. Hostels have such different vibes; maybe it's really vacant, maybe the travelers keep to themselves, maybe it's full of energy and music and laughter...luckily the latter is what we experienced in Nelson.

This kid is from Germany and just began playing the guitar two years ago. That night everyone at the hostel met up to watch him get his first gig at a bar. He did so well...he lit up when he started playing, it was pretty neat. This gal joined him for a duet and killed it...and then they fell in love (seriously!). The end. I have a video of him but sadly I'm having trouble uploading it :( PS He is German and she is French...how interesting that their way of communicating is through their second (it might even be their third!) language, English. We, as Americans/Australians/etc, are so spoiled that English is the worlds major language...so spoiled.

Happy St. Patty's Day friends.

Ciaaaaao.