Day 2 Container City

After a good sleep at my BnB at Hillmorton where I heard personal disaster stories last night of the earthquakes, there is obviously no-one who was not affected in one way or another, either financially, physically or mentally and spiritually, by these recent disasters. My host had a breakdown, lost his job, and it was through the resilience of his wife, a Thai theatre nurse and good at everything, that they survived. Their house was also damaged and it is propped up with girders; also they had the Insurance Company from Hell as I have heard them called. But they move on and do what it is necessary to survive. 

Eight o'clock comes, I shave, have a perfunctory instant coffee with awful white bread, and make a hasty exit after doing my emails to discover two more bookings at home! Wow! It's working, and I have discovered a couple of things for my own BnB, little pre-packaged oriental cakes to go with peppermint tea and a more personal key ring for the guests, but I am reassured that my bay window room is easily one of the best to be had, anywhere!

After a quick bus ride into town I am now in the the Container site where people have shown their resourcefulness in successfully bypassing enormous legal complexities and paperwork for which NZ is renowned, and that's not to mention inefficient bureaucrats, to get this service centre up and running. This was quite an achievement. They are not making much money anyway so their inflated prices are certainly understandable. 

Locals hungry...

Chic Containers..

Blue skies and sun shining...

...on my own '19th' table and soft ficelle.

A nice touch to remind me of my birthday today is the table marker for my order, the toasted ficelle eventually arriving a bit limp, but hey, who's to complain after what the've gone through.

My plans for the day are to see more of  the disaster zone and then slowly make my way to airport before the school kids get out, as yesterday it was bedlam.

What I do notice here, especially in contrast with Auckland and Wellington, is the absence of native presence, few Maori and seemingly no islanders, the cooler climate obviously having something to do with it! There are many Indians however, probable from Fiji. However the quintessential English element is everywhere, even with a River Avon, and a cafe, now defunct after the quake, overlooking its narrow banks. Picturesque nonetheless.

Listening to i-pod and reading his Kindle

The Caffeine Laboratory...

Well I have just finished the grand tour of quake city, and it leaves me gasping, with a sort of emptiness inside and wishing to leave. I stop for one more coffee on the Container site, this time from a barista who, covered with tattoos, does not reflect the art of his tattoist. He is a bit surly and serves mediocre warm coffee, possibly reflecting the timbre of the space in which he works. I do notice however he smiles and jokes with his friends so perhaps he just thinks I am a gawking tourist and he doesn't waste time on them. I am now off to the airport, the afternoon chill is setting in and I need to be heading home. More later about the quake and its effects.

The improvised transport Hub in Christchurch

The ruins of the Cathedral and the Millennium Chalice