Christchurch

!~@*(#&(!@*&!~#)(&!@*(#^*!&~@       <time machine to...February 10? maybe?

So Christchurch. Whenever I told people I met while traveling they were like, "why are you going to Christchurch? everything is shut down!". And in my head I was like, "ya, right". But they were mostly right. The entire city center is gated off. So I was not super bummed I didn't have a ton of time in Christchurch, but I did enjoy my time there. And not EVERYTHING is shut down...just the city center. It's really sad though to recognize the destruction an earthquake can do. I've never seen anything like it firsthand before. Sobering. And to think of the people living there having to rebuild, so much work to be done. A lot of the rebuilding hasn't even started yet, because they still have so many aftershocks. I even got  a taste of a mini one the first night I was there. (I of course was half asleep and so my first thought was "why are the Germans I am sharing a room with shaking my bed...", very logical I know.) Saturday I explored what was accessible downtown, and the botanic gardens, which are still beautiful. As I was walking home that night I saw some scantily clad ladies and thought that maybe Christchurch needed some fashion help...then one of them had a nice chat with a "client" right behind me as I was waiting to cross the street to my hostel. Turns out that prostitution is legal in NZ and since the city center is closed they've moved outward. A.K.A. the street where my hostel was.  And I could make so many bad jokes right here but for the sake of not scaring my parents I won't:)

Crumbling. Walking through the streets it's crazy because some houses appear to be without damage, and the next will be inhabitable.

Barely standing:(

Such cute houses too. Hard to think that this was someone's home.

All that remains. Not this one, but there is another Cathedral downtown that had soo much damage and they just took the steeple right off. Not sure what the plans are for a detached steeple...

Don't know if you can tell, but this parking lot is like rolling hills... 

street art.

Schweet tree in the botanic gardens.

Surprise, surprise it had rained. I got to walk all the way to my hostel in it. Wouldn't have been as bad if I could read maps....But anyways it makes the flowers pretty!

I'm standing on an epically giant tree stump.

Punting on the Avon (yes that's what they called it. no I'd never heard of it being called "punting" before either)......
Venice wannabees.

crumbled.

 Sunday I basically joined the Blair family. Seriously. They got to see waaayyy too much of me. But I had a blast!!! and then the next day it was off to Queenstown.

The day I joined the Blair families:)