making a reacquaintance

My reacquaintance with the living world was fantastic whirlwind experience for all the senses.

First, there is smell: right off the C-17, we get a good wash of jet exhaust and then...then, it is green-smelling; freshly mowed grass, flowers blooming, trees, and moisture! In the city, smells of souvlaki, rain on the sidewalk, Thai food, Indian food, and bookstores.

Before long that humidity gathers on the skin while lifting bags and collecting luggage, pushing a trolley through customs and unloading ECW gear at the CDC (Clothing Distribution Center). Later in the evening I enjoyed the feeling of a hot soapy, relaxing bath before sleeping in a soft, cozy bed in a clean hotel. A small number of raindrops felt fantastic the next day walking through the city; a delicacy for the skin!

Sounds are not hard to come by either. Replacing the wind howling through poorly insulated buildings, heavy equipment scraping and crunching over the ground, and generators humming all over station are sounds of birds tweeting, footsteps on sidewalks, the crossing signals chirping, and cars honking.

Tasting things is something everyone looks forward to and I had kumara chips on my mind. These are fries made of kumara (a potato-like root vegetable). They are fantastic with sour cream and I had those on my second night in Christchurch. Robyn and I also went out for sushi; a fresh product which is not easy to come by in Antarctica! But, my favorite flavor is that of coffee made with real milk (not the powdered substitute).

While we did not see much in the darkness of night when we arrived in New Zealand, in the morning, I gazed out on an otherwise very mundane city scape from my hotel room room and smiled at the green trees and tall buildings, the stone walkways and smartly dressed business people walking to and from work. I saw children, and ducks, and fish in the Avon river and colors everywhere!

This post is filled with the fantastic photos of flowers that caught my attention in the Botanical Gardens. Spring sprung overnight for those of us on our flight!