Maori warrior during the traditional challenge
I am now in the farthest point (on land) from my home town, with 12 hours of time difference. I can say that now, after having travelled sixteen months, having visited sixteen countries, having made countless new friends all over the place, I am eventually half way in my Counter-Clockwise Trip Around The World. Not bad, eh? :-)
I can barely remember my feelings when I started this trip, but I do remember that I was not at all sure I would have made it that far (see here.) This is about as east one can go, this is the land when the sun first rise on the Blue Planet. I am writing these notes from Te Aroha, New Zealand, a tiny town among the greenest hills, where life flows very slowly, at the pace of the music diffused by speakers placed along the main road (music for lifts, one would say.)
Looks familiar?
New Zealand. A country bigger than the UK, with a little over four million inhabitants (and 40 million sheep), one third of whom are settled in Auckland alone, more than the entire population of the South Island. I like to imagine that this is how Europe looked like a few millions years ago: great forests, volcanoes and empty spaces. And rain. At least once a day. The water limitations that were so familiar all over Australia seem so far from here.
Yet every time i see a map, I can’t avoid thinking back at the familiar boot shape, only upside-down :-)
Warriors doing the traditional challenge in the Tamaki village
Far away, so close.
We will think about you during the xmas break.
bella Pi!
when will we see U dancing the “haka”?!?! ;-)))