Clipped Wings

The next day, after a beautiful run in the Botanic Gardens, we reported to the US Antarctic Centre for clothing distribution and learned that our plane was broken. We would be notified at our respective hostels if the flights would be going the following day. We spent the afternoon doing a little shopping, enjoying the gorgeous blossoms and greenery of spring in Christchurch, walking around the city and eating ethnic food, though we were incredibly saddened by the fact that our inexpensive Asian Food Court was be remodeled for another use.

That evening, we learned that our plane would not be repaired in time to fly the next day so we made plans to go to a little ski town with Hot Springs. Though Hanmer Springs is a very commercialized establishment, it was wonderful to leave the city, not think about the Program (sounds like a cult, doesn’t it?) and soak in some very warm water….especially since the weather had turned nasty. The pools were wonderful in the downpour. The pattern of the raindrops on the steamy surface was mesmerizing and the low cloud cover swirling around the mountains made the whole scene kind of dreamy.

We spent several hours getting pruny and then the skies cleared and we walked around town under bright blue skies. We drove back to Christchurch in a lazy daze, much to the sadness of our shuttle driver, who wanted to make jokes with “Kittens” and his harem of 2. The company’s dispatcher had told the driver that he had a party of three under the name Gitzels, but to the driver, all he could figure out was Kittens. So Michiel, our friend Jeri and I became the Kittens party.

Upon return to the hostel, we saw that our flight was on for the next day but we had a nice, late check in time. We enjoyed a fun evening out at one of the US Antarctic Programs’ favorite hangouts, Dux Delux and poured ourselves into bed.