Back in sunny New Zealand

Thursday, December 27, 2001
Auckland, New Zealand
I'm back. It's been almost 2 years, been to 20 different countries where I
chased tigers in Nepal, underground caving in Hungary, trekked in the
Austrian Alps, stayed in tree-houses in Turkey, 17-hour train ride in
India, island-hopping in Croatia, and countless more adventures. I'm back
in Auckland, New Zealand.

The flights from Bombay to Singapore to Sydney were fairly uneventful and
consistent with what I think is pretty much every other flight I have done
in the past few years, there were bad movies and unexciting company next
to me on the plane. From Bombay to Singapore I started chatting to the
bloke next to me who had been in Ban galore, India working as an engineer
for the cricket. When I asked what that was like his response was:
"Terrible. How can it possibly be good when you walk out of your 5-star
hotel and then 5 minutes down the road see someone sh***ing in the
street." What a muppet. So didn't bother talking to him after that.

Had a great day in Sydney. I got in about 7pm, put my backpack in storage
and called my friend Jo who I was going to stay at to see to find her at a
bar in Paddington. So hopped in a taxi and went out for a drink with her
and friends. By the time I got to sleep at 1am, I calculated that I had
not slept for close on 40 hours.

Next day was great. Went with Jo and another friend from NZ who also went
over to the dark side (Australia) to Coogee beach to enjoy the searing 30
degrees on the beach and sea. Ended day off with a fantastic barbeque at
Jo's friend, from where I took a taxi to the airport. Got into Auckland
about 23:30 and after displaying remarkable co-ordination in dropping and
smashing my precious Jack Daniels Duty-free whisky, had a fantastic
re-union with my family!!! Despite all the mixed thoughts in my head, I
was and am very happy to be again re-united with my family after a 2-year
absence.

If any of you found the stuff I wrote in my previous email at all
interesting, I strongly recommend a book called "Into the wild" by Jon
Krakuer. Incidentally this author was one of the survivors of the 1996
Everest disaster and wrote a book about it called "Into this air"
(excellent book too). The "Into the wild" book is based around the story
of a 20-year old guy from the USA who after graduating from college
literally burnt his wallet, gave every cent he owned to charity and went
off to explore America and ultimately Alaska, where his dead body was
found 2.5 years later. The book deals a lot with this burning desire to
travel and to do things that although we sometimes know is not a good
idea, feel an irrepressible urge to do so anyway. Read it.

I am still quite determined to go travelling back to Asia at the end of
this year, but until then I will most likely be in New Zealand. Apparently
I brought good weather with me as today was sunny and hot and went to the
beach with my family and my sisters' friend visiting from Sydney. In 2
days off to that youth camp I mentioned in the previous email.

Once again, Merry Christmas, happy Chanukah and Happy New Year.

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