It’s 4 AM and I can’t sleep. It’s my own fault. Around 5 last night, I suddenly became so tired I had to lie down. Just for a few minutes, I told myself. Eleven hours later, I woke up. At least I caught up on my sleep.
The journey to Christchurch was long. I had been visiting friends in Manhattan and had to get to Newark airport. Two local trains took me to Penn Station where I hopped a NJ Transit train right to the airport. After 19 hours in the air (three flights), I arrived safely in Christchurch. By odd coincidence, the guy sitting next to me on the flight from San Francisco was one of 3 other people joining me on the bike tour. A fellow computer geek from the Bay area. Between the two of us, we managed to figure out customs and transportation to our respective hotels.
I got to the hotel early, before 10 and was not allowed to check in until 1 so I spent a few hours walking around the nearby park into downtown. I forgot to check the outlets here before I left, turns out they take three flat pins. So when I was downtown, I used Google Maps on my phone to find an electrical supply store.
Walking around the city is like navigating a war zone. Or more like a city rebuilding after a war. Heavy equipment and construction vehicles are everywhere. Most stores are shuttered or just empty, covered in dust. So I wasn’t surprised when I arrived at the correct address to find the shop was closed down. The entire block was.
The Visitor’s center, across the street from the cathedral (covered in scaffolding) pointed me in the direction of a shopping center about 15 minutes walk away. There I picked up an electrical adapter and also found a bike shop where I picked up some bike shoes and was talked into some other gear.
Looking forward to exploring more tomorrow. Maybe go the tourist route and do the bus tour of the city.