Y llegó el día en que por fin terminaría el estrés del chiwawin de que planificar para mi cumpleaños. Despertamos en Los Catlins, en un camping al lado de la playa listos para emprender nuestro viaje hacia Duniden, donde celebraríamos mi cumpleaños número 31.
Él chiwawin me había preguntado qué cosa quería yo por mi cumpleaños, y yo le había pedido "Ceviche", (extraño tanto mi comida peruana...) creo que por eso estuvo estresado y ahora luce con menos pelos en la cabeza... De donde me iba a conseguir "ceviche"??? No tuve ceviche, pero si uno de los cumpleaños más consentidos.
Empezamos el día con un rico desayuno y caminata por la playa, después continuamos por toda la Costa hacia Duniden.. En el camino paramos frente al mar, donde hicimos nuestro picnic con quesos, salame, frutos secos, frutas y Sidra.
On a quiet and sunny Friday afternoon Ian Swinnen was shaving wood for the table his was making when all off a sudden BOOM BOOM CHING CHING the Gypsy Caravan arrived. He kindly offered them to come in and a bed to sleep and before he knew there was pots and pans being moved into the kitchen, clothes being washed and dried, a hammock on his terrace and a kayak waiting for being repaired, the toaster and the coffee pot in overdrive. Silence and peace were gone in the house and all sorts of activities planned upsetting his daily routine. Many days later, waking up and thinking his live had changed forever, a strange calm was over the house, barely any movement, no more clothes, pots, shoes, books, cables and no more campervan. The Gypsy Caravan was gone again.
One of the good reasons to make it to Dunedin was Chiwawins Birthday. After traveling and bravely tackling all outdoor challenges, a hot shower, a warm bed and a good restaurant were definitely deserved. A slow and delicious breakfast digested with a morning beach walk, a gourmet picnic with a glass of cold cider on the Otago Harbour waterfront and a restaurant of a so far untried ethnicity which turned out to be Turkish, made a proper welcome for Belen's 31st year of life. Off course we had to do something special on this travel birthday, and we celebrated with a Turkish water pipe, puffing, bubbling and chatting with Belen and Ian. That we might celebrate many birthdays together traveling.
Llegamos a Duniden, a casa de Ian (primo de Johan) quien nos recibió y alojó cerca de 10 días en los que invadimos su espacio, calma y rutina. Gracias Ian por habernos aguantado tantos días.
En Duniden fuimos a caminar un poco por la ciudad guiados por Ian, para luego ir a cenar y soplar las velas a un restaurante de comida turca. (Ya que no teníamos ceviche, queria algo que nunca haya probado). La cena estuvo deliciosa..un cordero que se deshacía en la boca... Finalizamos la noche en un bar turco donde probé la Hookah... Que era una especie de tabaco con sabor a Fresa.
We had a very good time in Dunedin and needless to say we felt at home in Ian's apartment on a Dunedin hill with the most amazing view over the Otago harbor. While as kids we were always in some way logically happening to meet each other, because our parents happened to be brother and sister, it was really great to meet as cousins on the other side of the world because our paths crossed and sensing a strong family bond, feeling to be part of the same big family. Liters of coffee and many conversations about life, our perspectives on life and future and obviously common family memories or part of our parents and grandparents heritage in stories and anecdotes made this a memorable stay. Thank you Ian for having us, good luck in Dunedin and looking forward for a next meet up.
Los siguientes días, los pasamos conociendo la ciudad de Duniden... El campus universitario, distintos museos y jardín chino. Es una ciudad con mucha vida nocturna, bares y restaurantes por todos lados. Es de esas ciudades en las que tienes la sensación de que siempre está pasando algo de lo que puedas disfrutar ... Un día nos topamos con un concurso de bandas musicales Escocesas y una tarde de un sábado estábamos disfrutando de un concierto de jazz gratis en el jardín botánico de Duniden.
Built along the water, with a strong Scottish heritage and one of the first bases for farming and later gold, Dunedin is now all about the university. We enjoyed the nice atmosphere, restaurants and bars in town, as well as the Victorian and Edwardian architecture which we were 5 years too late for in Christchurch. For me this was a very particular visit as well, because I could "go down memory lane" in my Mums name as she finished her university here and spent a few years living. My dad would always illustrate his youth stories pointing out buildings, walking over university campuses, or cycling through streets and villages, while Mums past, that exited only in tales, anecdotes and a scarce picture, come to live little by little traveling the world.
Duniden, no sólo me gusto por las actividades que hay para hacer en la ciudad sino también por la cantidad de vida silvestre que puedes encontrar. Recorrimos la península de Otago, y paramos en cada playa a caminarla, a descansar y leer un libro, a hacer nuestro picnic... Nos cruzamos con focas, lobos marinos, el lobo marino blanco (es uno de los más raros del mundo), pingüinos bebés de los de la película Happy Feet (Pinguinos de ojos amarillos), albatros y pesca que pudo hacer Johan sacando choros, con los que nos dimos un festín de choros cocidos con salsa tártara.
The Otago Harbour is a wildlife treat, new born yellow eyed penguins, Hooker's Sealions, fur seals and albatross were all on the menu as well as beautiful beaches and peaceful bays. Again we had a big pot of freshly harvested mussels that I will remember for the following reasons; first, never in my life did I eat such a big mussels with the shell bigger and the actual mussel as big as the palm of my hand and second, the mussel collection was interrupted a few times by a big adrenaline rush when a curious seal would swim a meter next to or below me. Where a dolphins curiosity resembles a human a seals curiosity resembles a dog, playful, inquisitive but unpredictable and no sense of mutual understanding.
Una de las cosas que me gustan cuando uno está en modo "viajero" es que estás mucho más abierto e interesado a conocer gente, a aceptar invitaciones y así de pronto un total desconocido después se torna en alguien con el que viviste una experiencia que nunca olvidaras.
Y así fue como conocimos a Rossie, era nuestra última noche en Duniden y decidimos salir con Johan a tomarnos una última cerveza junto a Ian... Habíamos estado buscando un bar especial para la ocasión pero por la hora, ya estaban cerrados la mayoría, por lo que decidimos ir a un bar chiquito que quedaba a unas cuadras de la casa. Era el estilo de bar que me gusta, chico, no mucha gente, pero gente local... De la zona. Estábamos muy tranquilos disfrutando de una cerveza artesanal cuando de pronto teníamos al lado una pareja en la otra mesa que nos empezó a bar conversación, preguntándonos de donde éramos...y no sé por qué motivo, la mujer saco del bolso un spray con perfume el que empezó a disparar sobre Johan y lo dejo oliendo a rosas... Nadie entendió por qué Rossie hizo un eso, pero todos empezamos a reírnos de la situación teniendo una entretenida conversación de viajes y la vida, y finalmente fuimos invitados a almorzar a su casa como despedida de Duniden. Gracias Rossie y Andy por el almuerzo y tour, me gusto mucho haberlos conocido.
After relaxing and enjoying Ian's company and place for a week and with the travelers restlessness bubbling up again we decided it was time to continue our voyage but not after a most curious but fun meet up with Rosie and her fiancée Andy. We got mixed into conversation with them in a local bar, between a ball rolling high headed magician, the worst hip hop act ever, and a broken nose after one hip hop head banging character hit the other one straight in the face and finally invited for lunch at their place before leaving. The next morning, while wondering if everything really happened, with a slight headache (according to Rosie and based on experience due to the poor quality of the beer), we had a warm welcome and a lovely lunch at this UK-EL Salvador-Costa Rican couples place. Thank you guys and looking forward meeting you again.
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