The road abroad sounds like….silence.

Overnight Cruise in DOUBTFUL SOUND, New Zealand

At 11:30am the Real Journeys bus arrived and I realized I was the only one getting on.  A whole coach bus just for me!  I arrived at the docks fifteen minutes later and caught the attention of some female 20 somethings when I almost fell over when I sat down with my backpack still on.  I thought that would be a great icebreaker for sure and that I would definitely have friends on the boat.  But sure enough I went the boat ride, bus ride and big boat ride without any friends.  I figured everyone would be as friendly as the past boat rides but it seemed like people were there with a group and didn’t really stray from it.  I moved into my quad cabin and was psyched that I would be alone.  I really took advantage of the space and quiet sleeping quarters.  Mine!  All mine!  A little different than the 8 man hostels I had been staying in.  The view from the shower was awesome- stainless steel circle with waves breaking in the foreground and large green mountains in the background. 

                I headed back upstairs for the ‘muffin hour’ and scarfed down two with no problem.  I had anticipated the ample, quality food and had starved myself since breakfast.  We then headed out for kayaking off the boat, which was really impressive.  The crew was very organized and professional throughout the whole trip.  You wouldn’t have guessed they had followed the same stupid kayaking path 7 days per week, 14 days per month.  We saw some cool waterfalls but it was pretty chilly and full of sand flies.  I put bug spray on but somehow they found a way to eat my ankles.  They are awful- way worse than the guidebook warned!!!I   After kayaking, I feasted on some soup and bread while sitting with an English couple and a young, grubby tramping couple from Queenstown.  They really only spoke to each other though and I was more of an observer.  They were talking about their recent travels to India and how far money went over there. They also casually spoke about how they didn’t use a working bathroom for about 2 months.  I have no desire to visit that dirty place.  Sorry, Sri dawg.  Your mother’s country sounds really dirty.

                After soup we were called out on the deck to see the colony of sea lions hanging out on a nearby island.   The crew member on the microphone was so informed of the plant and wildlife in the surrounding area.  Sure he had done this tour for years but he had a way of presenting it that seemed fresh.  I spent a lot of time indoors chatting with the Skipper in order to stay warm.  Eventually a group of guys from Belgium came in to do the same and I found some friends for dinner.  They were nice enough to sit down with but I was still surprised that the girls my age hadn’t made any effort to be friendly.  On the contrary, the one from Holland was REALLY bitchy towards me when I tried. 

Dinner was then served and it surpassed expectations!  I packed in so much food and never really seemed to fill up.  It felt so good to get salad in my body amongst all things.  We had a great dessert as well and watched a slideshow on the flora and fauna of the Fiordlands.  I had met a very nice girl from Austria named Eva throughout dinner and feel like I made a solid connection for when my European trip brings me toward her hometown.

                The next morning I woke up to the engines roaring at 6:30am as we made our way back through Doubtful Harbor in hopes of returning at 10am.  I had a glorious shower and met Eva upstairs for breakfast.  The entire crew was so friendly and worked very hard…but they were a little too hasty overall.  It seemed as if your food was being taken away almost immediately after serving it.  You didn’t really feel like you could take your time with anything.  They were constantly moving you along.  I understand they had a schedule to keep but they could have been more discrete about it.  Over breakfast I met a girl from Denmark who was really pleasant and a guy from Belgium named Dimitri.  We all gathered on the deck to take in as much of the scenery as possible. 

The skipper pulled into one cove area that was surrounded by not only beautiful cliffs and green mountains, but amazing waterfalls sprouting out in 8 different spots.  They shut off the engines and commenced the ‘sound of silence’ which lasted a good ten minutes.  It was amazing to be in such a remote place with nothing but water rushing and mountain birds squawking.  Oh and little Asian children rustling in the background like gremlins.  Honestly, did you really think your 6 little gremlins were going to cooperate for the sound of silence?

                We made our way back to the dock and started to load the buses.  The crew was standing in a line to send us off and I spontaneously ran through the line giving high fives!  I was very grateful for this peaceful trip and the demeanor of the crew that watched us over us for the last 24 hours.

                Dimitri and I had great conversation throughout the bus trip back.  I discovered that Belgians don’t really make a big deal about weddings and marriage like in America.  His friend Kristof had been living with his girlfriend for the last 7 years with no plans to marry.  He himself was an only child and was unlikely to get married.  I thought us Americans were crazy.  We discussed our families, our jobs, our healthcare as well as lighter subjects such as Kristof’s embarrassing run off the bungee cord platform.  I felt terrible just laughing in this stranger’s face so whole heartedly!  The poor guy was doing such a brave thing in bungee jumping yet he looked SO terrible doing it.  He had a running start and jumped before he was supposed to and almost hit his knee on the platform.  It just looked like he was savagely running and didn’t know it would end.  When you’re traveling alone there is some giggling that one internalizes.  This was the first time I actually enjoyed some belly laughs.  I apologize that it was at Kristof’s expense.