We arrived in autumn

It is only our second day in NZ and we already love the people. They are so friendly and welcoming and that in a very genuin way. Here is an example: We arrived in Christchurch early in the morning and headed to the farmers market with all our luggage on us, before waking up our couch surfing host too early on a Saturday. It is situated in a beautiful park and is the weekly market place for regional fresh products. From organic vegetables and fruit to homemade chutneys, bread and cakes to hot lunches. Needless to say that we loved it and bought more than we could carry. Not a good idea in the end, as we still had to walk to our couch surfers home. But time was ticking away. So as we stood at the entrance, our heads over the map to figure our where to go, a Kiwi came up to us and asked if he can help us (note: he came to us, not vice versa). We explained to him, where we needed to go. He checked the map and his iPhone and as he explains to us where it is, he says:“ You know what, that is too far to walk with all your stuff. Just put it in the back and I will drive you there!“ What a gift! We were so thankful and he was really nice as well. He gave us a 5 minute history overview on Christchurch and all the problems it had and still has after the earthquake in 2011. And in the end, as usual, it turns out his family immigrated to NZ in 1940 from Europe when his father, who was a Jewish Czech, fled due to Hitler. Anyway, how kind of him to just take us there. And our hosts were just as kind to let us stay and gave us tips where to go and what to do in one day in Christchurch. The earthquake 3 years ago is still very present. The heart of the city centre is still a place of ruins, closed shops and missing souls. Even though they created a container shopping mall and built a cardboard cathedral, it felt very sad and empty to walk through the city. The warmth and friendliness of the people made it still a great experience though and some beautiful parts were untouched by the earthquake. So here are a few impressions on a not sunny day this time. Autumn is well underway here. We left out pictures of the still ruined places in the city and instead want to leave you with the beautiful parts of Christchurch. We just picked up our B&T for the next 27 days and will leave Christchurch to head into nature. Not sure how the Wifi connection will be there, but we will keep you updated where and when we can.