Funny. I was looking forward so much to stopping for a while and writing (something constructive this time round and not just your usual "Today...we did"...) but now that I'm in front of my computer with not only the internet, but electricity too, I don't know which story I want to write about first.
So I'll write in bursts. I hope you're sitting down. This might be a little hard to follow.
*If you have a headache, come back when you're better.
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To keep clean when living in a campervan, the following items are an absolute must:
1. Wipes.
2. Hand sanitizer. Lots of it. We've got three bottles. One near the sink, one up front near the dashboard, and another I carry in my handbag.
3. Air deodorizer and disinfectant. We disinfect almost all surfaces every once in three days.
4. Dettol. Your friendly family antiseptic to kill those germs. We even put some in the water tank to clean it out.
5. Kleenex. Not just for *achoo* times.
6. Paper towels. In place of a mop.
7. A broom. And we use it. Daily.
When we first cleaned out The Beast, we stripped the floors of its carpeting because...well because it was 'nasty' (in Kyle's words). The carpets were, I'm guessing, once blue but they were grey when we found them so we decided it would be better to just go without carpeting.
However, the current flooring while free of carpeting and you can clean dirt more easily, also collects dust really quickly. I reckon it's more likely due to the fact that we're coming in from outside all the time and bringing in the dirt with us. Wipes are a MUST to clean our feet before getting in. But the next time I go to the store, I'm getting slippers just for use inside The Beast :o).
As for keeping ourselves clean...well we've managed to shower every once in two days at least. See the kitchen sink has a sorta shower-head-like thing which you can pull out. All we do is pop the back hatch and use that to shower. Out in the open. In swimsuits. Naturally we only do this at campsites where nobody would blink an eye if you were showering out in the open. Actually, come to think of it...I don't think anybody would blink an eye at anything much at campsites in general, what with the diverse range of personalities and characters who come and go at all hours of the day.
Ah but today...today we had a treat. We used the solar shower that came with The Beast. We put it out in the sun early in the morning and after midday, it was warm enough...we hooked it onto a tree and showered in the wind. But not before jumping into the lake that was nearby.
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We spent the last two nights at Lake Rerewhakaaitu (*phew*). We wanted to park for a while so we could clean out the van again. The floor had gotten quite filthy after last weekend's rain, rain and more rain. We parked at a campsite near the lake around some older people in their own vans. The lake itself wasn't very impressive...but the night sky...ohmygoodness...it was enough to make me feel like going back to school just so I could invent lightspeed. You could see the Milky Way so clearly...and the millions of stars twinkled their hearts out! For that sight alone, Lake Rereunpronouncable was worth it.
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We went luging! Our first real activity since we got to New Zealand. Five luge rides and the gondola ride for 42 NZD per person. Not too bad. Quite sure Kyle'll put up pictures of that soon.
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We're now in Taupo. Famous for its lake, and host to the New Zealand Ironman race. Which incidentally...is taking place this Saturday. I read about it before, but as we were driving in on the highway, there was a sign warning of delays on March 1 due to the Ironman race.
I'm not very tempted to stay behind and watch guys running/cycling/swimming in tights though.
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As I write this, we're actually at the Taupo Bungy site. It's 9:33 pm, and we've plugged out computers into outlets at its open air cafe. Which is closed. But we're here. Nobody else is. If we're caught on camera...well...I'll wave when we leave later just to be friendly. And to say thanks for the juice.
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Kyle's the one with the camera. I only have my camera phone, and since I don't get many calls on it, I leave it behind more than anything. But here's one I absolutely had to take. Remember Kyle's NZ Beauty apples? Well I found one in the bag today that was the littlest apple I've ever seen...and it was a gorgeous red with no bruises. Here's a picture of it with a bite out of it.
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In the second week that we were here, I gave in and got a pair of crocs. After making fun of Kyle's crocs for the longest time, I sold out. I still don't quite approve of how they look (they're testimony to the fact that you can sell anything as long as you market it right) but they are durable, and practical. Especially for this sort of living where you never know what's coming next. Who knows if you're going to be walking through a river (done), or rain (done), or hiking (semi-done), or jumping into a lake (done also) next.
Although, mine are baby doll crocs (or Mary Jane ones, whichever you prefer). That makes me feel slightly better :o)
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The End. For now.
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